Year 1945

On this day in 1945 Russian forces reach the outskirts of Berlin from three fronts, North, East and South-East. The day before Hitler celebrated his 56^th birthday with high ranking Nazi officers in the confines of his underground bunker. It was obvious to all there that the Russians would soon be at their door and many tried to convince the Fuhrer to escape to the safety of his mountain top fortress. But Hitler feared the risk of being captured on route and would not leave his bunker or Berlin. He did however give permission for the other officers to leave if they so wished. Many did escape including Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler, but a few of Hitler’s personal staff would remain with him till the end. When the Russian forces reached the outskirts of Berlin on this day in 1945 the majority of the German troops were made up of the Hitler Youth and older veterans. The race was on for each of the Russian forces to be the one to take control of Berlin and due to this many Russian soldiers took risks and live were needlessly lost. It is believed that 70,000 Russian soldiers died in taking the Capital and in seeking revenge for the destruction of Russia by the previous German invasions, the Russians killed 50,000 German soldiers and civilians. Herman Goring sent a telegram to Hitler suggesting that as Hitler’s designated successor and with Hitler surrounded that he should take control of the German forces. Hitler was furious and he replied via telegram to say that he considered this an act of high treason but he would spare Goring if he resigned and Goring Promptly obeyed. Himmler on the other hand attempted to broker a deal of surrender of the German forces to Western powers on the understanding that he would remain in control of Germany after the war. His offer was not accepted especially because the acts of mass murder committed at Himmler’s command. On the 28^th of April news of Himmler’s failed surrender attempt was released on the BBC. The message was intercepted by German intelligence and when Hitler heard he was heartbroken. He also received news of the execution of Long term friend and Italian Dictator Mussolini, whose body was left in the gutter to rot. To avoid capture and a similar fait, Hitler committed suicide on the 30^th of April with his revolver while his wife of one day took a cyanide capsule.

On this day in 1945 Benito Mussolini the Italian dictator and founder of the Italian Nationalist Party, Fasci di Combattimento, (where the word fascism was derived) was executed by Italian Partisans. He and his mistress along with some close associates were captured on the 26^th of April while they attempted to escape to Switzerland. In 1922, Italian King Victor Emmanuel III, feared a communist uprising  such as in Russia and so appointed Mussolini the head of a new government of Fascist and Nationalist with him as Prime Minister. Once the socialist leader died in 1924 the ‘Fascist police’ suppressed any other party and by 1929 Italy had a one party system with Mussolini as Leader. In a show of strength Mussolini ordered his army to take Ethiopia as they already controlled the neighbouring countries. This was condemned by the League of Nations but Mussolini became a hero to the leader of the German Nationalist Party (the NAZI party). In 1936 Hitler met with Mussolini and they signed a non-military alliance with Germany. During World War II, Italy made many attempts to take territories but suffered many losses mainly to British forces. These defeats made Mussolini look weak in the eyes of the Germans and Mussolini was loosing favour with Hitler. The Allies decided to remove Mussolini once and for all and they invaded Sicily knowing this would enrage the Italian people. It worked and on the 25^th of July 1943 the fascist government met and voted to oust Mussolini, King Victor Emmanuel III had him removed from office and imprisoned but Hitler had him rescued and placed him in charge of a area in North Italy which was under German Control. After his capture he was held until this day in 1945 when he was executed by a firing squad. His body and the body of his associates and mistress were then hung upside down as members of the public beat them and spat on the corpses. At the end of the day their mutilated corpses were left in the gutter at the side of the road.

Also on this day in 1945 On the 28^th of April news of Himmler’s failed surrender attempt was released on the BBC. With the end of World War II in sight and the inevitable defeat of Hitler, Nazi leader, Heinrich Himmler attempted to broker a deal for surrender of the German forces to Western powers on the understanding that he would remain in control of Germany after the war. His offer was not accepted especially because the acts of mass murder committed at Himmler’s command. The message was intercepted by German intelligence and when Hitler heard he was heartbroken. He also received news of the execution of Long term friend and Italian Dictator Mussolini, whose body was left in the gutter to rot. To avoid capture and a similar fait, Hitler committed suicide on the 30^th of April with his revolver while his wife of one day took a cyanide capsule.

On this day in 1945 Hitler marries Eva Braun while they hide away in Hitler’s underground bunker. While the Russian’s lay waste to Berlin, Hitler prepares for his end. He decided his fate several days ago and the news of Mussolini’s undignified end had assisted Hitler in making his plans.  He and Eva would commit suicide and his associates still in the bunker would burn the bodies. Fresh from convent school and aged just 17, Eva Braun was the assistant to Hitler’s personal photographer and shortly after their first meeting she was invited to Hitler’s mountain top home (the Berghof) in the Bavarian Alps. She moved their as his mistress in 1936 (aged 24) where she remained somewhat isolated from Hitler’s work and politics but was a large part of his inner social circle. This remained until 1944 after her sister had married the SS liaison officer, Hermann Fegelein. She swore her loyalty to Hitler as the Third Reich began to weaken and on the 16^th of January 1945 both Hitler and Eva descended into the Fuhrerbunker. They would never leave.

On this day in 1945 Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide. As the Third Reich began to weaken and German defeat seems certain to all but the Fuhrer, Hitler and Braun descended into the Fuhrerbunker on the 16^th of January 1945. On the 20^th of April, Hitler celebrated his 56^th birthday with high ranking Nazi officers in the confines of his underground bunker. The Russian troops approach the outskirts of Berlin on the following day and as each day passes his hopes of the “Third Reich” (third German Empire) lasting a thousand years eroded to nothing. Herman Goring sent a telegram to Hitler suggesting that as Hitler’s designated successor and with Hitler surrounded that he should take control of the German forces. Hitler was furious and he replied via telegram to say that he considered this an act of high treason but he would spare Goring if he resigned and Goring Promptly obeyed. On the 28^th of April news of Himmler’s failed surrender attempt was released on the BBC. The message was intercepted by German intelligence and when Hitler heard he was heartbroken. He also received news of the execution of Long term friend and Italian Dictator Mussolini, whose body was left in the gutter to rot.  Although many had accepted German defeat a while ago it was not until the 28^th of April that Hitler had finally accepted it and planed his end. He dictated a log entry to a member of his staff explaining that he planned to end his life on his terms and leave no body to the enemy. He blamed the collapse of the empire on the betrayal of high ranking Nazi members. He had some cyanide capsules given to him by Goring but he didn’t trust that they were genuine so he tested one on his dog, Blonde. They proved genuine and so he gave them out to staff members in the event they were captured and chose to die. After the acceptance the mood was said to improve in the bunker and people were drinking and dancing. On the following day he married Eva Braun and enjoyed his last day with her. On this day in 1945 Eva took a cyanide capsule and Hitler shot himself with the same revolver he used to get the attention of Bavarian politician on his march to the Munich beer hall with 2,000 Nazi supporters on the 4^th of November 1924. As per their orders, bunker personnel took the bodies into Chancellery garden, doused them in petrol and set them alight.

On this day in 1945, Germany signed the unconditional surrender of all Nazi troops ending World War II in Europe.

From the 14^th to the 24^th of January 1943 Sir Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and high-ranking allied generals met in the French Moroccan city of Casablanca for a meeting to discuss the strategy against German forces in World War II. Known as the Casablanca Conference they also agreed that they would accept nothing more than the unconditional surrender of the German Forces. So when in April 1945, Heinrich Himmler attempted to surrender Nazi forces (without Hitler’s knowledge) to the West on the condition that he remain in command of the Nazi party and control of Germany, his offer was rejected. Then General Alfred Jodl attempted to surrender only those forces still fighting in the West but this was also not accepted and Jodl was told that only unconditional surrender of all German troops would be permitted. Jodl contacted Hitler’s successor Grand Admiral Karl Donitz with the terms and he was ordered to sign Germany’s unconditional surrender. This meant the end of the war in Europe and the following day the news was announced across the globe. Churchill announced on the 8^th of May as did Washington and Moscow proclaiming the day as Victory in Europe Day (V.E. Day). But the War with Japan continued and on the 6^th of August 1945 America dropped the first nuclear bomb on Japan, hitting the city of Hiroshima. Then on the 8^th of August, the Soviet Union declared War on Japan, sending in troops in the early hours of the 9^th of August 1945. Also on the 9^th of August, the United States dropped the second nuclear bomb, this time on Nagasaki. It would not be until the 2^nd of September 1945 that Japan would sign the “Japanese Instrument of Surrender” and the majority of military warfare of World War II ended.

On this day in 1945 this day was declared Victory in Europe Day (VE Day).

This followed the signing of Germany’s unconditional surrender yesterday at Reims in North-West France. Hitler committed suicide on the 30^th of April 1945 and it was just a matter of time till the defeated German forces surrendered. The order came from Hitler’s successor Grand Admiral Karl Donitz for General Alfred Jodl to sign. Jubilation filled the air across the world and Churchill made today and the following day national holidays. German troops in countries across Europe laid down their arms and it is believed 1 million attempted to flee to Western held positions rather than be captured by Soviet forces but they were intercepted and taken as Soviet prisoners.

The newspapers and radio services all announced VE Day but the official announcement was not made until 3:00 pm by Prime Minister Winston Churchill in accordance with an arrangement between Allied leaders who announced it simultaneously across the world. The United Kingdom had been at War with Germany since the 3^rd of September 1939 and today marked the ended the 5year, 8month and 3day conflict. Just a few weeks before the official war statistics of commonwealth countries was released (1939-1945 military, not civilian) and printed in the Daily Mirror on this day in 1945.

In 1945 The United Kingdom and United States began airlifting supplies into West Berlin.

The day before the Soviet Union imposed a blockade of Berlin in retaliation for what it saw as a threat to their authority of East Germany.

After World War II Germany was under strict control, the country was divided into four sections and the governance of these sections was allocated to each of the main Allied powers, the United Kingdom, United States, USSR and France.  In addition, the German capital city of Berlin was also divided and governed by each of the four Nations. Soon after the capitalist Western nations of the UK, US and France discussed merging their divisions into one larger division. With similar political views, it would make governance easier and take fewer resources however the section governed by the communist Soviet Union felt that this amalgamation into a larger division was a threat to their own. On the 20^th of June, the Western Nations also introduced a single currency (the Deutsche mark) to their areas in preparation for their culmination. With the capital city of Berlin situated within the communist-controlled section, the Soviet Union initiated a blockade on the 24^th of June 1948 to prevent the union of capitalist Germany. On this day the United Kingdom and United States began flying in supplies to Berlin. The blockade lasted 11 months but the continuous airlifted supplies kept the people of Berlin going. The blockade ended on the 12^th of May 1949 without success and the Western areas were united as the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or BRD) on the 23^rd of May 1949. Shortly after, on the 7^th of October 1949, the Soviet-controlled side or Eastern side became the German Democratic Republic (Deutsche Demokratische Republik, or DDR) with control of the capital city of Berlin also split accordingly.

In 1945 the United Nations Charter was signed in San Francisco.

Fifty of the original fifty-one members signed the charter on this day with Poland, the remaining original member, signing later this year. Once the five permanent members of the Security Council (the United Kingdom, United States, Russian Federation, France and China) had ratified the Charter it came into effect on the 24^th of October 1945.

The League of Nations was established on the 10^th of January 1920 with the main goal of preventing any future world wars. It had a total of 58 member nations but with the outbreak of World War II on the 3^rd of September (when War was declared) the League of Nations had failed its main objective.

The United Nations was set up to replace the failed League of Nations and was founded on the 24^th of October 1945 when the Charter came into effect.

The League of Nations was dissolved on the 20^th of April 1946 lasting just 26 years.

 In 1945 the first atomic weapon was tested in New Mexico, United States.

Since the time of the ancient Greeks, it was believed that small particles known as atoms made up all matter. However, after several experiments with cathode rays, British Physicist Joseph J. Thomson, provided evidence for the first sub-atomic particle, the electron, on the 30^th of April 1897. Thomson was also a gifted teacher with many of his students becoming great physicists. One such student was New Zealand-born, Ernest Rutherford who theorised the nucleus of an atom and went on to prove the existence of the Proton (and was believed to have been the first to “split the atom”) in 1917. Two more of Thomson’s famous students were American Physicist, Julius Robert Oppenheimer and Danish Physicist Niels Henrik David Bohr.

Francis Perrin was one of a French group of scientists who were working on nuclear chain reactions and he discovered that “Heavy Water” of H₃0 would make the perfect moderator needed to weaponise such reactions. The only known source of “Heavy Water” was found at the hydroelectric dam in Norway. When the French group contacted Norway to obtain the H₃0, they discovered that Germany had already purchased some in large quantities. The French Government explained the possible use of H₃0, and consequently, all stockpiles were given to France. When France was invaded by Germany the stockpiles were then shipped to Britain for safety.

 Many physicists had growing concerns that Germany’s experiments in nuclear reactions could culminate in powerful weapons that Hitler would not hesitate to use. Some of these physicists, including Albert Einstein, had contacted the US President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, with their concerns and requested that the US begin research into the field itself. Although the US was neutral at the time, it was widely believed that if Germany could produce such a weapon without comparison, they would have power over the entire world. British and Canadian scientists were working on the problem (with “Project Tube Alloys”), but with preoccupations of fighting the war, they had no resources for such a huge project. Roosevelt initially took some convincing, but eventually, he signed Executive Order 8807 on the 28th of June 1941, and this gave the order for the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD), part of which would later become the “Manhattan Project”. The British “Tube Alloys” project was amalgamated into the Manhattan Project, and several scientists, including Niels Bohr, Vannevar Bush, Arthur Compton, Albert Einstein, Enrico Fermi, Emil Fuchs, Otto Frisch and Oppenheimer worked on the project. On the 15^th of July 1945, the fruits of their labour were recognised with the first test of a nuclear weapon, which was detonated in New Mexico, US.

In 1945 British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, lost the General Election despite his leadership in WWII.

On the 3^rd of September 1939 Britain declared war on Germany under Prime Minister Neville Chamberlin. Chamberlin had attempted to use his powers of diplomacy with Hitler over the annexing of Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. Chamberlin hoped by agreeing to Hitler’s terms of a peaceful annexing, Hitler would keep to his agreement not to conquer any more land in Europe and thus prevent war. But Hitler was not a man that kept his word and therefore diplomacy was redundant. Once Hitler had Sudetenland he continued to take the whole of Czechoslovakia and on the 1^st of September 1939 he also began his invasion of Poland despite the threat of war with Britain and France.

The people of England had lost trust in their Prime Minister and so Chamberlin agreed to a vote of confidence by his own Cabinet. On the 10^th of May 1940, the same day that the Battle of France began, Chamberlin lost the vote and was forced to resign as Prime Minister. That same day the King of England asks Winston Churchill to form a coalition government and lead the nation as Prime Minister. Churchill was veteran of World War I and accepted the arduous task ahead. Churchill had all the qualities required to inspire the nation and his defiance against the threat of Germany, that had forced the surrender of most of Europe, was all that stood against the Nazi’s victory. Had the UK surrendered the outcome may have been very different. Despite his great leadership throughout the war he lost the first election after the war.

The British public had suffered austerity throughout the war and the Conservatives further planed measures to aid recovery proved to much for the public. Just 12 weeks after Churchill announced the unconditional surrender of Germany he lost the general election to Labour leader, Clement Attlee, on the 26^th of July 1945. The people of the UK were looking forward to the introduction of the ‘welfare state’ which had been proposed by Labours William Beveridge in 1942. With immense poverty in Britain that started before the war, and the wartime austerity measures put in place during, the people of the UK wanted a change.

In 1951 Churchill became Prime Minister once more but at the age of 77 the pressures were taking their toll. In 1953 he was made a Knight of the Order of the Garter for his service to the country. On the 5^th of April 1955 Sir Winston Churchill resigned as Prime Minister due to ill health.  Sir Churchill gave his resignation to the Queen personally at a dinner held in his honour at Buckingham Palace. Churchill remained a backbencher in Parliament until 1964 and he died a year later on the 24^th of January 1964 at the age of 90. In 2002 he was voted the ‘Greatest Britain of All Time’ in a nationwide pole with over a million Britain’s taking part.

In 1945, the United States of America dropped the first nuclear bomb on Japan, hitting the city of Hiroshima.

On the 7^th of May 1945, General Alfred Jodl attempted to surrender only those Nazi forces still fighting in the West, but this was not accepted by the Allied leaders, and Jodl was told that only unconditional surrender of all German troops would be permitted. Jodl contacted Hitler’s successor, Grand Admiral Karl Donitz, with the terms, and he was ordered to sign Germany’s unconditional surrender. This meant the end of the war in Europe, and the following day, the news was announced across the globe. Churchill made the announcement on the 8^th of May, as did Washington and Moscow, proclaiming the day as Victory in Europe day (V.E. Day).

But the War with Japan continued, and on the 26^th of July 194,5, leaders of the United States of America, the United Kingdom and China sent The Potsdam Declaration to Japanese officials calling for the complete surrender of all Japanese forces. The Ultimatum gave specific terms for their surrender, stating that there was no room for manoeuvre from the terms stated, and if Japan didn’t agree to the terms, then it would experience “prompt and utter destruction”. But Japanese leaders failed to take heed of the warning and accept the conditions of the Potsdam Declaration.

Consequently, on the 6^th of August 1945, the United States of America dropped the first nuclear bomb on Japan, hitting the city of Hiroshima. At approximately 08:15 Japanese time, a B-29 Super-fortress called Enola Gay dropped its cargo on the unsuspecting city below. The device known as “Little Boy” was said to be more than 2,000 times more powerful than any bomb previously used in warfare (the equivalent of 15,000 tons of TNT). The explosion killed 140,000 of the 350,000 residents of Hiroshima and destroyed more than 60% of the buildings. The United States President sent a radio broadcast shortly after warning Japan that if they didn’t accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, then they should "expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth."

On the 8^th of August, the Soviet Union also declared War on Japan, sending in troops in the early hours of the 9^th of August 1945. Also on the 9^th of August, the United States dropped the second nuclear bomb, this time on Nagasaki. It would not be until the 2^nd of September 1945 that Japan would sign the “Japanese Instrument of Surrender” and the majority of military warfare of World War II would end.

In 1945 Great Britain liberated Hong Kong from Japanese occupation.

Although most of Europe bought goods from China the trade was made very much one-sided by the Chinese policy of only accepting silver in payment. China was self-sufficient and even if they desired goods from Europe the Chinese port officials would not allow imports other than silver. The Qing dynasty in the 18^th century ensured the control of western imports by allowing trade through just the southern port of Canton (Guangzhou). This increased the value of the precious metal and many countries, particularly Spain, sought new sources of silver through mining in South America. This system gave China a monopoly on trade which caused increased tension between European and Chinese governments. But Western governments soon found a product that the Chinese population did want and would become a new currency for the luxury items China produced (tea, silk, spices and porcelain).

During the 6^th and 7th centuries, Arabic and Turkish traders introduced opium into China but it was taken orally in small quantities for medicinal use only, leaving demand relatively small. Britain had always valued gold greater than silver and had built its economy on this basis (known as the gold standard). As its silver deposits were depleted by British huge demand for Chinese tea Britain was forced to buy silver from other European countries. Attempts were made to grow tea in India but initially, it was impossible to meet the public demand.

Great Britain could however grow opium in large quantities in India and initially, this commodity was accepted as payment by the Chinese government. In the 17^th century, the act of smoking tobacco in pipes had made its way to China from America and this created a new habit of smoking opium in China. Due to its highly addictive quality demand for the drug increased across most of China and the Western powers were more than willing to supply the demand. As British production of tea in her colonies increased, reducing the demand from China, Chinese demand for opium became insatiable and soon China’s monopoly on trade decreased with more silver being exported to pay for the opium than the amount being imported for Chinese goods. This change in the status quo angered the Chinese government and they began attempting to stop the imports of Opium and sentenced people to death for its sale. But the demand remained and so did the trade and opium was being consumed by all levels of society including large percentages of Chinese officials, the Daoguang emperor and most of his court. However many opposed the opium trade within the court and requested highly respected Lin Zexu to become Special Imperial Commissioner of Canton in March 1839.

The British ‘Superintendent of Trade to China’, Charles Elliot, ordered all British ships attempting to smuggle the drugs into China to hand over the drugs on the promise of compensation from the British government, an order which proved extremely costly to Britain.

In March 1839 several British merchants were accused of murdering a Chinese civilian while in the port of Canton. The British officials were reluctant to hand over the men as they had little or no faith in the Chinese justice system. This was the final act of injustice to the Chinese government and the First Opium War broke out on the 18^th of March 1839. During this war, the British tested their new weapon “The Nemesis” which was the world's first iron warship. The Nemesis proved to be a formidable weapon that could outclass its wooden counterparts in most respects especially on the 7^th of January 1841 during The Second Battle of Chuenpee which was the final military conflict of the war. After the British victory in the Second Battle of Chuenpee, the Convention of Chuenpee took place on the 20^th of January. British Captain Charles Elliot and Chinese Governor Qishan agreed on a cease-fire and certain concessions by the Chinese government to the British including ceding Hong Kong island to Britain and the promise of opening more ports up for trade with Britain. The Convention of Chuenpee was a draft for the Treaty of Nanking which was signed on the 29^th of August and officially ended the First Opium War, officially making Hong Kong a British Possession. This treaty was known in China as the first of the unequal treaties but it did end the Canton System and allowed for free trade with China and the rest of the world. Because of the treaty, China became more integrated into the world and is considered the dawn of modern Chinese history.

Hong Kong remained a British possession up until it was invaded and occupied by Japan on the 25^th of December 1941 during World War II. When Japan announced its surrender on the 14^th of August 1945 Hong Kong was officially handed back to the British Navy on the 30^th of August 1945. On the 19^th of December 1984, the British Prime Minister and Premier of the People’s Republic of China met in Beijing and signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration which agreed on the ministration of Hong Kong returning to the ORC on the 1^st of July 1997. China agreed to allow Hong Kong to remain largely autonomous but ultimately under the control of the PRC for fifty years after the sign-over date. In 2047 Hong Kong is expected to return entirely to the administration of China although many oppose this move.

World War II was the deadliest war in human history, lasting six years and claiming the lives of more than 70 million people worldwide. While Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945 (V-E Day), the Pacific War continued. Japan, refusing unconditional surrender, held out despite mounting devastation—until the events of August 1945 forced their hand.

September 2, 1945, was more than just the end of a war. It was the start of a new era in global politics, peacebuilding, and international cooperation.

By mid-1945, the war in Europe had ended, but Japan continued to fight. Even after months of heavy bombing raids that devastated Japanese cities, their leaders refused to accept the Allied demand for unconditional surrender.

The Turning Point: August 1945

• August 6, 1945: The U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, instantly killing tens of thousands.

• August 9, 1945: A second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, causing massive destruction.

• August 8, 1945: The Soviet Union declared war on Japan and invaded Manchuria, crushing Japanese forces in Asia.

Faced with atomic devastation and Soviet invasion, Emperor Hirohito broke with tradition and urged surrender to prevent the complete annihilation of Japan.

On a calm morning in Tokyo Bay, aboard the American battleship USS Missouri, representatives of the Allied Powers and the Japanese Empire gathered to sign the Instrument of Surrender.

For soldiers and civilians alike, the news brought overwhelming relief. In the United States, people poured into the streets, waving flags and celebrating the hard-won peace. Across Asia, millions of prisoners of war and civilians were liberated from brutal conditions.

But the joy was tempered by grief. The war had left entire cities in ruins and millions mourning their dead.