Nova Scotia/Nunavut Command of The Royal Canadian Legion www.ns.legion.ca 179 VJ Day and the end of the Second World War continued ... Some of the leaders in European nations wished to continue administering their empires and restore dominion, in those territories which had been conquered by Japan. The thirst of colonised peoples for independence, combined with the economic exhaustion of the colonial powers, gave impetus to decolonisation. On the second anniversary of VJ Day, Jawaharlal Nehru was sworn in as the first Prime Minister of an independent India. Between 1945 and 1960, forty nations – containing more than a quarter of the world’s population - revolted against colonialism and won independence. Displacement: The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) was formed in November 1943, by the leading Allied powers and forty other nations. During its four years of existence, it provided food, clothing, shelter and medicine to the people affected by the destruction of towns and cities during the war. On 1st October 1945, UNRRA took responsibility for the care of all Europe’s displaced people. One of its objectives, was the repatriation of forced labourers, concentration camp survivors and former prisoners of war. By 1947, UNRRA was running 800 resettlement camps, housing seven million people. Looking to the Future: In their discussions regarding the post-war settlement, the leaders of The United States, The Soviet Union, Britain and China had agreed that an international organisation needed to be created, to help prevent the outbreak of another global conflict. continued ... Polish nationals waiting for the arrival of army trucks to take them to a Polish national camp for repatriation
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