End of WWII and its Aftermath

Allies Advancing in the Pacific Although the war in Europe was over, the Allies were still fighting that Japanese in the Pacific. By the fall of 1944 the Allies were advancing in on Japan. –The Allies had landed troops in the Philippines. –Battle of Leyte Gulf (October 1944) Japanese Lost badly and there navy was crushed. Americans marched even closer to Japan.

Kamikazes After the defeat at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Japan was nearly defeated. Only hope was the kamikaze—Japanese suicide pilots. –Kamikazes would sink Al.lied ships by crash-diving into them in their bomb- filled planes.

Iwo Jima and Okinawa In March 1945, after a month of bitter fighting and heavy losses, American Marines took Iwo Jima. By June, they had also won control of Okinawa. –An Island just 350 miles away from Japan.

Japan is Next Japan was the next stop. However, the U.S. military feared that an invasion of Japan would cost half a million Allied lives. –Due to the extreme fighting that would occur. –This left the U.S. in a Dilemma –The U.S. President Truman had to make a decision on what to do with Japan.

Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was headed by General Leslie Groves and chief scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer. This project developed a top secret powerful new weapon called the atomic bomb. –It was determined that the A-bomb may be the quickest possible end to the war. –President Truman was made aware of the bombs existence when he became president.

A Decision was Made The Atomic bombs were tested and President Truman warned the Japanese of a possible attack. He told them….. –That unless they surrendered, they could expect a “rain of ruin from the air.” –The Japanese did not reply

Dropping of the A-Bomb On August 6 th, 1945 the United states dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. (Little Boy) –Killed almost 73,000 people Three days later a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. (Fat Man) –Killed about 37,500 people. –Radiation would prove to kill many more.

Japanese Surrender The Japanese surrendered to General Douglas MacArthur (US Commander in Chief in the Pacific) on September 2, With Japan’s surrender, the war had ended. Now countries had the task of rebuilding a war-torn world.

The Devastation of Europe and Japan WWII cost millions of lives and billions in damage. It left Europe and Japan in Ruins.

Europe in Ruins The war had left Europe in ruins. –With almost 40 million dead and hundreds of cities destroyed. Postwar Government –The old Fascist governments disappeared. –Communists parties grew strong in France and Italy but would eventually would be voted out as economies slowly improved.

The Nuremberg Trials While nations were struggling to recover politically and economically, they also were trying to deal with Germany’s guilt in the Holocaust. –The Nazi’s were put on trial. –In all 22 Nazi leaders were charged with waging a war of aggression and committing “crimes against humanity.” Of the 22 defendants, 12 were sentenced to death.

Rebuilding Japan The U.S. Army occupied Japan under the command of General MacArthur. –MacArthur disbanded the Japanese Army and took steps to give farmers and workers more power in the economy. –Led effort to write a new constitution for Japan. Emperor was forced to declare that he was not a god. Constitution gave power to the Japanese people. –1951 other nations finally agreed to sign a formal peace with Japan, and soon the U.S. occupation ended.

WWII changed the political landscape of Europe. It weakened some nations and strengthened others. The Soviet Union and the United States had come out of war as allies. Nevertheless, once the fighting was over, the differences in their postwar goals emerged. These differences stirred up conflicts that would shape the modern world for decades.