Hiroshima, Nagasaki and The Unconditional Surrender Of Japan | VJ Day | Timeline

my name's dan snow and i want to tell you about history hit tv it's like the netflix for history hundreds of exclusive documentaries and interviews with the world's best historians we've got an exclusive offer available to fans of timeline if you go to history hit tv you can either follow the information below this video or just google history hit tv and use the code timeline you get a special introductory offer go and check it out in the meantime enjoy this video [Music] [ __ ] [Music] japan remained a medieval rural warrior society until the late 19th century when it began developing rapidly into an industrial economy [Music] a growing national self-confidence and aggressive foreign policy led to large-scale rearmament that would stimulate japanese economy japan's four main islands lacked sufficient land to feed its growing population [Music] and had also to import industrial raw materials such as steel and oil from the usa rubber and bauxite from british malaya japanese expansion and imperialism depended upon industries whose raw material supplies could be disrupted by western trading sanctions [Music] with most sources of supply under us british and european control japan came to believe it was crucial these were made secure if necessary through conquest both the u.s and britain exercise pacific control through powerful navies and as japanese military strength increased tried to prevent it building a competitive fleet now dangerous resentful and aggressive japan began expanding in 1931 when it invaded manchuria in mainland china international condemnation of this act together with the u.s trade sanctions to curb such imperialism caused even greater resentment soon japan would quit the league of nations it is a matter of common knowledge that japan's policy is fundamentally inspired by a genuine desire to guarantee peace in the far east he don't miss you and by 1936 was being governed by a military dictatorship under the nominal leadership of its god-like emperor hirohito that same year when u.s president roosevelt stated let no one imagine america will escape that america may expect mercy that this western hemisphere will not be attacked his comments could be applied equally to threats both german and japanese [Music] in 1937 tensions between japan and western powers heightened further when it seized upon a flimsy excuse to declare war on china [Music] eventually over a third of chinese territory would be under japanese control by july that year britain and the usa increasingly concerned over japan's growing imperialism began supporting the chinese leader chiang kai-shek as counterbalance even dispatching aid along the burma road [Music] but japanese forces proved not only irresistible but cruel their seizure of nanking china's capital in december 1937 being followed by several months of atrocities during which an estimated 300 000 chinese were slaughtered this rape of nanking resounded to japan's discredit throughout the world with even germany's nazi party expressing horror [Music] tension already high rose when an isolated and dangerous japan declared its intention of imposing its own new order by driving all western powers out of asia to avoid trade sanctions that could cut its raw material supplies japan planned to create its own southern resource zone by seizing the philippines malaya indonesia and burma protected by an outer ring of fortified islands and mainland all will be secured by total japanese sea and air control by the late 1930s modern warships merchant vessels and airport had been designed and built in large numbers and huge armies prepared for pacific conquest [Music] opportunity first arose in september 1939 when the european wars outbreak concentrated western power's attention soon britain and its commonwealth fighting alone could do little to predict pacific interests only the usa possessed industrial and military potential capable of frustrating japanese intentions but in spite of roosevelt's warnings its isolationist attitude still prevailed even though japan's modern navy was already almost on par with the u.s and british breeds combined america remained confident its pearl harbor battleships could counter any threat [Music] but on the 26th of september 1940 a pacific war became inevitable when in response to japan's blockade of british and french interest in china president roosevelt gave japan six months notice of a steel embargo in china a puppet government is established at nanking to rule japan's conquered territories japan enters into an axis tripartite alliance with germany and italy that provides freedom to pursue its new water policy neither country has any particular pacific interest but see this is a way of weakening british and us influence the region occupation of french indochina is essential for japan to seize control of southeast asia and pacific islands with france defeated japan now enters into agreement with its puppy vichy regime that provides free use of indo-chinese ports and airfields germany's 1941 attack on russia removes any threat against japan from that water and frees forces for pacific conquest with millions of men under arms and with modern and powerful naval and air forces japan now abandons diplomacy and adopts open war during the year with the aid of local anti-colonial movements burma is occupied as are the dutch east indies whose oil production is vital to japan's war effort the second world war has now spread into the pacific and for the first time australia and new zealand come under threat with britain's manufacturing base fully occupied with wartime demands all its highly advanced nuclear research is handed over to the usa accompanied by several of its leading scientists a promise is received that any atomic weapons developed will not be employed without british consent aware that trade sanctions would [ __ ] japan within two years general tosho now japanese prime minister decides upon simultaneous attacks on strategic areas throughout the region especially the us pearl harbor and british malaysia without any prior warning japanese bombers attacked pearl harbor a major u.s naval base in hawaii an event president roosevelt describes as a day that will live in infamy [Music] so [Music] eight battleships and eleven other naval vessels are sunk or disabled in their moorings and 188 u.s planes destroyed by aircraft flow not japanese carriers although most of the u.s pacific fleet is now put out of action by this one treacherous bloom significant is the fact it fails to locate three vital aircraft carriers then exercising at sea december 7th 1941 a date which will live in infamy the united states of america was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the empire of japan the united states was at peace with that nation and at the solicitation of japan was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the pacific in a few hours japan has acquired sea and air control that will enable it to invade and conquer almost unhindered throughout the pacific for the next six months during which its sphere of influence will reach a peak with pearl harbor under attack japanese bombing raids are also mounted against targets in shanghai thailand malaya and singapore japanese forces move against hong kong a british colony on the chinese mainland but its small garrison resists fiercely japanese troops attacked malaya and singapore from their newly acquired bases in indochina and thailand after landing on the malayan coast the assault pushes down the peninsula towards the johor straits in singapore an important british base japanese forces land on luzon island in the philippines japanese bombers sink the royal naval battleships prince of wales and repulse sailing with no air cup combined with pearl harbor losses this further destruction of capital ships not only completely alters the pacific balance of sea power but proves that even the most powerful service vessels are vulnerable to air attack although perhaps not realized at the time both events marked the end of the battleship in war japanese forces invade borneo japanese troops push through hong kong's mainland areas and invade hong kong island wake island in the philippines falls after an heroic defense hong kong surrenders japanese forces capture manila capital of the philippines us forces under general macarthur resist fiercely but are pushed back into the batan peninsula [Music] japanese armies take kuala lumpur in malaya and with british and commonwealth forces retreating before them move towards singapore advancing through malaya japanese armies reach the johor straits and begin their assault on singapore this powerful british base was designed in the belief no military penetration of the malayan jungles was possible and equipped with defenses able only to resist attack from the sea even though their main concentration is against germany churchill and roosevelt dispatched troops to fiji islands and new caledonia to prevent these islands being captured by the japanese singapore with its garrison of 60 000 men surrenders to japanese armies this the greatest capitulation in british history does enormous damage to the uk's reputation throughout the region even though it was obvious an isolated singapore could not hold out and was doomed more british and australian reinforcements have been dispatched arriving in time only to surrender by the end of march 1942 all malaya will be under japanese control the duchy's indeced and burma completely overrun flying from airfields in the newly captured dutch east indies japanese bombers attacked darwin in northern australia other than java all islands of the dodgiest indies have fallen to japanese attacks and on the 27th of february two massive invasion convoys are sighted heading towards that island under dutch admiral dorman a hastily assembled dutch u.s and royal and australian naval group attempts to drive off a japanese fleet whose air cover heavy guns and torpedoes are far superior to those possessed by us orbiting ships in a running battle five allied naval vessels are sunk while only four japanese ships suffer death [Music] japanese forces their transport vessels unharmed land on java in burma japanese armies begin their assault on rangoon rangoon falls to japanese attack british commonwealth and chinese troops fall back through burma to the indian frontier where they will establish a defensive line in the mountains the spate of japanese conquest now cuts the far eastern supply line to russia while all allied shipping in the indian and pacific oceans is threatened combined with burma's occupation of this denies china much outside aid a powerful japanese fleet penetrates into the indian ocean seemingly intent on attacking india and salon but is deterred by a few fighter aircraft stationed in salon general macarthur stating prophetically i shall return leaves the philippines to take command of all allied forces arriving in australia on the 17th of march u.s forces in the philippines surrender in what is more a psychological than strategic blow us bombers under the command of general doolittle attacked japan's home island cities of tokyo yokohama and nagoya [Music] corregidor a major u.s stronghold surrenders thus ending all allied resistance in the western pacific u.s naval forces intercept two japanese fleets sailing to seize both port moresby in new guinea as well as the solomon islands this precipitates the greatest naval battles in scotland even though the fleets do not come into actual contact all fighting is by air and although both sides each lose an aircraft carrier the uss lexington is sunk 19 japanese warships are destroyed although this cannot be considered an outright victory the battle prevents new guinea falling into japanese hands with the intention of capturing midway island a huge japanese fleet comprising some 160 ships four aircraft carriers and carrying over 50 000 troops is mustered learning of the plan massively outnumbered u.s naval forces possessing only three aircraft carriers moved secretly into position aided by land-based b-17 bombers the u.s navy sinks all four japanese carriers and shoots down 275 of their aircraft in this one afternoon japanese naval supremacy ends changing the balance of pacific sea power up to this moment japan has not lost a sea battle but never again will it win one from then on its expansion eastwards is halted and vital sea routes threat this is a turning point of the pacific war [Music] the top secret manhattan project begins in the usa commissioned to develop atomic weapons [Music] during the month japanese forces occupied the aleutian islands of atu and kisku dangerously close to the u.s alaskan mainland guadalcanal in the solomon islands is attacked and seized by the japanese [Applause] japanese forces land in new guinea establishing a beachhead on its northeast coast before advancing along the kokoda track against fierce allied resistance if new guinea forms australia and new zealand will come under threat u.s forces retake the aleutian island of atu while japanese abandoned neighboring kiskup u.s marines land on guadalcanal in the solomon islands and sees a vital airfield being constructed there by the japanese u.s forces complete the guadalcanal airfield and create an essential base at milne bay new guinea a japanese attempt to land reinforcements is repulsed by australian forces massive japanese attacks begin against u.s positions on guadalcanal u.s naval forces cause heavy japanese losses as they attempt to land reinforcements on guadalcanal [Music] usc control makes any further relief attempts impossible [Music] we're going to have to slap the dirty little chap and uncle sam's the guy who can do it whisk in that streak of yellow from the sneaky little fella and he'll think the cycle struck him when we're through it throughout the pacific war zone allied forces begin advancing general macarthur commences his island-hopping amphibious assaults on japanese-held islands while preparations are made to retake the philippines and thus enable air strikes against japan's home islands the painstaking conquest of micronesian islands begins during the year the allies announced they intend forcing japan's unconditional surrender and strip it of all territories seized since 1895. u.s forces on guadalcanal launched their final offense after five months of heavy fighting japanese troops abandoned guadalcanal island this is the first major defeat to be suffered by japanese land forces australian troops repulse overland japanese attacks against port moresby with new guinea and bismarck archipelago secure and thus northern australia allied forces now turn towards the philippines and eventually okinawa admiral limits commences his amphibious assault on the gilbert and solomon islands with the intention of cutting japanese suppliers [Music] [Music] [Music] their capture will provide forward basis for future island assaults together with airfields within bombing range of japan's home islands [Music] bougainville in the solomon islands is recaptured by u.s marines [Music] [Applause] [Music] during the battle for the gilbert islands macon island is taken easily but the assault on tarawa proves very costly with 1025 us troops killed and 2 257 wounded japanese losses are estimated at some 5 000. this is clear evidence of what clearing determined and well-prepared japanese defenders can cost [Music] [Music] the allies announced their commitment to nothing less than total victory and complete disarmament of all axis powers by february the marshall islands are retaken in face of fierce japanese resistance that include suicidal banzai charges of men carrying explosives the seizure of any wet arc is particularly important in that it provides the engebi air base that will enable us air control over a wide area ord wingate a charismatic british general who organized chindid fighters behind japanese lines in burma is killed in an air crash the great marianas turkey shoot a japanese air attack on u.s naval forces in the mariana islands is mounted during clear weather that enables defending fighters to spot and shoot down a large number of aircraft macarthur begins reconquest of philippines u.s marines land on palo micronesia on the 15th of june and fight their way across the island offshore the battle of the philippine sea develops with japanese naval forces losing 476 planes and three carriers against 130 u.s aircraft as paving the way for reoccupation of the philippines [Music] guan antinian islands in the marianas are taken [Music] but the assault on saipan proves very costly before it is finally taken on the 7th of july the capture of these islands provides their bases within range of japan's home islands the first raids commencing on the 24th of september a japanese fleet attempting to prevent u.s landings on the philippines is confronted in leyte gulf and over half of it destroyed japan's sea power is now finally crippled and never again will it be able to mount a major sea battle [Music] [Music] leyte gulf is the first battle in the philippines campaign opening the way for invasion of the philippines okinawa and possibly japan itself macarthur's u.s forces land on the philippines north of malibu and fight their way inland throughout the japanese occupation there has been continuing filipino resistance in china japanese forces attacked by the chinese red army retreat back to the coast manila capital of the philippines is liberated [Music] [Music] meeting ajalter in the russian crimea allied leaders decide upon future war and peace policies that although concentrating upon europe outline future pacific intentions in burma japanese armies evacuate mandalay u.s marines invade iwo jima in the bonin archipelago 750 miles south of tokyo where there is a large japanese airbase from which attacks can be launched against japan's home islands the island's defenses consist of interlinking tunnels and bunkers that are proof against even the heaviest naval bombardments and are the strongest so far encountered during the pacific war u.s marines raise old glory on iojima's mount suribachi during the fighting they will suffer over twenty thousand casualties with nearly seven thousand killed iwo jima is finally taken and will become a major air base for attacks on the japanese homeland by the war's end it's estimated over 20 000 aircrew have been saved by being able to make emergency landings here by the spring of 1945 japanese forces were being defeated throughout the pacific and asian region and even though resistance remained formidable their eventual defeat and unconditional surrender were in little doubt even so there were beliefs the pacific war could drag on for months or years and even as the european conflict entered its final weeks with germany near the point of collapse plans were being made for the invasion of japan when war ended in europe there were a few allied servicemen who did not believe they would soon be fighting on the other side of the world yet two events one top secret the other glaringly public would alter both the war's ending and the course of human history in march u.s scientists announced they had developed a nuclear bomb that worked and in april president roosevelt died the sudden death of u.s president roosevelt on the 12th of april 1945 and succession of harry s truman marked a dramatic turning point in the second world war [Music] taking up office when the conflict was moving to its climax many doubted truman's ability to see the task through believing he lacked roosevelt's international vision and diplomatic skills germany had surrendered unconditionally on the 8th of may but although there was bitter fighting almost to the very end this could not compare with the ferocious and suicidal resistance of japanese forces wherever they had been encountered this was a culture that would not lay down arms and accept unconditional surrender but which believed dying in battle for the emperor was no more than natural honor and duty this japanese concept that death was preferable to dishonorable surrender was one reason why allied prisoners of war were treated so dreadfully clear evidence of how costly would be an invasion of japan was provided by heavy us losses suffered during the iwo jima campaign when japanese troops had fought to the last with suicidal fanaticism if a small island could be so tenaciously defended and its assault cost so many lives an invasion of japan itself would be far more costly such real concerns increased during the u.s assault on okinawa attacked by u.s forces on the 1st of april 1945 okinawa was the only part of japan's home territories to suffer seabourn assault and his conquest would prove one of the costliest battles of the war like iojima the island had been heavily fortified with underground bunkers and massive defense systems of which the machinato line of mountain fortresses was but one massive air attacks and naval bombardment failed either to dislodge or demoralize defenders fighting becoming hand to hand often in face of mass japanese suicide attacks ground had to be taken inch by inch while in the air kamikaze aircraft packed with explosives and flown by suicide pilots deliberately rammed u.s naval vessels either sinking or putting them out of action as a desperate measure japan threw its huge battleship yamato into the conflict only to have it sunk okinawa was relatively small but it provided proof positive how costly an invasion of japan's much large islands would be [Music] it was not until the 22nd of june after two months of bitter fighting the japanese resistance was finally overcome but it cost 13 000 u.s lives and more than a hundred thousand of the enemy he had some hope appeared seven days later on the 29th when emperor hirohito expressed a desire to his ministers that peace should be sought but this was no question of unconditional surrender merely a seeking of advantageous terms a massive bombing campaign against japan's home islands had begun on november the 24th 1944 from air bases on the recaptured marianas and by the 17th of may okinawa airfields were also operational [Music] attacks on japanese cities would continue until the wars end [Music] so tokyo being heavily bombed on july the 10th when many of its wooden paper houses were burned and destroyed [Music] [Music] not only were its factories and docks being destroyed but u.s submarines were sinking ships transporting materials essential for the country's survival and thus helping [ __ ] its trade although the main effort against japan came from the usa and general macarthur's island-hopping attacks on japanese occupied areas with a dramatic element of the pacific war the great contribution made by british and commonwealth troops must not be overlooked hard fighting in new guinea jungles had repulsed japanese forces and possibly prevented an invasion of australia and new zealand australian forces had also invaded and recaptured borneo especially better was the fighting in burma by british american australian indian and chinese fought a hand-to-hand infantryman's campaign against three of japan's best armies by 1945 general bill slim's 14th army nicknamed the forgotten began the liberation of southeast asia following up his decisive victory at imphal by pushing japanese forces back through burma to the sea a major factor in this campaign was the fighting behind enemy lines much by chindits who was supplied by mule train and airdrop by the third of may rangoon was retaken and three months later the whole of burma will be declared liberated for the fourteenth army this seemed to offer only a brief respite almost immediately the usa made clear its intention of invading japan and all british and commonwealth troops were placed under us command [Music] a few days before we reached rangoon we were within 27 miles when a the british and indian armies invaded by sea there had been a message from the prisoners in rangoon that the japanese had left and one air force officer believed them and they painted a message on the roof of the of the jail saying extract japs got an extract digit well had they only said japs gone they might have thought it was a trap but having said extract digit there was the sort of slang term of you know get your finger out and get a job done and so extract digit was known to be a slang it only came from british sources it didn't come from a japanese so this officer was flying saw the the painting on the roof of the jail knew it was genuine and he landed his aircraft and to investigate meanwhile the seabourn invasion of rangoon south of barbara took place throughout the european conflict even while germany was operating its terrible concentration and extermination camps prisoners of war were in the main treated correctly under the terms of the geneva convention but the japanese prison cam regime was one of ill treatment starvation working to death beatings and summary execution there was certainly a japanese attitude that surrender was dishonorable and any true soldier would have fought to the death but its treatment of prisoners was not that of a civilized society western prisoners of war found it hard to survive harsh physical labor in tropical conditions even if they were being fed the full diet of rice and vegetables that were a japanese soldier's normal ration and usually they were not to the japanese prisoners of war were regarded as a source of slave labor and if they died there were many more to take their place whatever excuses may be offered japan's atrocities still resound to its discredit [Music] scientist albert einstein had warned that germany was attempting to develop a nuclear weapon and it was obvious time was of the essence it was not until the 17th of july 1945 when the bomb was tested over new mexico that its terrible power was revealed that same month a special commission proposed its employment against japan as a means of preventing a very costly invasion saving allied lives and shortening the war but the awesome nature of the weapon and the fact it would kill hundreds of thousands of japanese had to be considered henry stimson u.s secretary of war did not want the bomb employed without prior warning and argued that japan had first to be given the chance to surrender germany had already surrendered unconditionally and at the pod stamp conference on the 26th of july allied leaders president truman amongst them agreed that japan could do nothing less by that time it was being rumored that some new and dreadful weapon of war was available and japan would either have to surrender or face destruction there would be no negotiation of terms and it was made clear that following capitulation the country would be under military occupation its armed forces disbanded and a democratic government established the problem was that japan was still a vicious and militant warrior society whose emperor was believed to be a linear descendant of the gods since unconditional surrender could destroy the very basis of the state japan's leaders decided not to surrender but fight on preparations were now underway and atomic weapons delivered to tinian island in the marianas ready for final attacks all the while normal bombing raids on japan were continuing the question remained whether the bomb should be used without warning or perhaps dropped on some remote region of japan as evidence of what destruction it would cause but this was still largely an experimental weapon and might fail all the while japanese resistance was continuing strongly every day more allied soldiers were dying and as late as august the 12th the us warship would be sunk by kamikaze attack there is no doubt japan would have fought on for several months at the very least to the bitter end [Music] so [Music] it was to prevent further allied loss of life both to fighting men and prisoners of war that president truman authorized the bomb's employment on august the 6th 1945 the b-29 bomber enola gay took off from tinian island to drop the first ever atomic weapon used in war on hiroshima [Music] do it's huge air burst obliterating the city center and killing some 80 000 of its people [Music] another 60 000 would die over the next 12 months with no japanese surrender immediately forthcoming three days later on the ninth a second bomb used against nagasaki killed a further seventy four thousand [Music] it had become obvious even to the most determined japanese leader that no country could resist such weapons the following day on august the 10th japanese emperor hirohito held an imperial conference that declared all hostilities would end on the 14th of august 1945. [Music] even then this was not totally unconditional as president truman agreed that emperor hirohito should remain as official head of state and not held guilty of any war crimes i think it was august 6 who were just sitting down to lunch and someone turned the radio on in the mess and they announced a drop into the bomb on hiroshima then and across a day or two later uh nagasaki but that meant to us the war was over and truman gave the series a very justified excuse he thought he ordered the atomic bomb to be dropped because it saved allied lives and shortened the war and we thought it was as good a reason as any i have to say that i had serious misgiving about the justification for dropping the atomic bombs although it was wonderful to say that the war was over and we could think about going home whereas before that happened we had a long hard costly struggle ahead of us because this undoubtedly would have been serious loss of lives um which was prevented a serious loss of lives allied lives american and british it seemed to me to be a terrible weapon to have used and i kind of realized perhaps not totally the implications the moral implications of of the use of a of a weapon of that nature but it was serious enough in my mind at the time to wonder whether it was justified because by then we were winning i just felt that we are winning more lives will be lost but should we have used that terrible weapon even in the japanese who i i say i have no sympathy for japanese generally they were acting in such barbaric ways and and when we liberated the british prisoners of war who had been in their hands for years and almost all of them had been for years most of the prisoners were taken in singapore and when we saw how they had been treating the prisoners they felt even more justified you know and whatever happened to japanese it didn't matter too much but i still felt some misgiving about it at that time it was a sort of relief to us because we were not really winning the war on the on the east i mean we were pitched uh against them we have day and night we were having our casualties and they very after the very first bomb or probably it was after the second bomb we got the news that they are surrendered so it was a very great relief i mean we didn't think anything bad about it we thought well that was a savior that is really helped to end the war and probably otherwise it may not have ended for many many more years i don't think at the time we realized the full implications of what a a nuclear bomb meant it was at that time it was a sense of hope that that would bring the walk finally to an end and the humanitarian result of it was was not really conceived i felt that something had to be done to end the war but i don't really think on reflection that had i been in a situation to have to make a decision to drop an atomic bomb that would affect as it did so many hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people and the devastation that it caused that i would have made that decision i think i would have waited for the war to if possible to come to a reasonable fruition without having to resort to what i felt at the time was such extreme circumstances but in defense of that i would say that what i've heard of the treatment of british pows by the japanese and they deserved all they got general macarthur will accept japan's formal surrender on the 2nd of september 1945 on board uss missouri in tokyo bay is my earnest hope and indeed the hope of all mankind that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past these proceedings are closed at rangoon ten days later lord louis mountbatten receives the surrender of all japanese forces in southeast asia five months after the european conflict ended the second world war was over some 110 million combatants had taken part in world war ii fighting in europe and asia killed some 27 million men of whom russia's losses alone amounted to almost half four million german soldiers died six million chinese and over a million japanese while the usa britain and its commonwealth suffered a combined three-quarters of a million casualties civilian losses were enormous to the point of being incalculable but rough estimates suggest these were in the order of 20 to 30 million lives bye [Music] after days of speculation and rumor president truman announces japan surrender at 7 pm on the 14th of august from the oval office in the white house washington dc this afternoon a message from the japanese government in reply to the message forwarded to that government by the secretary of state on august 11th i deem this reply a full acceptance of the potsdam declaration which specifies the unconditional surrender of japan in the reply there is no qualification as news spread that the next day is to be victory over japan day all over the usa millions of people from the streets of towns and cities large and small [Applause] in new york once again times square is a throng of celebrating people overjoyed that the war is now finally open many attend church services in remembrance of the many that will not return [Music] in san francisco the u.s navy which has played a huge part in the defeat of japan celebrates long and hard [Music] there'll be a jubilee upon that happy day sister your man and a my man too your man [Music] [Music] happiness for shipyard workers take the day off as many whistles and hooters are set off [Music] [Applause] so [Applause] in china whose people have suffered long years of japanese invasion and depression the traditional ways of festive celebration are seen in many of the cities [Applause] [Music] so [Music] mary got on the phone to her mother's to let her know where where we were going we decided on the spur of the moment i think to go down to london [Music] huge crowds reminiscent of ve day flocked to see king george v and the queen drive down the mall from buckingham palace in the rain [Music] and then wave to the crowds from the balcony the young princesses later mingling with the crowds of rebels [Applause] [Music] i went to buckingham palace and amongst the crowd and watched the royal family come out on the balcony and wave to everybody [Applause] [Music] [Music] waiting to cross the road and there was some cars coming down the road and in one was winston churchill he passed by us i could have reached out and touched him so that was a moment to remember the great winston churchill [Music] and people all over the country crowd together to sing dance and peruse [Music] everybody was everybody's friend i think at that time dj day we were in chichester now chichester was a different story different cup of tea from bournemouth as i enumerated before she just became alive everybody danced everybody sang everybody was mighty with everybody else everybody did the kong around the around the square it was absolutely fantastic you felt the war was over this was something that we all wanted and it was i don't know what the expression would be but it was more than just a relief there was a freedom of of yourself somewhere i found this difficult to describe i don't know how but i'm sure i've given you the impression when i say that chichester was alive in contrast to bournemouth that was dead and as far as celebrating we had no we don't there's no alcohol in the field we don't have any bars in the british army anything like that so we celebrate by making as much noise we're cheering and setting off hand grenades tracer bullets and anything you care to make a noise and cheers we did because naturally in a few days time when we got to a suitable bar we celebrated in a traditional manner rangoon now again under british control many of the inhabitants are overjoyed at the departure of the japanese [Applause] as yet few will realize that their days of empire are numbered and the troops came started up north and met us as i say 27 miles north of lincoln and that's where i was when the japanese announced their surrender the emperor decided they'd had enough and surrendered and at that time our orders were that there's a ceasefire um [Music] but we are authorized to fire in defense but not an offense and some japanese units either didn't know or didn't want to know about surrender and there were some japanese units which went on fighting for some days after the official ceasefire and surrender on vj day we went mad but we were not in a situation where it was possible to have celebrations in in a conventional conventional way uh there were supplies of rum available but for you know alcohol i happened to be teetotal so i didn't use mine but other than that we got some extra rations and and parties of a kind but we were in the jungle and in the you know in combat situation we went in a town or a city a or in a place where there were buildings even and tables and chairs to sit down and have a meal and you know at a table and chairs and they were kind i mean everything was very makeshift we were still in combat situation for four weeks after that so we didn't have any anything of what one might call a normal celebration i mean obviously everybody was over the moon and joy [Laughter] repatriation was brought down from five years to three and a half years um initially the tour of duty in the far east was maximum five years so that when a soldier had served five years he was was entitled to come back to the united kingdom and that was reduced to three and a half years so of course that was great news as well it helped me had i qualified when it came down three and a half years i qualified to to come home i was posted to raw naval air station at catacoranda in what was in ceylon and i was commanding officer of a squadron that was working up there at 824 squadron the idea was that the when the squadron was worked up it would then move on to australia and the japanese campaign um [Music] but the war ended vj occurred while we were still in ceylon so my my memories of v j day were at um i led the naval fly past lord mountbatten and colombo and we had celebrations of course in in colombo and in [Music] all over eastern asia formerly under japanese sway allied prisoners of war are released and enjoy again pleasures that they missed for so long [Music] emperor hirohita of japan broadcasts to a defeated and demodulized nation saying that japan has been defeated by a new and most cruel bomb used on hiroshima and nagasaki many people later had to commit harikiri in front of his palace in despair and shame having been told by their emperor that they would have to endure the unendurable there was a general relief everybody was happy every the civilians were as happy as others but it was mostly the the people in the uniforms who were affected and we were very happy they were big celebrations there were parties there were dinners they were for for at least a week after bj people were run going about uh feeling really relieved and free the philippines have suffered more than most from the japanese occupation and their relief and joy is overwhelmed [Music] it will take many years before the truth of the oppressive occupation is to become known with lawsuits from women forced into sex slavery and japanese comfort stations being filed yet some filipinos will remember the japanese occupation as a time when order was imposed on these turbulent islands peace at last has come after six long years of brutal war but the world is changed forever with the new and terrible force being unleashed against mankind in the form of the atom bomb which during the decades to come will increase in power japan gives up its right to declare war or master an army and is ironically to become america's principal ally in the battle against communism in the far east henceforth it will become a democratic model of prosperity to lure other nations away from the temptations of totalitarianism america however has further battles to wage in southeast asia that are as yet unenvisaged but for a brief moment the world appears to be at peace [Music]

Channel: Timeline - World History Documentaries

Views: 305,040

Keywords: History, Full Documentary, Documentaries, Full length Documentaries, Documentary, TV Shows - Topic, Documentary Movies - Topic, 2017 documentary, BBC documentary, Channel 4 documentary, history documentary, documentary history, ww2 japan, ww2 documentary, war in the pacific, surrender of japan, japanese surrender, end of ww2, wwii, nuclear bomb, bombing of japan

Id: dD1jJ90aU3o

Length: 74min 57sec (4497 seconds)

Published: Sun Aug 15 2021