Explain how the war was brought to an end in Europe and the Asia-Pacific, including the defeat of Germany and the use of the atomic bombs on Japan

What this dot point is asking

This dot point asks you to explain how the Second World War was finally brought to an end, both in Europe with the defeat of Germany and in the Asia-Pacific with the surrender of Japan after the atomic bombs. You should be able to describe how Germany was crushed from two sides, how the war against Japan was fought toward its end, and why the United States used atomic bombs. An important skill here is to explain the arguments both for and against using the bombs, because this is a debated topic. The key idea is that the Allies' overwhelming strength brought victory, and the atomic bombs were used to end the war with Japan quickly.

The answer

The defeat of Germany

By 1944 Germany was being crushed from two directions. In the east, the Soviet army, after its victory at Stalingrad, pushed the Germans back across Eastern Europe toward Germany itself. In the west, the Allies, led by Britain and the United States, launched a huge invasion of German-occupied France, landing on the beaches and beginning the liberation of Western Europe. Caught between the Soviets advancing from the east and the Western Allies from the west, Germany was steadily overwhelmed. In 1945 the Allies reached Germany, Hitler took his own life, and Germany surrendered. The war in Europe was over.

The war against Japan in the Pacific

In the Pacific, the war against Japan continued after Germany's defeat. After the turning point at Midway, the United States and its allies fought their way toward Japan across the Pacific, capturing one island after another in fierce and bloody battles. The Japanese resisted with extraordinary determination, often refusing to surrender and fighting to the death. As the Allies drew closer to Japan, the fighting became even more savage, and it was clear that invading Japan itself would be extremely costly in lives.

The atomic bombs

To end the war quickly, the United States used a terrifying new weapon: the atomic bomb. In August 1945, American aircraft dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities, causing massive destruction and enormous loss of life, with many people killed instantly and many more dying later from injuries and radiation. The power of these bombs was unlike anything seen before. Shortly afterward, with the Soviet Union also now joining the war against it, Japan surrendered. The Second World War was finally over.

Why the United States used the bombs

The main reason given for using the atomic bombs was to force Japan to surrender quickly and avoid a full invasion of the Japanese mainland. American leaders believed that, given how fiercely the Japanese were fighting, an invasion would cost a huge number of lives on both sides and could drag on for many months. The bombs offered a way to end the war suddenly. Some historians also argue that the United States wanted to demonstrate its new power, partly to influence the Soviet Union in the tense world that was emerging as the war ended.

The debate over the bombs

The use of the atomic bombs is one of the most debated decisions in history, and a good answer explains both sides. Those who defend it argue that it ended the war quickly and saved the lives of soldiers, both Allied and Japanese, who would have died in an invasion. Those who criticise it point to the terrible suffering of the civilians in the two cities, and argue that Japan might have surrendered soon anyway, or that the destruction was out of proportion. Being able to weigh these arguments and reach a balanced view is exactly the kind of judgement markers reward.

Examples in context

Example 1. Fighting island by island. As the Allies advanced across the Pacific, they had to capture heavily defended islands one at a time, often against Japanese troops who fought to the death rather than surrender. These battles were extremely bloody, and they convinced American leaders that an invasion of Japan itself would be far costlier still. This experience is central to understanding why the bombs seemed, to American leaders, like a way to save lives.

Example 2. A new and terrible weapon. The atomic bombs were far more powerful than any weapon used before, able to destroy most of a city in a single explosion and to cause death long after through radiation. Their sheer power shocked the world and opened a new and frightening age. The existence of such weapons would go on to shape the Cold War that followed, linking the end of this war to the next great rivalry.

Try this

• Cue. Explain how Germany was defeated, mentioning the Soviet advance from the east and the Allied invasion from the west.

• Cue. Explain the main argument used to defend the use of the atomic bombs on Japan.

• Cue. Give one argument against using the atomic bombs, and then state a balanced overall judgement.