Victory in Japan: 75th Anniversary of the End of WWII
Victory in Japan: 75th Anniversary of the End of WWII
Japan Surrenders
World War II, the bloodiest conflict in history, came to an end in a 27-minute ceremony on board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, six years and one day after the war erupted in Europe. On that September morning in 1945, Japanese officials signed a formal instrument of surrender that ended hostilities in the Pacific theater and proclaimed “the unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters and of all Japanese armed forces and all armed forces under Japanese control wherever situated.”
Japan’s surrender brought an end to World War II, but not an end to global conflict. In the decades that followed, many world events were influenced, at least in part, by the political, social and economic repercussions of the war.
On September 2, 1945, Japanese representatives signed this official Instrument of Surrender, which set out the complete capitulation of Japan. Signing for Japan was Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijiro Umezu, Chief of the Army General Staff. General Douglas MacArthur, Commander in the Southwest Pacific, signed for the United States and accepted the surrender in his capacity as the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz also signed for the United States. Eight representatives from other Allied nations also signed, including the Republic of China, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union.
National Archives, Records of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff
Due to the importance of the Imperial role in Japan, Emperor Hirohito issued this imperial rescript to facilitate the surrender of Japanese forces in all parts of the Pacific and mainland Asia on September 2, 1945. The Emperor’s proclamation called upon the Japanese people to comply with the terms of surrender. To ensure military and civilian compliance with the surrender, it was countersigned by the Japanese Prime Minister and the entire Japanese cabinet to emphasize their submission to the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers.
National Archives, Records of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff
Past Featured Records
-
The North Atlantic Treaty
Friday, June 21, 2024 – Wednesday, July 31, 2024East Rotunda GalleryA shield against aggression and fear of aggression—President Harry S. Truman
On April 4, 1949, representatives of the United States, Canada, and 10 Western European nations met in Washington, DC, to... Read more
-
The Emancipation Proclamation and Juneteenth
Milestones in the long struggle for American freedom
Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached the third year of the Civil War. Lincoln’s proclamation, which declared “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and... Read more
-
Harvey Milk Writes to the President
Friday, May 31, 2024 – Monday, June 17, 2024
East Rotunda GalleryHuman Rights at the Ballot Box
In 1978, Californians voted on Proposition 6, which would have banned gay men and lesbians from teaching or otherwise being employed by California school districts. The initiative sponsored by... Read more -
Memorial Day: Honoring the Fallen
Thursday, May 16, 2024 – Wednesday, June 12, 2024
East Rotunda GalleryMemorial Day recognizes and honors the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the Armed Forces. The first national observance of Memorial Day occurred on May 30, 1868, at Arlington National Cemetery. General John... Read more
-
The Purple Heart Battalion
Tuesday, April 16, 2024 – Wednesday, May 15, 2024
East Rotunda GalleryThe 442nd Regimental Combat Team
None of us thought we were coming home alive. —Lawson Sakai
Following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the Roosevelt administration required people of Japanese descent living on the... Read more
