V-J Day, 1945

The Second World war ended in 1945. Italy had switched sides during our not-so-easy campaign in what Churchill called the "Soft Underbelly of Europe".

The second Führer (Karl Dönitz, formerly in charge of U-boats) surrendered for Germany on V-E day, May 8.

Of the major Axis powers, that left only Japan, which held on for another three months. After our Navy, and especially our submarines, had sunk everything Japanese that floated; after our nuclear weapons destroyed two Japanese cities; and after Soviet forces came down on Manchukuo like the wolf on the fold, Japan had had enough.

The Japanese surrender was announced in the USA on V-J Day, August 14. (The TV series "Victory at Sea" would later refer to the event absurdly as an unconditional surrender subject to only one condition--that Japan could keep its emperor.)