July 1 945 and the refusal of Japan to surrender under its terms, the United States dropped atomic
bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August respectively. With an
invasion of the Japanese archipelago imminent, the possibility of additional atomic bombings and the
Soviet invasion of Manchuria, Japan formally surrendered on 2 September 1 945. Thus ended the war in
Asia, cementing the total victory of the Allies.
World War II changed the political alignment and social structure of the world. The United Nations (UN)
was established to foster international
co-operation and prevent future
conflicts. The victorious great
powers—China, France, the Soviet
Union, the United Kingdom, and the
United States—became the permanent
members of the United Nations
Security Council.[7] The Soviet Union
and the United States emerged as rival
superpowers, setting the stage for the
Cold War, which lasted for the next 46
years. Meanwhile, the influence of
European great powers waned, while
the decolonisation of Africa and Asia
began. Most countries whose
industries had been damaged moved
towards economic recovery. Political
integration, especially in Europe,
emerged as an effort to end pre-war
enmities and to create a common
identity.[8] Fritz Klein, the camp doctor, standing
in a mass grave at Bergen-Belsen
after the camp's liberation by the British
11 th Armoured Division, April 1 945