The Battle of Okinawa ended on June 22, 1945, after nearly three months of intense fighting between U.S. and Japanese forces during World War II. It was the largest and bloodiest battle in the Pacific Theater, with heavy casualties on both sides, including many civilians. The U.S. victory gave Allied forces a strategic base close to Japan, paving the way for the planned invasion of the Japanese mainland. The battle’s brutality influenced the decision to use atomic bombs to end the war.