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TRANSCRIPT
The War Ends
Chapter 14 Section 5
The Third Reich Collapses
MAIN IDEA
The war in Europe ended in spring 1945 after major battles, as the
Allies moved west toward Germany
The Third Reich Collapses
D-day was a success but it was only the beginning.
German’s had used “hedgerows” (dirt walls, several feet think covered in
shrubbery) as natural bunkers to defend their position.
July 25 1944 2,500 bombers blew a hole in German lines enabling American
tanks through the gaps
As the Allies continued through Normandy, the French resistance
started a rebellion in Paris.
Allied forces liberated Paris on August 25
The Third Reich Collapses
The Battle of the Bulge
Allies were advancing toward German border, Hitler decided to do one last big offensive strike
Attack began on December 16 1944 with 6 inches of snow on the ground and bitterly cold weather
German’s caught the American defenders by surprise and soon surrounded American Troops
Eisenhower ordered General Patton to rescue the surrounded soldiers
There was a snow storm so everyone was surprised when Patton's troops arrived 3 days later to attack the German forces
As the weather cleared, allies started bombing German fuel depots to help soldiers
The Third Reich Collapses
Battle of the Bulge
On Christmas Eve, Germans were out of fuel and had suffered heavy losses
German troops who were moving toward the town of Antwerp were forced to stop
Patton’s forces had broken through the German line to reach surrounded
American’s
Fighting continued for three weeks after Christmas even though American’s
had basically won the Battle of the Bulge
January 8 Germans began to withdraw
100,000 casualties
Lost many tanks and aircrafts
Had few resources left to prevent allies from entering Germany
The Third Reich Collapses
The War Ends in Europe
While American’s and British liberated France, Russia was also launching
attack on Germany
By the end of the Battle of the Bulge, Soviets had driven Hitler’s forces out of
Russia and back across Poland
February 1945 Soviets forces were 35 miles from Berlin
By February on the American side, troops had made their way to the Rhine River,
the last major line of defense in the West
Crossed river on March 7th
April 16th Soviet forces broke through German defenses and reached the outskirts of Berlin April 21 1945
The Third Reich Collapses
The War Ends in Europe
In his Berlin Bunker, Hitler saw war’s end was near
April 30th 1945 Hitler committed suicide
Before his death appointed Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz as
successor
Doenitz tried to surrender to Americans and British but keep fighting Soviets
Eisenhower insisted on unconditional surrender
May 7th 1945 Germany accepted terms of surrender
May 8th was proclaimed “V-E Day”
Victory in Europe day
Japan is Defeated
Main Idea
The United States decided to end the war with Japan by using
napalm and atomic bombs
Japan is Defeated
FDR did not live to see the defeat of Germany
April 12th 1945 FDR died of a stroke while on vacation
Vice President Harry Truman became president
Truman was forced to make most difficult decisions of the war in his
first six months in office
Japan is Defeated
The Battle of Iwo Jima
November 24th, 1944 80 B-29 bombers hit Tokyo from the New
American base at the Mariana Islands
First they did little damage because of missing targets and didn’t have
enough fuel to fix the navigation errors
American Military planners decided they needed a refueling stop and
decided to invade Iwo Jima
Japan is Defeated
The Battle of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima was perfect location for refueling
About halfway between Mariana’s and Japan
Geography of island was not as great
Dormant Volcano on southern part of island
Terrain was filled with rocky cliffs, jagged ravines and caves
Japanese had built large network of concrete bunkers connect by tunnels
Japan is Defeated
The Battle of Iwo Jima
February 19, 1945 about 60,000 Marines landed on Iwo Jima
Feet sunk into volcanic ash that covered island
Japanese artillery started firing on invaders
Marines crawled inland using flamethrowers and explosives to attack
Japanese bunkers
More than 6,800 marines were killed during the capture of the island
Japan is Defeated
Firebombing Japan
While air field was being prepared in Iwo Jima, General Curtis LeMay
decided to have a new strategy for B-29 bombers
To help them hit targets, ordered that bombs dropped be filled with
“Napalm”
A kind of jellied gasoline
Bombs would explode AND start fires so even if they missed, fire would spread to intended target
Japan is Defeated
Firebombing Japan
Use of firebombs was VERY controversial
Fires could also kill civilians
LeMay could find no other way to destroy Japan’s war production quickly
Loaded with firebombs, B-29s attacked Tokyo on March 29th 1945.
Strong winds fanned flames, caused a firestorm so huge is sucked all the oxygen from the air killing thousands.
Tokyo firebombing killed more than 80,000 people and destroyed 250,000 buildings
June 1945 Japan’s six most important industrial cities firebombed
By end of the war B-29s firebombed 67 Japanese Cities
Japan is Defeated
The Invasion of Okinawa
Despite firebombing was no sign that Japan was going to surrender in
Spring of 1945
Many American officials believed Japan wouldn’t surrender until they
were invaded
To prepare for an invasion, American needed a based near Japan to stock pile supplies and build up troops
Iwo Jima too far and too small, so decided on Okinawa, only 350 miles
from Japan
Japan is Defeated
The Invasion of Okinawa
Troops landed on Okinawa on April 1 1945
Japanese didn’t defend beaches, but set up troops in the mountains
To take over Japanese, American’s had to fight up steep slopes against
constant fire
12,000 American soldiers, sailors and marines died during fighting
June 22 1945 Okinawa finally captured
Japan is Defeated
The Terms for Surrender
After Okinawa, Japanese emperor urged government to find a way to
end the war
Biggest problem – American wanted unconditional surrender
Japanese leaders willing to surrender, but wanted to keep emperor in power
Most American’s blamed emperor for war and wanted him removed
Truman didn’t want to go against public opinion and knew they were
ready to test a new weapon that would force Japan to surrender
Japan is Defeated
The Manhattan Project
1939 Leo Szilard, physicist, learned German scientists had split the
uranium atom
Szilard first to suggest that doing that would release enormous energy
Worried that Nazis were working on an atomic bomb, Szilard
convinced Albert Einstein to sign a letter to send to FDR about the
threat of an extremely powerful bomb being constructed in Germany
Roosevelt set up a scientific committee to study the issue
Nothing done until 1941 when met with British scientists who were working
on an atomic bomb
Their research convinced FDR to begin a program to build atomic bomb
Japan is Defeated
The Manhattan Project
Secret American program to build an atomic bomb was code named
“Manhattan Project”
Project headed by General Leslie R Groves
First breakthrough in 1942
Szilard and Enrico Fermi built first nuclear reactor at University of Chicago
Groves organized engineers and scientists to build atomic bomb at lab
in Los Alamos New Mexico
Team led by J. Robert Oppenheimer
July 16 1945 detonated worlds first atomic bomb
Japan is Defeated
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Before bomb tested, America debated how to use it
Admiral William Leahy (Joint Chiefs of Staff) opposed using the bomb
because it killed civilians
Leahy believed economic blockade and conventional bombing was
enough
Secretary of War Henry Stimson wanted to warn Japan about the
bomb and tell them they could keep emperor if surrendered
Secretary of State James Byrnes wanted to drop bomb without any
warning to shock Japan into surrendering
Japan is Defeated
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Truman believe bomb was military weapon and meant to be used
Had been told that there would be massive casualties to the US if we
invaded Japan
Believed it was his duty to use every weapon available to save American
Lives
America threatened Japan with destruction if they didn’t surrender
With no reply from Japan, Truman ordered bomb to be dropped
August 6 1945 B-29 bomber (Enola Gay) dropped an atomic bomb on
Hiroshima (important industrial city)
Japan is Defeated
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Hiroshima bomb destroyed 63% of the city
Between 80,000 and 120,000 people died instantly, thousands more died later from burns and radiation sickness
3 days later (August 9) Soviet Union declared war on Japan
Same day, United States dropped another Atomic bomb on city of Nagasaki
Bomb kidded between 35,000 and 74,000 people
With so much destruction and the Soviets joining the war, Japanese emperor ordered government to Surrender
August 15 1945 – called “V-J Day” Japan surrendered
Building a New World
Main Idea
The victorious Allies tried to create an organization to prevent future
wars
Building a New World
Creating the United Nations
FDR believed new international political organization could prevent
another world war
1944, delegates from 39 countries met to discuss new organization
New Organization would be called “United Nations”
Delegates agreed
UN would have general assembly with all members in world would have
one vote
US also have security council with 11 members (5 permanent members)
Britain, France, China, the Soviet Union and United States
The five members would have veto power
Building a New World
Creating the United Nations
April 25, 1945 representatives from 50 nations officially organized the
United Nations and created a charter (constitution)
General Assembly power to vote on resolutions, choose non-permanent
members of security council and vote on UN’s budget
Security Council responsible for international peace and security
Could investigate any international problems and propose settlements
Take action to preserve peace, including asking members to use military force
to uphold a UN resolution
Building a New World
Creating the United Nations
After UN was founded, created a Commission on Human Rights
Eleanor Roosevelt was first person to serve as head of commission
Commission drafted Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948
Lists 30 rights that are said to universally applicable to all human beings in all societies
Building a New World
Putting the Enemy on Trial
Allies wanted to punish German and Japanese leaders for war crimes
In August 1945, United States, Britain, France and Soviet Union created
International Military Tribunal
Tribunal held trials in Nuremberg Germany (called “Nuremberg Trials” )
where Hitler staged Nazi Party rallies
22 leaders of Nazi German were prosecuted at the trials. 3 acquitted, 7 given
prison sentences and the rest were sentenced to death
Trials of lower officials continued until April 1949 with 24 sentenced to
execution and 107 given prison sentences
Building a New World
Putting the Enemy on Trial
Similar trials were held in Tokyo
25 Japanese leaders charged with war crimes
Japanese Emperor was NOT indicted with any war crimes
Feared any trial against him would cause an uprising in Japan
18 sentenced to prison, the rest were sentenced to death by hanging
War trials punished the people responsible for World War II but were
also part of the US plan to build a better world
“The wrongs we seek to condemn and punish have been so calculated, so
malignant and so devastating, that civilization cannot tolerate their being
ignored because it cannot survive their being repeated.” – Robert Jackson