Surrender of Japan

Japan’s acceptance of Allied terms ending World War II, announced on August 15 and formally signed aboard the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945.

Battle of Okinawa: A 1945 battle in which Allied forces captured Okinawa from Japan after months of intense fighting. Its casualties and destruction reinforced Japanese fears of an invasion of the home islands.
Hirohito's surrender broadcast: An imperial radio address announcing Japan’s acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration on August 15, 1945. It communicated the decision to the Japanese public and instructed forces to cease hostilities.
Kōichi Kido: A Japanese court official and close adviser to Emperor Hirohito during World War II. He urged the emperor to intervene in the surrender debate.
International Military Tribunal for the Far East: A Tokyo court that tried Japanese leaders for war crimes from 1946 to 1948. The surrender enabled Allied authorities to detain and prosecute wartime leaders.
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. The attacks intensified pressure on Japan’s leaders to end the war.
Japanese Instrument of Surrender: The document signed on September 2, 1945, by which Japan formally surrendered to the Allied powers. Its signatures gave the surrender a formal military and diplomatic record.
Kantarō Suzuki: A Japanese admiral who served as prime minister from April to August 1945. He led the cabinet during the final deliberations and carried the emperor’s decision into government.
Japanese Constitution: Japan’s constitution, promulgated in 1946 and effective from 1947, establishing parliamentary government and renouncing war. Its reforms took shape under occupation after the surrender.
Soviet invasion of Manchuria: The Soviet Union launched an offensive against Japanese forces in Manchuria on August 9, 1945. Soviet entry destroyed hopes that Moscow might mediate a settlement and opened a new front.
USS Missouri: A United States Navy battleship aboard which Japan signed its surrender in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. The ship hosted the ceremony that formally concluded the war.

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