L9 & L10: The War Ends in Europe & The Pacific Tan Block Agenda Objectives: 1.To understand a narrative of how WWII ends. 2.To evaluate how the strategies for ending the war reflect the nature of total war in World War Two 3.To evaluate the strategies for ending the war in Europe and the Pacific from both a military and moral perspective. Schedule: 1.Lecture and Discussion Homework: 1. Process Plan Check In One & Research Check In One Due: Fri 5/11 (Lesson 10) 2.Socratic Seminar on World War Two as Moral War: Tues 5/15 (Lesson 11)

L9 & L10: The War Ends in Europe & The Pacific Blue Block Agenda Objectives: 1.To understand a narrative of how WWII ends. 2.To evaluate how the strategies for ending the war reflect the nature of total war in World War Two 3.To evaluate the strategies for ending the war in Europe and the Pacific from both a military and moral perspective. Schedule: 1.Lecture and Discussion Homework: 1. Process Plan Check In One & Research Check In One Due: Fri 5/11 (Lesson 10) 2.Socratic Seminar on World War Two as Moral War: Mon 5/14 (Lesson 11)

Introduction

What are some possible ways to end wars?

This is the Question Facing the Allies in 1944 What is the state of the war in 1944? Based on what you know about the war, what are possible strategies for how the allies can end the war in… –Europe –The Pacific

The War Ends in Europe

Ending the War in Europe: What is the Allied Strategy?

The Normandy Invasion Full scale assault by the Americans, British, and Canadians on German forces by cutting across the English channel into France along the Normandy coast. Two goals: –Open a Western Front in the war which will force Hitler to fight both the Soviet Union to the East and Great Britain and the United States to the West. –Liberate France from Nazi occupation and then move into Germany to further fight the Nazis. Supreme Allied Commander: United States General Dwight Eisenhower.

Plan of Attack Phase One: Air Assault –More than 13,000 fighter, bomber, and transport aircraft would fly over France bombing and parachuting in troops. Phase Two: Amphibious Landing of Infantry –Land over 130,000 troops on the French shore –Largest single-day amphibious invasion of all time. Invasion Scheduled for June 6, 1944 (D-Day)

The End of the War In Europe The Normandy invasion marks the beginning of the end of World War Two. After the invasion, the allied troops start marching inland to Germany. Within 3 months the Allies had landed 2 million men and half a million vehicles.

The Allies Push Into Germany After fighting the Germans through Belgium, the Allies advance into Germany from the West. Russia advances through the East. The British also start firebombing Dresden.

VE Day On May 7, 1945 German commanders surrender to the Allied Powers. The war in Europe ends. VE Day or Victory over Europe Day. Despite victory over Italy and German, the war still raged on against Japan.

The War Ends in the Pacific

End of the War in the Pacific: What is the Allied Strategy?

The Dropping of the Bomb Japan given an ultimatum to surrender or meet “prompt and utter destruction.” Japan ignores the ultimatum. By executive order of President Harry Truman, the United States dropped an atomic bomb, “Little Boy” on the city of Hiroshima on August 6, When Japan still failed to surrender, the United States dropped another bomb, “Fat Man,” on the city of Nagasaki on August 9, Six days later, Japan surrendered to the allied powers officially ending World War Two.

Effects of the Bomb Within the first 2 to 4 months of the bombings, the acute effects of the attack killed 90,000 to 166,000 people in Hiroshima and 60,000 to 80,000 in Nagasaki. Roughly half of the total deaths in each city occurred on the first day! In both of the cities most of the dead were civilians.

Mushroom Cloud over Hiroshima

Hiroshima before and after the bombing

Mushroom cloud over Nagasaki

Nagasaki before and after bombing

Comparing the Two Approaches to Ending the War

Why These Two Approaches? How is each a valid military response to the conditions of the war? Why do you think different strategies were adopted in each of the theaters?

D-DayAtomic Bomb Total Allied Troops Involved 150, pilots Vehicles and Weaponry 6,900 sea vessels 12,000 aircraft 30,000 vehicles 10,000 tons of bombs 6 planes 2 atomic bombs Enemy Combatant Deaths 4,000 to 9,00012,000 in Hiroshima Civilian Deaths1,300 90,000 to 166,000 in Hiroshima 60,000 in Nagasaki (Deaths occurring over a 4 month period) Manner of Death Long-Term Consequences

Strategies for Ending the War & Total War How were each of these of strategies representative of total war? In what ways were they consistent with or did they depart from the total war we have seen thus far?

Evaluating the Strategies for Ending the War A comparison of these two approaches raises important questions about the morality of total war. In short, are military maneuvers just strategy or are they also imbued with moral values regarding the role of civilians in war? How do you evaluate D-Day and the dropping of the atomic bombs over Japan as forms of total war? What do the different decisions made about how to end the war reveal about the nature of total war in World War Two as a whole?