Between the Wars in Images

1918-1939

In the 1920’s

America Swings!

Glamour The Charleston

Louis Armstrong

- Jazz

Silent movies

Picasso - cubism

• But Europe Struggles

• death

• destruction

• disease

• unemployment

• famine

• political unrest

Death

Destruction

unemployment

League of Nations

• 1929 AMERICAN stock market crash leads to world-wide economic depression

1919 1928 1930

1930’s World-Wide Depression

Unemployment& Food

lines

“Walking over the League”

Famine

Russia

World War II The Beginning

• After the treaty of Versailles the German’s felt deep resentment at their losses from WW I.

• The harsh provisions of the treaty left Germany weakened and humiliated and deprived of the great-power status.

• Treaty of Versailles provisions:• Reduced size of Germany, had to give back Alsace-Lorraine,

France controlled coal rich Saar Basin and Allied forces occupied the Rhineland region.

• Poland was re-established out of parts of Germany A-H and Prussia.

• Banned conscription and manufacturing of major war weapons.• Stripped Germany of overseas colonies.• France and Britain were not satisfied and demanded Germany

take blame for causing the war and pay preparations for allied cost and damages.

Germany Fascism and Totalitarianism

• German resentment from the end of WW I and Versailles would be a spring board for Hitler and his Nazi regime.

Rise of Fascism • The U.S. and Britain had strong democracies but a new form of

dictatorship know as totalitarianism emerged in Germany, Italy and Russia.

• Under totalitarian governments the government controlled all aspects of life and people were seen as servants of the state, with few personal freedoms, the radio, press and arts were used to promote the government’s political philosophy.

• These governments assumed sweeping powers and remodeled entire societies and conquered lands.

• Totalitarian governments came into conflict with each other as well as with democratic governments.

• Setting the stage for another conflict.

Middle class fear of communism

• Russia leads the international organization of communist parties

• Fear of Communism spreads through Europe. Is this fear still around today?

• Stalin takes power in 1927

Lenin

Dictators between the

Wars

Stalin

Hitler

Mussolini

Rise of fascism in Italy - Benito

Mussolini

ItalyAfter WW I Italy was dissatisfied since it received huge portions of territory from the Central Powers.

The economy was on a downturn and there was mounting discontent.

Benito Mussoliniand Fascism

• Working class family, journalist, active socialist but became an ardent nationalist during the war.

• In 1919 he formed a new political party Fasci di Combattimento or Fascist party.

• Fascism is a political philosophy that advocates: – Glorification of the state and – Single party system with a strong ruler – Aggressive nationalism.

Italy and Mussolini Cont.

• Fascism gave the state, like in communism, absolute political authority but defended private property with some gov’t regulations

• The nation’s causes were to be advanced at all costs; even war.

• As conditions in Italy got worse, striking workers, rising prices on bread and shortages of coal hampered industrial production.

• Mussolini promised something for everyone, protect private property, create jobs and give workers benefits and said would restore Italy to its former greatness.

Mussolini Comes to Power

• Blackshirts were Mussolini’s followers, used attacks and violence to put down political opponents. The democratic government saw fascists as a way to counter communists so they did nothing to stop the Blackshirts.

• 1922 Mussolini marched on Rome to see what the reaction would be, the cabinet asked king Victor Emmanuel to impose martial law, he refused, they resigned and VE named Mussolini Prime minister.

• 1924 elections the Blackshirts made sure Italians voted for Fascist Candidates and Fascists controlled parliament and gave sweeping powers to Mussolini. Mussolini took to calling himself Il Duce or “the Leader.

Mussolini and Syndicates

• Mussolini re-ordered government est. a corporate state, bringing workers and employers together to end problems.

• Also banned non-fascist parties and ordered syndicates; corporations between workers and employers, to be formed in each industry. These syndicates sent delegates to parliament to set policy on wages and production.

Loss of Freedom but what do you gain?

• Many Italians opposed fascism and the loss of personal freedoms, they feared the Blackshirts etc.

• The majority of Italians supported Mussolini; preventing a communist revolution and brought order to the nation.

• Building up the military solved the unemployment problem but also rekindled patriotism and nationalism and made it Italy’s destiny to recapture former greatness.

The Weimar Republic (Germany)

• The allies tried to ensure Germany would never again threaten the peace. The Treaty of Versailles limited the size of Germany and required Germany to form a democratic gov’t.

• 1919 meeting in Weimar, a national assembly drafted a constitution for Germany.

• 1920 nationalist army officers tried a coup d’etat, which was put down but the new gov’t could not overcome widespread opposition. People felt that they had succumbed to Versailles.

MAP

Repatriationsand Inflation in Germany

• Allies wanted full repayment for the war a cost of 35 billion, in 1922 the German Government stated they could not pay this.

• France insisted and marched troops in to the Ruhr Valley and took over coal mines and steel mills. Lost important financial asset.

• Inflation To meet expenses the German gov’t printed more and more money, this caused inflation, before the war 4 marks = $1 US by 1923 4 Trillion marks = $1 US.

• In the mid 20’s German got some relief, France compromised on reparations and left the Ruhr. Free from debt and with U.S. loans Germany entered 5 years of relative prosperity.

1923 - German

money so worthless they burn it to keep

warm

Condemned to death by the peace settlement

German political cartoon:

Hitler and the Nazis • National Socialist Workers’ Party or Nazi

party challenged the Weimar Rep. • One of the first recruits was Adolf Hitler,

born in Austria in 1889, served in WW I, failed in his efforts to become an artist.

• Hitler formed the Brownshirts, a private army of street thugs and young veterans.

• Crisis of 1923, Hitler tried to seize power, was arrested and jailed, the revolt failed.

Nazi book burnings

Hitler in Prison and After• In prison Hitler wrote his

autobiography Mein Kampf My Struggle. – said Germans was not

responsible for loosing the war but put the blame on Communists and Jews.

– Stated that Germans were a “master race” whose destiny was to rule the world and saw himself as the leader who would unite all German speaking peoples into an empire that would dominate the world.

•After his release from prison he resumed his activities. With the depression of 1929 Hitler appealed to workers and industrialists alike and promised jobs and a restoration of Germany’s military might.

Nazi’s Take Over Germany• In the early 1930’s the Nazi’s won a large number of seats in the

Reichstag or legislative lower house. And got the backing of conservatives that thought they could use him to their own ends.

• In 1933 Hitler became Chancellor through entirely legal means. Hitler’s goal was to create a totalitarian state. Because the Nazis were a minority in the Reichstag Hitler called for new elections. A week before the election the Reichstag was burned. Hitler blamed the communists. The brownshirts in the election forced voters to back the Nazis. After the election the Nazi run Reichstag voted Hitler emergency powers to deal with the “Communist threat”

• Hitler used his new powers to crush political opponents, banned all parties but Nazi party, ended freedom of speech, press and assembly, took over labor unions, set wages and production rates.

Attacks on Jews• Hitler directed his most bitter attacks on Jews.

1935 Jews lost citizenship and right to hold public office, laws barred Jews from schools and destroyed Jewish businesses.

• Kristallnacht November 9-10 of 1938; Nazi party members attacked Jews on the street vandalized Jewish businesses, homes and synagogues. The Gestapo or Nazi secret police were the driving force in the Kristallnacht.

Nazi Anti-semitism

Kristallnacht -7500 businesses destroyed

Hitler & Nazis come to power in Germany

Francisco Franco - fascist Spain

German annexation of Austria

Chamberlain and Daladier - Munich Conference...

Sudetenland falls to Hitler-

-then the rest of

Czechoslovakia

• Most propaganda in Germany was produced by the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. Joseph Goebbels was placed in charge of this ministry shortly after Hitler took power in 1933. All journalists, writers, and artists were required to register with one of the Ministry's subordinate chambers for the press, fine arts, music, theater, film, literature, or radio.

• The Nazis believed in propaganda as a vital tool in achieving their goals. Adolf Hitler, Germany's Fuehrer, was impressed by the power of Allied propaganda during World War I and believed that it had been a primary cause of the collapse of morale and revolts in the German home front and Navy in 1918.

Propaganda

Propaganda

31.1: The Path to War• Japan’s Expansion into Asia• Japan needed to acquire territory for natural resources and export markets. • Invaded Manchuria in 1931 and renamed it Manchukuo. • China protested in League of Nations, which condemned Japan. Japan

subsequently withdrew from the League. • In 1937 Japan invaded China as a stepping stone to controlling the oil of the

East Indies. • Italy’s Conquest of Ethiopia • The dictator of Italy was Benito Mussolini. • Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935. • The League of Nations condemned Italy and imposed sanctions, but they

were toothless since they did not block the sale of oil, coal or iron. • Spanish Civil War• The King abdicated and Spain became a republic.• Precipitated a civil war, with the rightist forces being led by General

Francisco Franco. • Franco won in 1938 and Spain became a fascist country.

Seizing Austria• Hitler wanted to join Austria to Germany; this was called Anschluss. • Hitler sent troops into Austria in 1938 in a move to take it over; Western

powers refused to intervene. • Hitler later demanded that Czechoslovakia turn over the Sudetenland to

him. • The British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain agreed. He though a policy

of appeasement (granting concessions to maintain peace) would pacify Hitler. Instead, it just emboldened him.

• After a meeting in Munich, Hitler broke his promise to cease his territorial grabs and invaded Czechoslovakia.

• Hitler’s subsequent attentions on Poland caused Britain and France to try and align with the Soviet Union.

• Stalin did not trust the West, and he subsequently negotiated a Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact.

• This made Hitler more confident; he then invaded Poland.• This caused Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany, thus

beginning WWII.

• 1) Invasion of Poland

• German invasion of the Polish corridor finally led to a declaration of war by Britain & France

• 2) “phony War” - • France & Britain stand by

defensively while Germany conquers Poland, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands & Belgium……..

Invasion of Poland

Occupied Warsaw

31.2: The War in Europe• Hitler’s military strategy in Poland was known as blitzkrieg, or “lightning

war.” It was a smashing success.• Stalin moved to occupy the Eastern half of Poland and the Baltics and

Finland. • In 1940 Great Britain mined Norwegian waters to block trade with Germany;

Hitler used this as an excuse to demand that Norway and Denmark surrender.

• Germany later invaded Denmark and Norway; this precipitated Chamberlain’s resignation and the rise of Winston Churchill as the new Prime Minister.

• In continental Europe, Hitler bypassed the Maginot Line and invaded the Low Countries of Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium. Germany encircled the Allied Forces inside France. 300,000 Allied troops were forced to evacuate by sea from the French port of Dunkirk.

• The evacuation was successful but the Germans entered Paris and captured France. The Germans installed a puppet government in France in the city of Vichy.

3) Dunkirk

• French & British troops trapped by Germany’s rapid advance through France are evacuated to Britain

Dunkirk after evacuation

The Battle of Britain

• Britain was the only thing blocking Hitler’s total domination of Europe.

• The German Air Force, called the Luftwaffe, began a bombing campaign to establish air superiority over the English Channel.

• The English did pretty well in fighter battles, so the Germans switched tactics to bombing London. This strategy was known as the great blitz. The Germans never did seize air superiority over England.

• France surrenders……

• 4) Vichy Regime -

• S. France which became a fascist collaborating government;

• N. France occupied by Germany

Armistice signed in the same train car...

5) Free French & Resistance

• Gen Charles DeGaulle leads government in exile (“Free French”)

• French resistance fighters continue to try to disrupt German occupation with assassination and sabotage

Blitzkrieg……...

Anglo-American Cooperation

• The U.S. Neutrality Acts of 1937 prohibited arms shipments, loans and credit to belligerent nations.

• President FDR worked to rally public opinion to enter the war.

• After Dunkirk, FDR convinced Congress to adopt a cash-and-carry policy, which allowed Great Britain to trade cash for supplies. After Britain ran out of money, Congress later adopted the lend-lease policy, which allowed the President to lease war equipment.

• In 1941 FDR and Churchill met and issued a joint declaration called the Atlantic Charter which called for the destruction of the Nazis.

America’s support role expands

• 7) Cash & carry

• Britain could buy war goods from the US to transport in their own ships

• Lend-Lease

• Britain could buy war goods from US on credit in exchange for leases on military bases

• The Atlantic Charter

• Roosevelt and Churchill agree on war aims…August 1941

Eastern Europe and Africa

• Mussolini declared war on Great Britain and France in 1940; the British promptly proceeded dominate in Libya. Churchill halted this advance to re-direct troops to Yugoslavia and Greece. This effort failed.

• The great German General Rommel pushed the British out of Libya, thus saving the Italians from defeat in Africa.

Erwin Rommel - the

Desert Fox

Halted by British and American Tanks in North

Africa…...

British troops advance at3. El Alamein

Germans & Italians surrender in North Africa

British General Bernard

Montgomery“Monty”

Successfully commanded Allied forces at the Battle of El Alamein, a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign during World War II, and troops under his command played a major role in the expulsion of Axis forces from North Africa. He was later a prominent commander in Italy and North-West Europe, where he was in command of all Allied ground forces during Operation Overlord until after the Battle of Normandy.

31.3: A Global Conflict

The Failed Invasion of the Soviet Union

• Hitler got greedy and invaded the Soviet Union in 1941; this was known as Operation Barbarossa. The Germans made huge headway and got within a few miles of Moscow before a Soviet counter-attack turned the tide.

Operation Barbarossa• 10) Invasion of the Soviet Union

• Hitler needs raw materials - oil &

grain • Three pronged German attack:

Leningrad * Moscow * Stalingrad• Stalin responds with scorched

earth policy

Leningrad

Moscow

Stalingrad

Germans invade Russia

The Holocaust

• This led to the Holocaust which resulted in the death of over 12 million people.

• So why the Jews? There was a history of anti-semitism in Europe and they were scapegoats for economy problems and failure of Germany in WWI. The Nuremberg Laws (1935) gave no civil rights to Jews and forced them to wear yellow Star of David for identification. On November 9, 1938 Kristallnacht (“night of broken glass”) occurred where Nazi troopers attacked Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues. The Jews were blamed for destruction in the cities and were fined for the damage. Many Jewish refugees went tried to find asylum in other countries, but were not always welcome (the St. Louis).

•  

Concentration Camps

Established - Dachau

The Final Solution The Nazis wanted the Jews to leave on their own account, but that did not happen fast enough. So they began to implement systematic genocide with the beliefs centered around the creation of the “Master Race” or the Aryan people. The Nazis eliminated political opponents first (communists, socialists, liberals), then gypsies, freemasons, Jehovah’s Witnesses. Next were the homosexuals, mentally retarded, insane, disabled, and terminally ill (forced sterilization). Later Poles, Ukrainians and Russians were admitted to concentration camps. Extermination of these people by use of gas chambers began in 1941. Weak people were sent to the gas chambers and strong ones were sent to work. Bodies were put into mass graves at first but then cremated for lack of evidence. In the camps medical experiments were conducted. In the camps alone, 6 million Jews were killed.

http://www1.yadvashem.org/exhibitions/album_Auschwitz/mutimedia/index.HTML

Response and Resistance

• Jewish resistance groups in the ghettos, especially in Warsaw, fought back against the Nazis. Some of these groups escaped and joined active combat troops.

• Widespread anti-Semitism (discrimination against Jews) and apathy hindered the efforts of these groups.

• Allied governments did little to stop the Holocaust and did not realize the full extent of the horror until after they liberated the concentration camps in 1945.

• 6) Battle of Britain -

• Germany began a massive bombing campaign to demoralize the British

• RAF successfully defended -

»radar!

British bomb shelter

• 8) Germany invades Balkans

• when Mussolini unsuccessfully invades Greece, Hitler has to divert attention to the Balkans to help

• Germany takes Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria

• 9) North Africa - • Italians and Germans attack French

& British holdings in North Africa

Japanese Expansion• In 1940 Japan gained a military foothold in northern

Indochina (present day Vietnam). • The US retaliated by imposing an embargo on the sale of

scrap iron to Japan.• Japan retaliated by aligning with Germany and Italy by

signing the Tripartite Pact. • Japan invaded southern Indochina in 1941. This same year

Japan also captured Hong Kong and invaded the Malay peninsula.

• The US responded by embargoing oil sales and by freezing Japanese assets in the US.

• This essentially precipitated Japan’s attack on the US naval base in Hawaii called Pearl Harbor.

• The attack did a lot of damage to the Pacific fleet of the US navy although most of our aircraft carriers were not damaged because they were out at sea.

• The next day the US declared war on Japan.

The Allies

• The Axis powers then declared war on the US and the Allied powers declared war on Japan.

• The Soviet Union was suffering huge losses to Germany but the US and Great Britain, rather than opening a second front in Europe, planned military campaigns in North Africa and the Mediterranean area.

• 11. Japanese in Asia

• Japan moves to take Dutch & French colonial holdings

• US responds with trade embargo against Japan

•12. Pearl Harbor• Japanese bombers attacked US

Pacific fleet based in Hawaii

• sank battleships…but aircraft carriers were not at port!

Destroyed US battleships at Pearl Harbor...

BELLIGERENTS ……...

• Axis:

• Germany

• Italy

• Japan

• Allies:• Great Britain• Soviet Union

(Russia)• United States• govts in exile -

“Free French”

Hitler

Mussolini

Churchill

Stalin

Emperor Hirohito

Roosevelt

DeGaulle

Gradual gains for the allies

• 1. The Bismarck - “unsinkable” new German battleship

• British sink it - ends German ability to dominate the Atlantic with surface ships

The Battleship Bismarck

2. • Battle of Stalingrad -

prolonged German offensive

• Russians hold city against unbelievable odds

• Russian counteroffensive encircles entire German 6th army & forces its surrender

• Begins Russian offensive

Trapped German 6th army

3. German advance in North Africa……..

31.4: Turning PointsSea and Air Battles

• Naval and air battles between the Axis and Allied powers in the North Atlantic and Europe raged on.

• Stalingrad • The German advance into the Soviet Union was halted at

Stalingrad; as winter set in the Germans lost a steady war of attrition and 180,00 troops by Feb. 1943.

• War in the Desert• The British defeated Rommel and captured Libya that same year. • The Allies landed troops in Morocco and Algeria to try and trap the

German forces in North Africa from the East and the West simultaneously. This worked after Free French troops under the command of Charles deGaulle lent their assistance.

Invasion of Italy

• In 1943, US and British commanders, after meeting in Casablanca, decided to attack Sicily, an island near the southern tip of Italy.

• The successful invasion of Sicily forced Mussolini out of power, but the Germans seized Rome and placed him back into power in the North.

• It took five months of heavy fighting before the Allies dislodged German forces from Italy.

The Pacific War

• The Americans pursued a strategy of island hopping in the Pacific to dislodge Japanese forces and enable large scale bombing of Japan itself.

• US successes started in the Battle of the Coral Sea and then ran through the Battle of Midway (which ended Japanese naval superiority in the Pacific) to Guadalcanal.

• 1943 saw the advent of kamikazes, or suicidal Japanese pilots intentionally crashing their planes into US naval forces.

4. Allied invasion of Italy

• Allies launch invasion of Sicily from North Africa

• Mussolini is denounced and arrested by Italian government

• Italy announces declaration of war against Germany

Mussolini & mistress

Germans expect

landing at Calais

6. D-Day June 6, 1944

• American led Allied forces launch a surprise invasion of German-occupied France at Normandy

D-Day Beaches

Gold Beach

Sword Beach

Omaha Beach

Juno Beach

Utah Beach

Battle of Midway

Kamikazi about to hit Intrepid

paratroopers

• Transport ships ferried troops for the largest amphibious attack in history

• high casualties

7. Allied Drive from West

Allied paratroopers land in the Netherlands- largest

ever

• German counteroffensive in the Ardennes

• The Battle of the Bulge

8. Soviet Drive from East

• Russian troops advance into eastern Europe and Germany

9. Yalta

Churchill Roosevelt Stalin

The Big Three agree that:

• Germany would be divided.

• Part of Poland would go to the Soviet Union.

• The Soviet Union would declare war on Japan two to three months after defeating Germany.

10.V-E DAY

Montgomery presides

over German Surrender

• Germans sign unconditional surrender

• War in Europe is over!

11. Potsdam

• New “Big Three”• Stalin (still there)

• Clement Attlee (replaced Churchill)

• Harry Truman (replaced

Roosevelt)

• At Potsdam, the Big Three finalized plans for administration of Europe

• Germany & Berlin to be divided into four zones of occupation

• administered by Big Three countries plus France

• free elections to be held later for self -determination

• Ultimatum issued to Japan

Now Focus on the Pacific!

Japanese Expansion• In 1940 Japan gained a military foothold in northern Indochina

(present day Vietnam). • The US retaliated by imposing an embargo on the sale of scrap iron

to Japan.• Japan retaliated by aligning with Germany and Italy by signing the

Tripartite Pact. • Japan invaded southern Indochina in 1941. This same year Japan

also captured Hong Kong and invaded the Malay peninsula. • The US responded by embargoing oil sales and by freezing

Japanese assets in the US. • This essentially precipitated Japan’s attack on the US naval base in

Hawaii called Pearl Harbor. • The attack did a lot of damage to the Pacific fleet of the US navy

although most of our aircraft carriers were not damaged because they were out at sea.

• The next day the US declared war on Japan.

The Pacific War

• The Americans pursued a strategy of island hopping in the Pacific to dislodge Japanese forces and enable large scale bombing of Japan itself.

• US successes started in the Battle of the Coral Sea and then ran through the Battle of Midway (which ended Japanese naval superiority in the Pacific) to Guadalcanal.

• 1943 saw the advent of kamikazes, or suicidal Japanese pilots intentionally crashing their planes into US naval forces.

5. American Victories in the Pacific

• Battle of Midway - Americans sink Japanese aircraft carriers

• Americans begin “island leapfrogging”

• Japanese “kamikazes” -

31.5: Allied Victories

• D-Day• On June 6, 1944 (or D-Day), Allied forces invaded France across the English

Channel and gained a foothold in Europe from Normandy. • General George Patton and French resistance forces liberated France from the Nazis

by August 25th. • Victory over Germany• The Soviets had reversed the German offensive and were pushing steadily towards

Germany.• Nonetheless, Hitler gambled on an offensive against Allied forces in the East, which

they turned back in the Battle of the Bulge. German defenses then collapsed and Allied and Soviet forces jointly converged on the Elbe River. German forces surrendered on May 7th.

• Yalta and Potsdam • In Yalta, Stalin, FDR and Churchill met and agreed to divide Germany and Berlin as

well as to allow the Soviet Union to continue to control the eastern part of Poland. • Stalin also agreed to declare war on Japan to gain control of the Kuril Islands, etc. • 6 months later, in Potsdam, Stalin, Truman and Attlee met were they made plans for

the occupation of Germany and demanded Japan’s unconditional surrender.

Japanese Expansion• In 1940 Japan gained a military foothold in northern Indochina

(present day Vietnam). • The US retaliated by imposing an embargo on the sale of scrap iron

to Japan.• Japan retaliated by aligning with Germany and Italy by signing the

Tripartite Pact. • Japan invaded southern Indochina in 1941. This same year Japan

also captured Hong Kong and invaded the Malay peninsula. • The US responded by embargoing oil sales and by freezing

Japanese assets in the US. • This essentially precipitated Japan’s attack on the US naval base in

Hawaii called Pearl Harbor. • The attack did a lot of damage to the Pacific fleet of the US navy

although most of our aircraft carriers were not damaged because they were out at sea.

• The next day the US declared war on Japan.

The Pacific War

• The Americans pursued a strategy of island hopping in the Pacific to dislodge Japanese forces and enable large scale bombing of Japan itself.

• US successes started in the Battle of the Coral Sea and then ran through the Battle of Midway (which ended Japanese naval superiority in the Pacific) to Guadalcanal.

• 1943 saw the advent of kamikazes, or suicidal Japanese pilots intentionally crashing their planes into US naval forces.

5. American Victories in the Pacific

• Battle of Midway - Americans sink Japanese aircraft carriers

• Americans begin “island leapfrogging”

• Japanese “kamikazes” -

31.5: Allied Victories

• D-Day• On June 6, 1944 (or D-Day), Allied forces invaded France across the English

Channel and gained a foothold in Europe from Normandy. • General George Patton and French resistance forces liberated France from the Nazis

by August 25th. • Victory over Germany• The Soviets had reversed the German offensive and were pushing steadily towards

Germany.• Nonetheless, Hitler gambled on an offensive against Allied forces in the East, which

they turned back in the Battle of the Bulge. German defenses then collapsed and Allied and Soviet forces jointly converged on the Elbe River. German forces surrendered on May 7th.

• Yalta and Potsdam • In Yalta, Stalin, FDR and Churchill met and agreed to divide Germany and Berlin as

well as to allow the Soviet Union to continue to control the eastern part of Poland. • Stalin also agreed to declare war on Japan to gain control of the Kuril Islands, etc. • 6 months later, in Potsdam, Stalin, Truman and Attlee met were they made plans for

the occupation of Germany and demanded Japan’s unconditional surrender.

Victory over Japan

• In 1944, General Douglas MacArthur had seized control over the Philippines. By 1945, the US has captured Iwa Jima and Okinawa and British forces has expelled the Japanese from Southeast Asia.

• Truman then decided to use the A-bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which finally compelled the Japanese to surrender on August 14, 1945.

Little Boy and Fat Man

Nagasaki

13. V-J Day• Soviet Union declares war on Japan day after Hiroshima bombing

• Japanese won’t agree to unconditional surrender

• 2nd bomb dropped on Nagasaki• unconditional surrender by the

Japanese

Death

Toll

Effects of the War

• WWII killed roughly 55 million people.

• The Soviet Union suffered the most casualties (22 million).

• German and Japanese leaders were later put of trial for war crimes or crimes against humanity. The trial of some of the Nazis responsible for their genocides took place in Nuremberg.

The End of World War II

Will we ever have to have another?