The End of World War II

Everyone knows a little about World War II… But do you know how it actually

ended? In Europe, the war ended in May 1945. The Allies — like

the U.S., Britain, and the Soviet Union — surrounded Germany. Germany had to surrender.

Many cities were destroyed and millions had died. Finally, the fighting in

Europe stopped. In the Pacific, Japan kept fighting. The U.S. dropped atomic bombs

on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. The bombs killed tens of thousands

instantly — and many more later from injuries and radiation. The devastation

shocked Japan, leaving them with no choice but to surrender. By September 1945,