The End of The War

By: Emily, Lili, Kyle, and Jake

• Hitler’s goal was to cut off allied supplies coming through the port of Antwerp, Belgium.

• The attack began just before dawn on December 16th, 1944.• The weather was bitterly cold• The Germans caught the American defenders by surprise.• On Christmas eve the Germans were forced to halt their attack because

their loss of fuel and the weakened by their losses. • The United States had won the Battle of Bulge on January 8th, 1945• The German had more then 100,00 casualties and lost many tanks and

aircraft.• From that time on Germany had very little resources left to prevent the

allies from entering Germany.

The Battle of the Bulge

The War Ends in Europe• While American and British troops fought to liberate France, the Soviets began

a massive attack on German troops in Russia. • By February 1945, Soviet troops were only 35 miles from Berlin. • At the end of February 1945, American troops had fought their way to the

Rhine River, Germany’s last major line of defense in the west.• On March 7th the American troops crossed the Rhine River • On April 16th Soviet troops finally smashed through the German defense and

reached the outskirts of Berlin 5 days later.• Deep in a bunker in Berlin, Adolf Hitler knew that the end was near. On April

30th, 1945, he committed suicide.• Before killing himself, Hitler chose Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz as his successor.• On May 7th, 1945, Germany accepted the terms, the next day May 8th, 1945

was proclaimed V-E Day for “Victory in Europe”

The Battle of Iwo Jima

• November 24th, 1944, bombs fell on Tokyo above the city by B-29 Super fortress Bombers.

• After many tries the b-29s reached Japan and didn’t have enough fuel left to fix their navigational problem, to refuel, the American planes invaded Iwo Jima.

• On February 19th, 1945 some 60,000 Marines landed on Iwo Jima.

• Japanese artillery began to pound on the invaders.• More than 6,800 marines were killed

Firebombing Japan

• While American engineers prepared airfields on Iwo Jima, General Curtis Lemay, commander of the B-29s decided to change strategy, he ordered them to drop bombs filled with Napalm. A kind of jellied gasoline.

• On March 9th, 1945 B-29s attacked Tokyo.• The Tokyo firebombing killed more then 80,000

people and destroyed more than 250,000 buildings.• At the end of the war the B-29s had firebombed 67

Japanese cities.

The Invasion of Okinawa

• Americans troops landed on Okinawa on April 1, 1945.

• Instead of defending the beaches, the Japanese troops took up positions in the islands rugged mountains.

• 12,000 American soldiers, sailors, and marines died.

• By June 22, 1945, Okinawa was finally captured.

The Terms for Surrender

• Americans demanded unconditional surrender, although Japanese were willing to surrender, they were not going to let there emperor lose power.

• The Americans blamed the emperor for the war and focused on removing his power more then getting them to surrender.

• The United States was almost ready to test how much Japan was willing to take till they surrender. With the Almost complete Atomic Bomb.

The Manhattan Project• Leo Szilard, one of the worlds top leading physicists, discovered that

Germans had split the uranium atom.• By splitting the atom, it was thought that it might release more

energy. • Szilard had constructed a letter that he had given to well known

physicists, Albert Einstein. In return, Albert was asked to send the letter to the former president Roosevelt. In the letter, Szilard stated that “extremely powerful bombs of a new type may be constructed”.

• The secret organization for building these powerful bombs was in code for “Manhattan Project”.

• In 1942 the first nuclear reactor was made and on July 16th, 1945 An Atomic bomb was donated to Mexico.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki• William Leahy, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, opposed using

the bomb because it killed innocent civilians.• On august 6th, 1945 after a lot of talk, a B-29 Bomber attacked

Hiroshima, an important industrial city, with an Atomic Bomb. It was called “Little Boy”.

• 80,000 to 120,000 people died, 63% of the city was destroyed. • On August 9th, Americans dropped the Atomic Bomb “Fat Man” on

Nagasaki.• About 74,000 people died.• Also on August 9th, the soviet union joined the fight.• On August 15th, 1945 V-J Day Japan surrendered, the long war was

over.

Creating the United Nations

• In 1944, at the Dumbarton Oaks estate in Washington, D.C., delegates from 39 countries met to discuss the new organization, which was to be called the United Nations.

• On April 25th, 1945, representatives from 50 states met to design its charter. Meaning constitution.

• The UN soon after forming came out with 30 rights that are said to be universally applicable to all human beings in all societies.

Putting the Enemy on Trail

• 22 leaders of Nazi Germany were prosecuted at the Nuremberg Trials. 3 were acquitted, 7 were given prison sentences, the 12 remaining were sentenced to death.

• The trials led to the execution of 24 more German leaders. Another 107 were sentenced to prison.

• 25 Japanese leaders were charged with war crimes.

Do you know?

1. When did the battle of bulge take place?

a) May 21st, 2057b) December 21st, 1945c) December 16th, 1944d) None of the above

2. What does V-E Day stand for?a) V-E Dayb) Mr. Mitchellc) Jim Carreyd) Victory in Europe

Can you guess?

3. Where did American Bombers plan to land?a) Canadab) Iwo Jimac) Russiad) Disney World

4. What were the Split Atomic Bombs filled with to cause so much destruction?a) Napalmb) Glassc) Sunny Dd) Sweat

Are you sure?

5.Where did Attack happen on April 1st, 1945?a) Iwo Jima b) Okinawac) Chinad) Gettysburg

6. What was Japans condition on surrender?a) Free gunsb) Emperor keeps powerc) America says their

sorryd) Gun control

Really?

7. When building the Atomic Bomb, what was the code name?a) Little Boy b) Manhattan Projectc) 90210d) Jersey Shore

8. What group was created in 1944s?a) Full House b) Family Guyc) Untied Nationsd) Adult Swim

Still Going?

9. When the Japanese surrendered, what day was it called?a) V-J Dayb) Ramc) Moosed) Sheep

10. What was the trails where the most Germans were tried?a) Its Bb) Nuremberg Trialsc) Its Dd) Nerbutter Trials

Have a WONDERFUL Valentines DayThank you!