Season 15, Episode 20: The Pacific War, Part 6: Surrender

A photograph of General Douglas MacArthur (center) wading in the surf of the Philippine Islands, where he swore he would return after being driven away in 1942. Source: Public Domain

A map portraying the invasion of Leyte Island, the first Philippine Island taken by Allied troops during the Philippines Campaign of 1944-1945. Source: Public Domain

A photograph of the amphibious vehicles used to transport US Marines onto the beach of Iwo Jima. Source: Public Domain

The iconic photograph of US Marines raising the US Flag on Iwo Jima. This image became an enduring symbol of American perseverance and became one of the most recognizable images from the second world war. Source: Public Domain

A photograph of the destruction of the battleship Yamato, which was en route to Okinawa Island to assist in its defense. Source: Public Domain

A photograph of the USS Bunker Hill, an aircraft carrier, shortly after being struck in quick succession by two kamikaze pilots during the Battle of Okinawa. The ship ultimately survived these attacks but was still under repair in the United States when the war ended. Source: Public Domain

A map depicting the planned “Operation Downfall,” which was going to be a full-scale land invasion of the Japanese home islands. Because the Japanese government surrendered in late summer of 1945, Operation Downfall was never put into action. Source: Public Domain

A photograph of the Potsdam Conference, at which the Allies decided to issue an ultimatum to Japan threatening “prompt and utter destruction” unless the empire offered an unconditional surrender. Source: Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-R67561 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons

A map depicting the Soviet invasion of Manchukuo, Japan’s puppet state in northeast China. Due to lack of adequate supply and an overwhelming offensive assault, the Kwantung Army quickly lost control of the territory. Source: Manchuria Operation map.svg: Tazadeperladerivative work: SilverStar54, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

An aerial photograph depicting a section of Tokyo on the morning of March 10, 1945, after an especially destructive firebombing the day before. Source: Public Domain

A photograph of the aftermath of the nuclear bombing of the city of Hiroshima, which had been a thriving metropolis with over three hundred thousand residents. Source: Public Domain

A set of two aerial photographs – the top depicts Nagasaki before the nuclear bombing and the bottom is the aftermath. The level of destruction is almost unfathomable. Source: Public Domain

A photograph of a monument in modern-day Nagasaki commemorating the nuclear bombing of 1945. The monument lies at the hypocentre, where the bomb initially struck the ground. Source: Dean S. Pemberton, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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