JF Ptak Science Books  Post 1023

May 8, 1945 is the day that Germany surrendered to the Allied Powers, ending World War II in Europe.  The war had been fought for 69 months–or perhaps it had been longer, perhaps the war started in 1918 with the treatment of the defeated Germany sealing European fate for decades to come. That would  instead make the date 1914, since that war never really did come to an end. Or perhaps it started in 1929, or 1933, or 1935, or 1938, following economic collapse, the election of Hitler, the installation of anti-Jewish laws, the failure of Chamberlain, the annexation of Austria, or the taking of Czechoslovakia. It seems not quite right to set the start of the war in September 1939 with the invasion of Poland–that seems to minimize the maximum pre-history of the conflict.

The war in the Pacific ended later, Emperor Hirohito announcing his country’s intentions of quitting the war on 15 August, 1945.  That came 9 days after the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.  And 6 days after the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.  A third was on its way.

In any event, the war in Europe was ended today, 65 years ago.

“Here is Germany” by Frank Capra, intended to be released after the surrender on 8 May 1945.

A good chart on WWI casualties: