Transcript Victory in Europe and the Pacific

Victory in Europe and the
Pacific
Chapter 14.4
Nazis Defeated
• The war in Europe neared its end by the
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spring of 1945.
May 8, 1945 V-E Day (Victory in Europe)
The Axis powers were defeated for several
reasons:
– they could not wage war successfully on
several fronts
– Hitler underestimated the Soviet army
– the U.S. was able to produce more than
the combined Axis powers
– oil became too scarce to feed Luftwaffe
planes.
Struggle in the Pacific
• In the summer of 1942, the U.S. went on
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the offensive in the Pacific.
May 1942 Japanese gained control of the
Philippines killing several hundred
American Soldiers and 10,000 Filipino
soldiers during the Bataan Death March
Bataan Death March was 65 mile march
that starved, killed, and tortured soldiers
Struggles in the Pacific
• Victory on Guadalcanal started a campaign
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of “island-hopping” that would move U.S.
bases closer to Japan.
General Douglas MacAuthor was in charge
of the Pacific American Forces
MacAuthor began the fight to retake the
Philippines in October 1944.
British pushed Japanese into Burma and
Malaya
Defeat for Japan
• When the Japanese showed that they
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would fight to the death rather than
surrender
We began to test the Atomic bomb in New
Mexico, this testing was called the
Manhattan Project
President Truman decided to use an
atomic bomb to save American lives.
Two atomic bombs were dropped on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Japanese
surrendered.
V-J Day is August 15, 1945