WWII VJ Day: War & Peace

August 6 1945, 8.15 a.m. the first atomic bomb used in warfare, codenamed 'Little Boy' was dropped on Hiroshima, resulting in the death of 70,000 people. Three days later, on August 9, a second bomb, codenamed 'Fat Man' was dropped on Nagasaki, leading to a Japanese surrender on August 15, marking the end of the war. This insightful program, made to coincide with the 60th Anniversary of VJ-Day, charts the events that led to the end of the war, including the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7 1941, along with interviews from many different sources and nations who witnessed it all first-hand.

Juxtaposing archival footage with revealing interviews, VJ-DAY- WAR & PEACE explores the significance of this momentous day in history. The documentary is broken up into three parts. The first examines the events that led up to World War II. The second provides an overview of the entire war, while the third looks at the way in which VJ day is celebrated in different parts of the world. VJ-DAY- WAR & PEACE is part of the EYEWITNESS 60th Anniversary Collection.