Curated category
1945 in Japan
- Invasion of the Kuril IslandsThe decision to invade the Kuril Islands emerged from a sudden shift in Soviet military strategy during August 1945. Planners initially targeted Hokkaido…
- Soviet invasion of South SakhalinIn 1905, the Treaty of Portsmouth divided Sakhalin Island along the 50th parallel north. The Russian Empire kept control of the northern half while the…
- Surrender of JapanBy July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy had ceased to be an effective fighting force. Only six aircraft carriers, four cruisers, and one battleship remained…
- Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and NagasakiIn 1945, the Pacific War between the Empire of Japan and the Allies entered its fourth year. Most Japanese military units fought fiercely, ensuring that the…
- Battle of OkinawaThe island of Okinawa became the stage for Operation Iceberg, a massive military campaign that began on the 1st of April 1945.
- Battle of Iwo JimaIn March 1944, the Japanese military reevaluated their position after American forces captured the Marshall Islands and attacked Truk Atoll.
- Battle of West HunanBy April 1945, China had already been at war with Japan for more than seven years. Both nations were exhausted by years of battles, bombings and blockades.
- Soviet invasion of ManchuriaAt 5 p.m. Moscow time on the 8th of August 1945, Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov informed Japanese ambassador Naotake Satō that the Soviet Union…
- Bombing of TokyoOn the 18th of April 1942, sixteen North American B-25 Mitchells took off from the aircraft carrier Hornet. These modified bombers flew toward Tokyo and…
- Hirohito surrender broadcastThe war situation had developed not necessarily to Japan's advantage by August 1945. Following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on the 6th of August, the…
- Invasion of Lingayen GulfOn the 22nd of December 1941, the Japanese 14th Army under Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma landed on the northeastern shores of Lingayen Gulf at Agoo…
- Occupation of JapanOn the 2nd of September 1945, a formal surrender ceremony took place aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. General Douglas MacArthur stood before…
- Japanese Instrument of SurrenderGeneral Douglas MacArthur's staff, headed by Colonel LeGrande A. Diller, faced a daunting task in war-torn Manila during 1945.
- Victory over Japan DayThe phrase Victory over Japan Day refers to three different calendar moments in 1945. August 15 marks the day Emperor Hirohito broadcast his surrender…