fbpx

The Surrender of Japan

The Surrender of Japan – the end of World War II

surrender of japan

At the end of every war comes one of the most humiliating moments for the defeated. The symbolic surrender and years following are some that can be the worst in the history of any nation that loses in the conquests of warfare. This moment was the actual signing of the treaty that would completely end the bloodiest conflict in world history.

On September 2nd of 1945, the Japanese Instrument of Surrender as the treaty was called, was signed by members of the United States and Japan, formally ending the Axis Powers and closing out the Second World War. It is truly unfortunate that this peace had to be bought at such a high cost, but the world was able to breathe easily once again.

It was clear once Germany dropped out only a few months prior that the only way the war could end was with an Allied victory, but the Japanese government refused to give up and insisted on fighting to the bitter end if need be. The Allies responded by cooperating the ultimate campaign that would completely surround Japan and conquer it piece by piece.

Fearing this would lead to an extremely prolonged and even bloodier conflict, the United States opted to drop two atomic bombs on Japanese cities to force a surrender. As grisly as the end result was, the peace that the world wanted was now achieved. The Japanese government would lose much of the territory they had conquered during the war and their government would be severely weakened, allowing for personal freedoms and democracy to take center stage, revolutionizing the country forever.