Aftermath: September – December 1945

Legacies of war

With the Second World War officially over, attention turned to the future – and the complex legacies of a truly global conflict. The aftershocks of the war were everywhere to see.

For many soldiers and civilians alike, the lived experience of the previous six years inspired a resolute desire for an end to war. The advent of nuclear weapons only heightened the sense that the attempt to ‘win the peace’ in 1945 might be humanity’s last chance to save itself from total annihilation. This was, however, a rather grand and daunting ambition.

The onset of the postwar era meant many different things for Britain’s soldiers. The range of tasks placed before them was truly remarkable – from peacekeeping to bridge-building. For many troops, the long wait to return home was a time of frustration. For others, the return to ‘civvy street’ was put off for as long as possible. In some instances, soldiers remained on the front lines of battle as local and regional conflicts emerged in the aftermath of VJ Day.

In the shadow of victory, British, Commonwealth, and Empire soldiers were instrumental in determining the shape of the postwar world.

A ragged end

For many millions of civilians, as well as many thousands of British, Commonwealth and Empire soldiers, the Second World War did not conclude neatly with the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on 2 September 1945.

Japan’s defeat left a power vacuum across East and Southeast Asia that prompted a contest over the future of the region. National independence movements rose up to resist any potential return to imperial control – and soon came into direct conflict with the European powers, including Britain.

Meanwhile, the work of reconstruction and reconciliation in Europe was increasingly urgent. All over the continent, British troops helped to rebuild the basic structures of modern society amid the devastation of war and the threat of famine.

In Germany, British Army soldiers and civilians were running a military government intended to demolish the last vestiges of the Nazi state and build a new democratic Germany in its place. There were similar undertakings in Austria, Italy and other defeated Axis nations. 

But mounting tensions between Britain and the Soviet Union threatened the outbreak of another, even more deadly conflict.

Crisis in Europe

As 1945 progressed, the wartime alliance – having achieved its goal of defeating the Axis powers – began to creak under the strain of postwar challenges. The ideological differences between the communist Soviet Union and the capitalist West (Britain, the USA, France and their allies) were becoming ever more pronounced.

It was increasingly clear that the precise meaning of ‘winning the peace’ was a source of intense political debate. At the heart of these disagreements lay the chaotic, crisis-laden character of life in postwar Europe.

These problems were hugely exacerbated by the influx of millions of refugees forcibly removed from Eastern Europe in line with the territorial agreements made at the end of the war. At the same time, the Western powers were concerned about the establishment of communist regimes in Poland, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic and Slovakia) and elsewhere.

In Germany, there was a critical shortage of housing, fuel and, above all, food. British and Allied soldiers struggled to enact the ambitious plans for denazification and reconstruction agreed at Potsdam. 

For most civilians, the priority was simply staying alive. As the winter of 1945-46 approached, there were grave fears of an outbreak of famine or disease. There were also worries that such horrendous living conditions might allow new forms of fascism to emerge.

While there was still a great deal of optimism about the creation of a new, peaceful Europe, the prevailing conditions in late 1945 offered a rather sobering reminder that victory in battle was only the opening act.

A new world

It wasn't only the fate of Europe that hung in the balance in late 1945. The defeat of the Axis powers brought about conflicting visions of the future in Asia, Africa and beyond. 

In many cases, the key question was whether European imperialism should, or even could, continue. The war had strengthened various national independence movements and, in many places, imperial control was becoming increasingly unsustainable – and, for some, morally unacceptable. 

In Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaya (now Malaysia) and Burma (now Myanmar), British, Commonwealth and Empire soldiers were quickly put to work reestablishing Britain’s colonial power after a period of Japanese occupation. 

In Burma, resistance to the continuation of British rule led to national sovereignty in January 1948. While in Malaya, a protracted armed conflict involving Britain’s armed forces - the Malayan Emergency (1948-60) – culminated with the country's independence in the late 1950s.

in September 1945, after decades of protests and political disagreements, the British government announced that it would undertake steps to bring about independence for India ‘at the earliest possible date’. Within two years, the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the British Empire had become two separate sovereign nations, India and Pakistan.

Ongoing conflict

Following Japan’s defeat, national independence movements in French Indochina (now Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos) and the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) seized the chance to take power. 

With France and the Netherlands unable to muster sufficient forces to reconquer their former colonial territories, British and Indian soldiers were deployed to restore order, free Allied prisoners of war and ultimately help reestablish European imperial control. As 1945 came to an end, Britain was still waging a costly war against Indonesian republicans on behalf of the Netherlands.

The end of the Second World War also resulted in renewed conflict in the Middle East. British troops withdrew from Iran in line with wartime agreements. However, the Soviet Union seemed set to renege on their own promise to do the same – and threatened an escalation of tensions in the region.

Meanwhile, the conflict over British Mandatory Palestine deepened. Following the horrors of the Holocaust, there were renewed demands from Zionist groups for the creation of a Jewish state. But these plans invoked strong opposition from the majority Arab population of Palestine. 

During the final months of 1945, as the British government continued its wartime policy of restricting Jewish immigration, the British Army in Palestine became the target of an insurgent Zionist terror campaign as events there threatened to spiral out of control.

Enduring legacies

At the beginning of 1945, the Allies had been on the precipice of a final push against the military might of Germany and Japan. After half a decade of struggle, this historic year would deliver hard-fought victories in both Europe (in May) and Asia (in August).

But this was not the end of the story. Britain’s soldiers were now faced with the complex realities of a world torn apart by conflict. Events during the final months of the year reflected the remarkable scope and enduring legacies of the Second World War – and included some of the battles, now largely forgotten, which formed part of its ragged end.

From September to December 1945, the British Army remained at the heart of global events – and its vital role in the aftermath of victory left a mark upon the world that is still felt today.