How VJ Day Formed
Germany, Europe, Japan, Asia, and the USA had been fighting Japan for 6 years already. Japan had invaded the other countries, bringing them into war.
However, on August 15, 1945, also known as Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day), the war ceased. All the fighting ended and the world was finally peaceful again. .
The name VJ Day was given by US President Harry S Truman when Japan surrendered the fight. On May 8, 1948, Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) was caused by Germany’s surrender. But, though the war ended there, it was still tense in Asia and the Pacific.
Many soldiers from the USA, UK, and USSR were still fighting, and that stopped 3 months later, due to the dropping of atomic bombs. Around 71,000 soldiers died fighting Japan, and 12,000 prisoners of war.
In 1930, Japan had been invading China and most of Asia. In 1940, the country teamed up with Germany and Italy, forming the Axis Powers. In 1941, Japan attacked the US in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, pulling the US into the war.
Japan also attacked the British Empire, and soon Britain was fighting in Europe and Asia. Australia, India, Canada, and Africa soon joined the fight. The war in the East was especially brutal.
Soldiers faced extreme heats, diseases, and dangerous land. Thousands were captured and were prisoners of war (POWs) and they were given little food, and suffered diseases. Some never made it back home.
Even after Germany was defeated in May, Japan didn’t stop fighting. The Allies prepared for a possible invasion of Japan, which would cost many lives. In August, 1945, the US decided to drop Atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The effect happened almost immediately. Tens of thousands of people passed out, and more died from the radiation of the explosions. 6 days after the atomic bomb, Japan surrendered and the war had ended.
US president Harry Truman announced the war had stopped, and people started to sing and dance. The war had finally ceased. Even today, people continue to remember those who have sacrificed their lives to end the war.
