The Museum’s webinars will be hosted on Zoom. Seventy-six years later, The National WWII Museum will pay tribute to the historic anniversaries, as well as the myriad servicemembers and Home Front workers who helped preserve freedom and democracy. “More than 400,000 Americans gave their lives to secure our nation’s freedom, and in the midst of exultation, there was recognition that the true meaning of the day was best represented by those who were not present to celebrate,” said Robert Citino, PhD, Executive Director of the Institute for the Study of War and Democracy at The National WWII Museum. V-J Day was especially momentous-the gruesome and exhausting war was officially over-but the day was also bittersweet for the many Americans whose loved ones would not be returning home. On September 2, 1945, formal surrender documents were signed aboard the USS Missouri, designating the day as the official Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day). The news spread quickly and celebrations erupted across the United States. Truman announced Japan’s surrender and the end of World War II. As the news of Germany’s surrender reached the rest of the world, joyous crowds gathered to celebrate in the streets, clutching newspapers that declared Victory in Europe (V-E Day). Around 25 million soldiers lost their lives on the battlefield.On May 8, 1945, World War II in Europe came to an end. Among them, close to 6 million people were killed in concentration camps of Nazi Germany. Most of them were civilians, and as much as 55 million of them lost their lives in both the west and the east. World War II took millions of lives, and the highest estimates say that close to 80 million people died in World War II. Even though Germany finally surrendered on May 8, 1945, the Soviets insisted on another one that happened a day later, which later became the day Great Patriotic War ended, as it was celebrated in USSR.Īfter both sides of the world signed the peace treaties, and Germany and Japan surrendered unconditionally, the bloodiest battle in human history was put to an end. With troops in shatters, hiding inside a bunker, Adolf Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945. At the time, Nazi forces were suffering losses all over Europe, which put Hitler in a situation of no escape. Hitler was hiding from the Soviets, who made it all the way through Berlin, closing upon his location. The other crucial moment that closed the battlefields on the western side of the world was when Hitler was forced to search for shelter in a bunker. The first airstrike happened on August 6, and the other one just three days later, on August 9, 1945. The United States army dropped two atomic bombs: first on Hiroshima, and then on Nagasaki. This moment was pivotal, not only for bringing World War II to an end but for changing the life for all people on Earth forever since. That is why President Truman gave the green light on using the atomic bomb. Nuclear Bombs Droppedįirst of all, after the Allies suffered major losses at Iwo Jima in February of 1945, the fear of Japan’s invasion was more prominent by the day. There are two key events that ended the long and exhausting battles that killed millions of people. Japan, on the other side, signed their surrender on September 2, 1945, a few weeks after the fights initially stopped. Still, another surrender happened in Russia, just a day after. The reason why there are two separate dates in Europe is that Germany first surrendered to Britain and the U.S., meaning the Western Allies. In the eastern front, the war ended after Japan surrendered on August 14, 1945. The surrender of Germany happened in May, so both the 8th and 9th of May are the days Europe celebrates the so-called V-E Day, which stands for Victory in Europe Day. However, the official end of fights on battlefields across the world somewhat differs.
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