Australasia 1946: Japanese Surrender

Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945, ending the War in the Pacific. However it would take months for the Allies to accept the surrender of the 4 million Japanese troops still stationed abroad, with a few isolated soldiers even holding out into the 1970s.

Main Events

15 Aug 1945 Jewel Voice Broadcast

Japanese Emperor Hirohito read out the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War in a radio broadcast, announcing to the people of Japan that their government had accepted the Potsdam Declaration and agreed to unconditional surrender. The speech was the first time the Emperor had spoken to the common people. in wikipedia

17 Aug 1945 Indonesian Independence

Sukarno and Mohammed Hatta read the newly-drafted Proclamation of Indonesian Independence at 10am, 17 August, at the house of Japanese Rear-Admiral Tadashi Maeda in Djakarta. The declaration marked the start of the Indonesian National Revolution against the Netherlands. The following day Sukarno was appointed president, and Hatta vice-president, of the new Republic of Indonesia. in wikipedia

29 Sep 1945–29 Nov 1946 Allied occupation of Indonesia

About a month after the formal surrender of the Japanese Empire, British and Australian forces begin the process of accepting the surrender of the Japanese in the Dutch East Indies, providing an occupation force to secure the region as they await the arrival of troops from the Netherlands. While the Australian occupation of eastern Indonesia is largely uneventful, the British forces in the west soon come into conflict with the Indonesian nationalists. in wikipedia