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2016Q2(h)The Second World War (1939-1945)
ReasoningModerate2 marks
2

Answer briefly each of the questions (a) to (j):

What made Japan surrender to the Allies in August 1945?

Topic: Japanese surrender

Previous-year question practice database

Answer

Exam answer

The dropping of the ATOM BOMBS by the United States — on HIROSHIMA on 6 August 1945 and on NAGASAKI on 9 August 1945. The two cities were destroyed and well over a hundred thousand people killed outright, with many more dying afterwards of radiation.

Faced with the prospect of further atomic attacks, and with the Soviet Union having declared war on her on 8 August, Japan surrendered unconditionally on 14 August 1945, bringing the Second World War to an end.

Explanation

Two marks: the atom bombs with their cities and dates, and the surrender. The dates are what make the answer precise — Hiroshima 6 August, Nagasaki 9 August, surrender 14 August 1945. The Soviet declaration of war on 8 August is the detail that shows fuller knowledge: Japan faced not one blow but three within a single week.

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