VJ Day and the End of the Second World War

The 15th of August 1945 marked the close of one of the most devastating chapters in human history. Known globally as Victory over Japan Day, or VJ Day, this date signifies the moment Imperial Japan announced its surrender, effectively bringing the Second World War to an end. While the official documents would not be signed until 2nd September aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, the world’s collective exhale came weeks earlier. In cities across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, crowds surged into the streets, church bells tolled, and radios crackled with the long-awaited announcement. Yet behind the jubilance lay a complex narrative of war-weariness, political negotiation, and harrowing human cost.

To fully understand the significance of VJ Day, one must look back to the roots of Japanese militarism in the early 20th century. Following the Meiji Restoration, Japan rapidly transformed into an industrial and military power. Victory in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05 had announced its arrival on the global stage. But it was during the 1930s, amid economic hardship and a growing desire for resources, that the Empire’s ambitions turned aggressively expansionist. The invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and the subsequent full-scale assault on China in 1937 ignited a brutal war in East Asia, years before Europe descended into its own conflagration.

As the Second World War escalated, Japan’s alliance with Germany and Italy under the Tripartite Pact widened the conflict. The attack on Pearl Harbor on 7th December 1941 served as a catalyst, pulling the United States into war. What followed was a Pacific theatre characterised by fierce island-hopping campaigns, relentless naval battles, and widespread atrocities against civilians, particularly in occupied territories such as Korea, China, and Southeast Asia.

The tide began to turn in favour of the Allies by mid-1944. Battles such as Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa came at staggering human cost but decisively weakened Japanese military capacity. Despite mounting losses, the Japanese leadership refused unconditional surrender, clinging to the hope of negotiating more favourable terms. Civilians were encouraged to prepare for mass resistance, while military planners anticipated the invasion of the Japanese mainland would lead to catastrophic casualties on both sides.

Faced with such a grim prospect, the United States made the fateful decision to deploy atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6th and 9th August 1945 respectively. The devastation was immediate and unprecedented. Over 100,000 people were killed outright, with tens of thousands more succumbing to injuries and radiation in the months that followed. On 8th August, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and launched a rapid offensive in Manchuria, dismantling Japanese forces in the region with overwhelming speed.

With the dual pressure of nuclear attack and Soviet incursion, the Japanese Emperor Hirohito took the extraordinary step of intervening directly in government affairs. In a rare and deeply symbolic address, broadcast by radio on 15th August, he urged the nation to accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. It was the first time his voice had ever been heard by the general public. He referred to the "new and most cruel bomb" as a reason to end hostilities, emphasising the need to save the Japanese people from utter destruction.

Reactions across the globe ranged from unrestrained celebration to solemn reflection. In London, revellers gathered in Piccadilly Circus, dancing and embracing strangers. Prime Minister Clement Attlee addressed the nation, paying tribute to the courage of Allied soldiers and the suffering of millions. In the United States, scenes of joy unfolded in Times Square and small-town parades alike. Yet in Asia, the aftermath was far more complex. For many, VJ Day did not immediately bring freedom or peace. Former colonies such as Indonesia and Vietnam saw a power vacuum emerge, sparking anti-colonial uprisings that would shape the geopolitical landscape for decades to come.

The impact of VJ Day cannot be separated from the broader consequences of Japanese defeat. The occupation of Japan by Allied forces, primarily under General Douglas MacArthur, led to sweeping reforms. The military was dismantled, democratic institutions introduced, and a new constitution promulgated in 1947. This transformation laid the groundwork for Japan’s post-war identity as a pacifist and economically powerful nation.

Memorialisation of VJ Day has varied across cultures and decades. In the United Kingdom, the 50th and 75th anniversaries were marked with national services of remembrance, attended by surviving veterans and members of the Royal Family. Australia and New Zealand observe the day as VP Day (Victory in the Pacific) acknowledging the distinct nature of their wartime experience. In Japan, the date is remembered not as a day of surrender but as one of mourning for the war dead, reflecting a cultural emphasis on loss rather than defeat.

Controversies have accompanied these commemorations. The use of atomic bombs remains a subject of ethical debate, with historians and ethicists questioning whether Japan was already on the verge of surrender. Others have pointed to the horrific acts committed by Japanese forces in Nanjing, Manila, and elsewhere, arguing that ending the war swiftly spared further atrocities. The dialogue remains fraught and complex, illustrating how VJ Day, while a moment of closure, also opened new chapters in collective memory.

More than seventy-five years later, the echoes of that fateful August still resonate. The global order that emerged from the ashes of the Second World War (marked by institutions such as the United Nations and a new focus on human rights) was shaped profoundly by the events leading to VJ Day. The nuclear age had begun, diplomacy took on new urgency, and the moral weight of warfare was reconsidered in ways that continue to shape military and political doctrine today.

Ultimately, VJ Day is more than a historical milestone. It serves as a reminder of the fragility of peace, the horrors of unchecked aggression, and the resilience of those who endured unimaginable trials. While the jubilant crowds that once danced in the streets have long since dispersed, their legacy endures in every effort to prevent such a war from happening again.