August 14
1945 - 75 years ago today, in what later became known as Victory Day, an official announcement of Japan’s unconditional surrender to the Allies is made public to the world. Even though Japan’s War Council, urged by Emperor Hirohito, had already submitted a formal declaration of surrender to the Allies, via ambassadors, on August 10, fighting continued between the Japanese and the Soviets in Manchuria and between the Japanese and the United States in the South Pacific. The Allies' rejection made clear only unconditional surrender would be accepted and the fighting continued.
On the afternoon of August 14 (August 15 in Japan, because of time-zone differences), Japanese radio announced that an Imperial Proclamation was soon to be made, accepting the terms of unconditional surrender drawn up at the Potsdam Conference. That proclamation had already been recorded by the emperor. The news did not go over well, as more than 1,000 Japanese soldiers stormed the Imperial Palace in an attempt to find the proclamation and prevent its being transmitted to the Allies. Soldiers still loyal to Emperor Hirohito repulsed the attackers. At the White House, U.S. president Harry Truman relayed the news to the American people; celebrations broke out in Washington, D.C. and across the country.
The official surrender documents would be signed by representatives of the Japanese Government on Sunday morning, September 2, 1945 aboard the USS Missouri moored in Tokyo Bay, which brought World War II to an official end.
Last edited: Aug 14, 2020