Transcript World War I and its Aftermath

The War Ends
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Roosevelt knew of the atrocities the Germans
were committing and believed that destroying
the Nazi regime would end the concentration
camps.
Hedgerows: dirt walls, several feet thick,
covered with shrubbery
The Battle of the Bulge: After the Allies broke
through German lines and began pushing the
Nazis back toward Germany, Hitler ordered
one last counterattack against the Allies.
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As the Battle of the Bulge ended in the west, the
Soviet Union was pushing back German forces in
the east.
As both American and Soviet Armies pushed
towards Berlin, Adolf Hitler shot himself on April
30, 1945.
On May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered and May 8,
1945 was declared: “Victory in Europe” or V-E
Day.
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April 12, 1945—Roosevelt dies of a stroke. Harry
S. Truman, his vice president, becomes the
President.
Truman to reporters: “Boys, if you ever pray, pray
for me now….When they told me yesterday what
had happened, I felt like the moon, stars, and all
the planets had fallen on me.”
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Uncommon Valor on Iwo Jima
◦ US planes could bomb Tokyo, Japan from Iwo Jima
◦ February 19, 1945—60,000 troops land on Iwo Jima
 6,800 troops die taking the island
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Firebombing Devastates Japan
◦ Bombs filled with napalm, a kind of jellied gasoline,
were used to make sure targets were hit.
◦ Massive firestorms resulted sucking the oxygen out
of the air suffocating those who did not burn.
◦ 80,000 people died; 250,000 buildings were
destroyed; and 67 cities were firebombed
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The Invasion of Okinawa
◦ Despite the firebombing, Japan refused to quit.
◦ An invasion was planned.
 For an invasion to successful, the United States needed a
base closer to Japan—Okinawa
◦ April 1, 1945—US troops land on
Okinawa
◦ June 22, 1945—Okinawa is taken
by the US
 12,000 American soldiers, sailors,
and marines died
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Terms for Surrender
◦ After taking Okinawa, the Japanese Emperor encouraged
the government to surrender.
◦ Japanese officials were willing to surrender, but only if
the Emperor could stay in place.
◦ American officials demanded unconditional surrender.
 Public opinion blamed the Emperor for starting the war and
did not want him to remain in power.
 The United States had just developed a new weapon that
could force Japan to surrender without any conditions.
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The Manhattan Project
◦ Albert Einstein had written a letter to Roosevelt
warning him that the Germans might be able to
build an “extremely powerful bomb of a new type”
using uranium.
◦ Roosevelt orders a scientific committee to study the
issue.
 The committee was skeptical until British researchers
showed them their work with uranium.
 A team of engineers and scientists is
organized to build an atomic bomb at a
secret laboratory in Los Alamos, New
Mexico. J. Robert Oppenheimer led the
team.
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The Decision to Drop the Bomb
◦ Even before the bomb was tested, American officials
began to debate how to use it.
 Civilians would be killed indiscriminately
 Perhaps an economic blockade and conventional bombing
would force Japan to surrender.
 Truman believed that it was his duty as President to use every
weapon available to save American lives.
 It was estimated that up to 225,000 troops would be killed
during an invasion of Japan.
 The unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor.
 The Bataan Death March in the Philippines.
 Japan’s use of kamikaze pilots.
 Japan’s refusal to surrender.
 The World needed to know the devastation that an atomic
bomb would create.
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The Decision to Drop the Bomb
◦ A B-29 bomber named the Enola Gay dropped the
first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.
 76,000 buildings destroyed (63% of the city).
 80,000 to 120,000 people killed instantly. (Thousands
more died later on from burns and radiation poisoning)
◦ Three days later, another bomb was dropped on
Nagasaki killing 35,000 to 74,000.
◦ V-J Day is declared after Japan surrenders on August
15, 1945.
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Creating the United Nations
◦ The UN would have a General Assembly where every
member nation in the world would have one vote.
◦ A Security Council with 11 members.
 The Security Council would have 5 permanent members
 Great Britain, France, China, the Soviet Union, and the
United States
 These five countries would have veto powers
 Responsible for international peace and security
 The SC could investigate any international problems and
propose settlements for countries in dispute
 The SC could take action to preserve the peace, including
asking its members to use military force to uphold UN
resolutions
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Putting the Enemy on Trial
◦ Nuremberg Trials: trial of German leaders suspected
of committing war crimes.
 22 leaders of Nazi Germany were prosecuted
 3 were acquitted
 7 were given prison sentences
 12 were sentenced to death
 Lower-ranking government officials were also put on
trial
 107 were given prison sentences
 24 were executed
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State the names of the branches of the United
Nations. Then describe the make up of each
branch and its responsibilities.
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State the names of the branches of the United
Nations. Then describe the make up of each
branch and its responsibilities.
◦ The United Nations was designed to have two branches:
the General Assembly and the Security Council. In the
General Assembly, every member nation in the world
would have one vote. The Security Council would have
11 members Five countries would be permanent
members: Britain, France, China, the Soviet Union, and
the United States. Each permanent member would have
veto power. The General Assembly could vote on
resolutions, choose non-permanent members of the
Security Council, and vote on the UN budget. The
Security Council was responsible for international peace
and security. It could investigate any international
problem and propose settlements to countries that had
disputes with each other,. It could also take action to
preserve the peace, including asking its members to use
military force to uphold a UN resolution.
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Describe the different points of view in the
debate over the use of the atomic bomb and
explain why Truman finally decided to use it.
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Describe the different points of view in the
debate over the use of the atomic bomb and
explain why Truman finally decided to use it.
◦ One adviser opposed using the bomb because it
would kill civilians indiscriminately. Instead he
believed an economic blockade and conventional
bombing might convince Japan to surrender.
Another advisor wanted to warn the Japanese
about the bomb while the same time telling them
that they could keep the emperor if they
surrendered. Another advisor wanted to drop the
bomb without any warning to shock Japan into
surrendering. All his advisors warned President
Truman to expect massive casualties if the United
Sates invaded Japan. Truman decided to drop the
bomb because he believed it was his duty as the
president to use every weapon available to save
American lives.