Battle of the BulgeBattle of the Bulge►December 16, 1944

►German tanks broke through 80 80 mile front)mile front)

  ►Fought in Belgium - Fought in Belgium - Germany was

trying to capture Antwerp  ►Very brutal war - one of the most - one of the most

extensive of U.S. militaryextensive of U.S. military

Battle of the Bulge Cont.Battle of the Bulge Cont.

►Germans were winning in the Germans were winning in the beginningbeginning

►120,000 Germans died ( Germans died (also lost 600 tanks and guns and 1,600 planes – leading to defeat))

  ►80,000 Americans died Americans died

  Americans won, but were close to losingAmericans won, but were close to losing

Attack on DresdenAttack on Dresden►The The Bombing of DresdenBombing of Dresden was an was an

attack on the city of attack on the city of Dresden, the , the capital of the capital of the German state of state of Saxony..

►Raids between 13 and 15 February Raids between 13 and 15 February 1945, 722 1945, 722 heavy bombers of the of the British Air Force and 527 of the and 527 of the US Air Force dropped more than 3,900 dropped more than 3,900 tons of tons of high explosive bomgs

►The resulting The resulting firestorms destroyed 15 destroyed 15 square miles of the city centre. Between square miles of the city centre. Between 22,000–25,000 people were killed22,000–25,000 people were killed

February 1945—at a time when it was obvious that the Allies would win the war over a hundred thousand were killed in Dresden.

Some consider the bombing of Dresden to be a war crime, on the same level as the Holocaust…

Yalta ConferenceYalta Conference►Took place Took place February 1945 before WWII before WWII

was overwas over

►Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill met in Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill met in Yalta in the Soviet Union to Yalta in the Soviet Union to discuss post WWII

►Set up Set up United Nations►At the beginning of his 4At the beginning of his 4thth Term, Term,

President President Franklin D. Roosevelt passes away

►Harry S. Truman, as Vice-President, , as Vice-President, takes the role as Presidenttakes the role as President

Yalta – “The Big 3”Yalta – “The Big 3”

April 12, 1945April 12, 1945►At the beginning of his 4At the beginning of his 4thth Term, Term,

President President Franklin D. Roosevelt passes away

►The U.S. went through a major grieving The U.S. went through a major grieving periodperiod

►Harry S. Truman, as Vice-President, , as Vice-President, takes the role as Presidenttakes the role as President

Hitler’s EndHitler’s End

►Hitler intended to drag all of Germany Hitler intended to drag all of Germany down with him.down with him. ““If the war is lost, the GermanIf the war is lost, the German

nation will also perish.”nation will also perish.” ““There is no need to take into There is no need to take into

consideration the basic needs of the consideration the basic needs of the people. Those that remain after the people. Those that remain after the battle are inferior; for the good will battle are inferior; for the good will have fallen.”have fallen.”

The end of HitlerThe end of Hitler►April 30, 1945 Hitler Hitler

and Eva Braun commit and Eva Braun commit suicide (gun shot and suicide (gun shot and cyanide)cyanide)

►Bodies burned in street

► Cover of Time Cover of Time magazine May 7, 1945magazine May 7, 1945

V-E Day (Victory in EuropeV-E Day (Victory in Europe

►May 8, 1945

►General Eisenhower accepted a General Eisenhower accepted a surrender by the Third Reich by the Third Reich

    ►1st part of War was over  

PotsdamPotsdam►July – August 1945

►Truman, (Churchill and then Clement Truman, (Churchill and then Clement Atlee) and Stalin met in Potsdam, Atlee) and Stalin met in Potsdam, GermanyGermany

►Drew up a blueprint to Drew up a blueprint to disarm Germany and and eliminate the Nazi regime

Potsdam ContinuedPotsdam Continued►Divided Germany into Divided Germany into 4 sections

(occupied by (occupied by France, Britain, U.S. and Soviet Union))

►Berlin to be divided up in East (or Soviet to be divided up in East (or Soviet Germany)Germany)

►Set up the Set up the Nuremberg Trials to to persecute Nazi leaders persecute Nazi leaders

► Japan must “Japan must “unconditionally surrender””

Potsdam, GermanyPotsdam, Germany

Nuremberg TrialsNuremberg Trials

► International tribunal court tried International tribunal court tried Nazi officials

►Over Over 23 nations tried Nazi war criminals tried Nazi war criminals in Nuremberg, Germanyin Nuremberg, Germany

►12 of the 22 defendants were sentenced defendants were sentenced to deathto death

►200 other officials were found guilty, but other officials were found guilty, but given given lesser sentences

Battle of the Coral SeaBattle of the Coral Sea ►Prior to this battle, the Japanese were Prior to this battle, the Japanese were

winning every battle and taking over the winning every battle and taking over the PacificPacific

►May 1942 - - U.S. and Australia stopped Japan from invadingstopped Japan from invading

► Japan won the actual battle, but the Japan won the actual battle, but the allies were able to allies were able to stop Japan invasion for the first time

►U.S. was beginning to use the U.S. was beginning to use the Island Hopping technique to weaken Japan’s technique to weaken Japan’s forcesforces

Battle of MidwayBattle of Midway►June 1942

►Admiral Admiral Chester Nimitz intercepted intercepted Japanese codeJapanese code

►U.S. launched U.S. launched surprise attack on on Japan at Japan at Pacific island called Midway

►U.S. was U.S. was successful in the Battle of in the Battle of MidwayMidway

Battle of MidwayBattle of Midway

►The Japanese lost The Japanese lost 4 carriers, a , a heavy cruiser, , 3 destroyers, some , some 275 planes, at least , at least 4,800 men, and , and suffered heavy damage among the suffered heavy damage among the remaining vessels of their fleet. remaining vessels of their fleet.

►American losses included American losses included 1 carrier, , the the YorktownYorktown, , a destroyer, about , about 150 planes, and , and 307 men

Iwo JimaIwo Jima► Island in the Pacific that was critical for Island in the Pacific that was critical for

U.S. winU.S. win

►March 1945

►27,000 Japanese held Iwo Jima

►U.S. wonU.S. won 26,800 Japanese troops died 6,000 U.S. Marines died

Battle of OkinawaBattle of Okinawa

► June 22, 1945

► Japan’s last Japan’s last defensive stronghold

► Japan used Japan used 1,900 Kamikaze attacks

►110,000 Japanese troops died

►7,600 - 12,500 U.S U.S. troops died

► U.S. wonU.S. won

Manhattan ProjectManhattan Project►200,000 Japanese died due to the Atomic died due to the Atomic

bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasakibombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

►HiroshimaHiroshima August 6, 1945 ““Little Boy”” In 43 seconds, the city collapsed to dust

►NagasakiNagasaki August 9, 1945 ““Fat Man”” Leveled half of the city

V-J DayV-J Day

►August 15, 1945: August 15, 1945: Japan offers unconditional surrender

►September 2, 1945: September 2, 1945: V-J Day = Victory in Japan Day (Formal surrender)

U.S. Occupation of JapanU.S. Occupation of Japan

►Similar trials held for Japanese war criminalsSimilar trials held for Japanese war criminals

►7 out of 28 leaders were found guilty and leaders were found guilty and sentenced to death sentenced to death

►U.S. occupied Japan for U.S. occupied Japan for 6 years under the under the direction of direction of General Douglas MacArthur Called for a New Constitution (Called for a New Constitution (w/ free elections

and women suffrage)) Introduced a Introduced a free market economy