When did WWII end?

When did WWII end?

On VE-day, I guess. After that, it was not a world war any longer. By the same logic, it started on Dec. 7, 1941.

In september 1945 when Japan surrender.

MrPirates a icrit :

When did the last Japanese soldier find out that Japan lost the war?

BobG Evolution is a fact. The theory of evolution explains the fact of evolution.

writes

Err...3rd Sep 1939...

It's true that WW2 only involved all the major participants from Dec 7 1941 when the U.S. entered to May 8 1945 when Germany surrendered. However, I think historians consider that the events during the entire period Sep 39 - Aug 45 are so interconnected that the entire period is properly considered as one event, under the label World War 2. The Japanese formally surrendered on Sept 2 1945, 6 years after the German attack on Poland. I think an argument can be made that the war was effectively over on Aug 14 when the Japanese Government offered to accept the Potsdam Declaration.

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'One good thing about self-pity...you don't have to doubt its

That was the European War, it was not a true World War, uniting both the Sino-Japanese conflict with the contemporary European Conflict until Dec 8, 1941 when Japan invaded Malaya and instituted hostilities with Great Britain.

I hate to puncture our American ego by pointing out that the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor did not unify the two wars, but the Japanese attack on Malaya did. The USA was not at war in both theaters until Dec 11, 1941 when Germany made the fatal error of declaring war on the USA.

I always thought that the Iron Chancellor, if he was still around, would have declared war on Japan and sent the Sharnhorst, Gneisnau, and a bunch of U-Boats to NY City to help the US war effort.

It's true that WW2 only involved all the major participants from Dec 7 1941 when the U.S. entered to May 8 1945 when Germany surrendered. However, I think historians consider that the events during the entire period Sep 39 - Aug 45 are so interconnected that the entire period is properly considered as one event, under the label World War 2. The Japanese formally surrendered on Sept 2 1945, 6 years after the German attack on Poland. I think an argument can be made that the war was effectively over on Aug 14 when the Japanese Government offered to accept the Potsdam Declaration.

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'One good thing about self-pity...you don't have to doubt its

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So, you think it started in the Pacific but ended with the defeat of Germany. Does Japan count or not? If not, then December 7, 1941 is wrong. It is not the date on which Germany declared war on the USA.

But, to the original question.

Not an easy question. Did the war end with surrender, signing of a surrender agreement (not the same in the Pacific, in the general USA opinion) or the ratification of the last peace treaty? All dates are readily available. Just define 'end'.

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Are you sure it didn't end on V-J Day? WW2 began in 1939.

This issue has interested me also...

If the 'World' war started with the US entry after Pearl Harbor, was it actually referred to as a 'world' war beginning in September 1939? or only after December 7, 1941? bob