The world's changed a lot in 75 years — and so has Australia | |
August 15 is commemorated as the 75th anniversary of victory in the Pacific, and the end of World War II. Within a fortnight of the first atomic bomb falling on Hiroshima, Japan announced its surrender to the Allies.
In an all-staff meeting at RN a few weeks ago, Geraldine Doogue challenged us to reflect on what a critical moment this was for Australia and the broader Asia Pacific region. She's got a good point.
We weren’t just changed by war on our doorstep. The Allies’ victory also set the scene for the coming decades of upheaval and renewal: for our economy, our foreign policy, and what it means to be Australian too.
So across RN this week we've been looking anew at the end of World War II and its legacy.
Coronavirus has threatened to overshadow this year's commemorations, but as Kumi Taguchi writes, we won't always have another year to hear the stories of survivors — Australian and Japanese alike.
Make sure you listen to Ann Arnold's story about how war touched the NSW town of Hay, where many Japanese POWs were held in internment camps, putting the locals on edge.
And don't miss Saturday Extra, where Geraldine Doogue and a panel discuss what we still don’t know about the war.
Until next time,
Rosie Ryan, digital editor
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| Why does the end of World War II in the Pacific still matter? 75 years on, three Australian foreign policy experts reflect on the events that led to the alliance between Australia and the US.
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| In 1944 hundreds of Japanese soldiers involved in a violent escape attempt were brought in the back of utes and trucks to Hay. The town that would be their new 'home' was not happy to see them.
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| Kumi Taguchi's father survived atomic bombs by hiding in Japan's mountains. 75 years on, she reflects on the precious gift of freedom he found in Australia.
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