US Atomic Bomb + End of WWII (aug 6, 1945 – aug 14, 1945)

Description:

1) Invade Japan
- fighting on Iwo Jima & Okinawa showed that the Japanese were willing to fight to death and NO SURRENDER
- even civilians won't let go and try to fight the US soldiers
- US feared mass US death
- US feared mass death of Japanese military and civilians
- war drags on in China & Southeast Asia --> currently Philippines, Chinese, and Vietnamese, are all fighting Japan

2) Use Atomic Bombs
- massive Japanese civilian deaths (200,000+)
- unknown effects of new technology
- display power toward USSR


US chooses to use the Atomic Bomb!!!

8/6/45: the US drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima
- 80,000 Japanese die
- surrender = shame to the Japanese, so even after the bomb, Japan did not surrender

USSR declares war on Japan

8/9/45: the US drops another atomic bomb on Nagasaki
- 40,000 Japanese die

August 14, 1945: VJ Day (Victory in Japan Day)
- the Japanese agree to surrender
- under the condition that they could keep their Emperor Hirohito (who was like a deity to them)

Hirohito had to go on the radio and tell the Japanese its okay --> had to print records and send them all over Japan for the soldiers to stop fighting

Official surrender signed in September

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