On this day in 1945, Japan surrendered to the allies after almost six years of war. There was joy and celebrations around the world and 15 August was declared as Victory in Japan day.
After days of rumour and speculation, US President Harry S Truman broke the good news at a press conference at the white House at 1900 yesterday. He said the Japanese Government had agreed to comply with the Potsdam declaration which demanded the unconditional surrender of Japan. Supreme Commander General Douglas MacArthur was to receive the official Japanese surrender, arrangements for which were under way.
Later, in an address to the crowd that had gathered outside the White House President Truman said: "This is the day we have been waiting for since Pearl Harbour. This is the day when Fascism finally dies, as we always knew it would." But he warned that the task of creating a lasting peace still lay ahead.
At midnight, the British Prime Minister Clement Atlee confirmed the news in a broadcast saying, "The last of our enemies is laid low." The day coincided with the state opening of Parliament which took on an air of a victory parade.
Thousands braved the rain to watch King George VI and the Queen driven down the Mall in an open carriage. Later that night the King addressed the nation and the empire in a broadcast from his study at Buckingham Palace at 2100.
Historic buildings all over London were floodlit and throngs of people crowed onto the streets of every town and city shouting, singing, dancing, lighting bonfires and letting off fireworks.
But there were no celebrations in Japan - in his first ever radio broadcast, Emperor Hirohito blamed the use of "a new and most cruel bomb" used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki for Japan's surrender. "Should we continue to fight, it would not only result in the ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation but would lead also to the total extinction of human civilisation."
The Allies had delivered Japan an ultimatum to surrender on 28 July 1945. When this was ignored, the US dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima on 6 August and Nagasaki on 9 August, the day Soviet forces invaded Manchuria.
The official surrender document was signed on 2 September 1945.
After days of rumour and speculation, US President Harry S Truman broke the good news at a press conference at the white House at 1900 yesterday. He said the Japanese Government had agreed to comply with the Potsdam declaration which demanded the unconditional surrender of Japan. Supreme Commander General Douglas MacArthur was to receive the official Japanese surrender, arrangements for which were under way.
Later, in an address to the crowd that had gathered outside the White House President Truman said: "This is the day we have been waiting for since Pearl Harbour. This is the day when Fascism finally dies, as we always knew it would." But he warned that the task of creating a lasting peace still lay ahead.
At midnight, the British Prime Minister Clement Atlee confirmed the news in a broadcast saying, "The last of our enemies is laid low." The day coincided with the state opening of Parliament which took on an air of a victory parade.
Thousands braved the rain to watch King George VI and the Queen driven down the Mall in an open carriage. Later that night the King addressed the nation and the empire in a broadcast from his study at Buckingham Palace at 2100.
Historic buildings all over London were floodlit and throngs of people crowed onto the streets of every town and city shouting, singing, dancing, lighting bonfires and letting off fireworks.
But there were no celebrations in Japan - in his first ever radio broadcast, Emperor Hirohito blamed the use of "a new and most cruel bomb" used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki for Japan's surrender. "Should we continue to fight, it would not only result in the ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation but would lead also to the total extinction of human civilisation."
The Allies had delivered Japan an ultimatum to surrender on 28 July 1945. When this was ignored, the US dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima on 6 August and Nagasaki on 9 August, the day Soviet forces invaded Manchuria.
The official surrender document was signed on 2 September 1945.
