History 171C The United States and the World

The World in 1945

April 1945—FDR died; Harry S. Truman became president

Late April 1945— Soviets started taking Berlin

Hitler committed suicide

May 8, 1945—Germany surrendered

Spring 1945—Allied forces liberated death camps, revealing full dimensions of Nazi Holocaust

By spring of 1945 increasingly clear Japan would lose the war, but still Japan refused to surrender February-March 1945— Battle of Iwo Jima

By spring of 1945 increasingly clear Japan would lose the war, but still Japan refused to surrender April-June 1945— Battle of Okinawa

Kamikaze attacks

Meanwhile, US was secretly developing atom bomb (Manhattan Project)

Germany surrendered before bomb was completed; Truman had to decide whether and how to use bomb against Japan

July 1945—Potsdam Conference Churchill, Truman, and Stalin

July 1945—Potsdam Conference Churchill, Truman, and Stalin

July 1945—Successful test of atom bomb in New Mexico desert

July 1945—At Potsdam, Truman issued ultimatum, containing nonspecific reference to “utter devastation” of Japan

Japan rejected ultimatum

Truman’s attempt, at Potsdam, to warn Stalin about the atom bomb

August 6—US dropped atom bomb on Hiroshima, killing 80,000 immediately (120,000 died later)

Soviet Navy at Port Arthur, Manchuria August 8—Soviet Union declared war on Japan, dashing Japan’s hopes for Soviet mediation

August 9—US dropped second atom bomb on Nagasaki, killing 70,000

Mid-August—Japan agreed to surrender if emperor could be retained US accepted Japan’s terms Emperor Hirohito

September 2—Japan formally surrendered, bringing WWII to an end

US-Soviet rivalry US and Britain disagreed with Soviet Union over interpretation of Yalta Agreement

Western Allies also disagreed with USSR over fate of Germany Western Allies wanted (parts of) Germany restored as economic and industrial power in Europe USSR wanted Germany permanently weakened

Political Division of Germany

Nuclear weapons ’

Decolonization

Vietnam Joint Japanese-French administration of Vietnam during war

Vietnam March 1945— Japanese forces took over in Vietnam, jailing French colonial officials

Spring-summer 1945— Ho Chi Minh and Vietminh stepped up nationalist struggle against Japan; began loose alliance with US Ho Chi Minh with Vietminh and Office of Strategic Services (OSS) officers

August 1945—Vietminh launched “August Revolution”

September 2, 1945—Democratic Republic of Vietnam declared independence Ho appealed to Truman for support

—Truman administration acquiesced in France’s reconquest of Vietnam, setting stage for later US involvement in conflict

Palestine

Liberation of Nazi death camps

What would become of Jewish DPs (displaced persons)? Repatriation to countries of origin was not a viable option, and US and British governments were still tightly restricting immigration into own countries

Zionists demanded that Britain ease restrictions on immigration to Palestine, but Britain refused

—Paramilitary groups attacked British forces in Palestine; Haganah illegally smuggled Jewish DPs into Palestine

Harrison urged that camps be disbanded and that Britain allow 100,000 Jewish DPs to emigrate to Palestine June 1945—Truman sent Earl G. Harrison to inspect DP camps

Truman accepted Harrison’s recommendation and began pressuring Britain First step toward US involvement in Palestine issue, with far-reaching consequences for US position in Middle East