80 Years Since the End of World War II Ongoing Exhibit … World War II, the deadliest military conflict in history, ended six years and one day after the war erupted in Europe. On September 2, 1945, just four months after Nazi Germany’s surrender, Japanese officials issued an imperial order and signed a formal surrender ending hostilities in the Pacific Theater. Instrument of Surrender, September 2, 1945. Records of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff View in the National Archives Catalog Instrument of …