Thank you for your attention to this live account of VE Day and the day afterwards.

Europe and the world begins to enter the post-war era. However, there is still much to be done. The war with Japan looks likely to grind on for a long time; even with their cities firebombed, the Japanese government stubbornly holds out. Europe is starkly divided between East and West. Some Allied commanders are even considering "Operation Unthinkable:" an assault against the Soviet Union...

In spite of widespread expressions of joy, it is noted that many people in the west are actually quite sad. People obviously do not want to be bombed and terrorised again, but there it is possible that the end of a shared community struggle prompts a sort of melancholy - something known also to the many soldiers, who are aware their time with their comrades is coming to an end.

Europe is in ruins, rationing is still in place, and it is clear the old world is dead. It is time to win the peace...