THE LAST STAGES OF THE WAR Objective… Explain the diplomatic & military challenges facing the U.S. in the final stages of the war.

The Holocaust 1) What was the Holocaust… What groups did Hitler target with his actions…

Train tracks into Auschwitz… The Final Solution The Nazi plan to murder every Jewish person in Europe

The British prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials stated in his closing address that… "murder [was] conducted like some mass production industry in the gas chambers and the ovens"

The Holocaust 2) How did the US government & the news media handle information on the Holocaust? 3) Why did the U.S. military refuse to take action against the extermination camps?

4) How many people died in the Holocaust? The reality of the “Final Solution”… 6 million Jews 1 million children 5 million Slavs, Gypsies & enemies of the German State

The Atlantic Charter (1941) Renounce territorial gains Support free trade Self determination Establish a world peace-keeping organization Lend–lease aid to Soviets 5) Why would the goals of the Atlantic Charter be hard to achieve?

The Yalta Conference Feb, ) Who attended the Yalta Conference?... The agreements reached… 7) What happened to President Roosevelt in April of 1945?

The Yalta Conference -Influenced by the Atlantic Charter & The Four Freedoms Germany would be divided into occupational zones Communist regimes in Poland & Yugoslavia Free elections Germany will pay reparations The Soviets will enter the war against Japan

The Potsdam Conference July - August, 1945 Who attended the Potsdam Conference? 8) In what way did President Roosevelt’s death make cooperation among the Allies more difficult?

The Potsdam Conference July, 1945 Communist regimes in Poland, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Romania “Satellite nations”… Agreement on Japanese surrender

The Atomic Bomb To Sec of State Stimson: “Babies satisfactorily born”

The decision to use the atomic bombs…. President Truman was responsible for the decision to use the atomic bomb Quickest way to win the war Least destructive way to win the war Save Allied & Japanese lives Not using the bomb would have been a waste of money. U.S. & Soviet tension - Gain an advantage over the Soviet

I & E: Manhattan Project – The U.S. program to develop an atomic bomb for use in WW II. First atomic test Described as “a red hot elephant balancing on its trunk.”

The Atomic Bomb The Interim Committee…

The decision to use the atomic bombs…. President Truman was responsible for the decision to use the atomic bomb Quickest way to win the war Least destructive way to win the war Save Allied & Japanese lives Not using the bomb would have been a waste of money. U.S. & Soviet tension - Gain an advantage over the Soviet

How did scientists view using the atomic bomb? Some believed it would stop additional blood shed… i.e. Avoid battles like Okinawa & Iwo Jima Some believed that the Japanese deserved fair warming and a demonstration of the bomb. Most realized they had created a weapon with far reaching consequences and had concerns about the future.

August 6 th, Hiroshima Little Boy

Results of Hiroshima… 70K dead on impact 69K injured 67% of city gone “Shadow people”

August 9 th, Nagasaki Fat Man Bocks Car & crew

Results of Nagasaki… 39K dead - 25K injured “…temperatures of 7,000 degrees centigrade hit me… Nobody looked like human beings… Human had lost the ability to speak. People couldn't speak. ‘it hurts’ even when they were on fire… People with their legs wrenched off. Without heads. Or with faces burned and swollen out of shape. The scene I saw was living hell. “ - quoted in Japan at War: An oral history

On Sept. 2, 1945, the Japanese formerly surrender aboard the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay. VJ Day – Victory over Japan

The Nuremberg Trials Who? The Allies What? The trial of 22 Nazi officials Where? Nuremberg, Germany Why? Launching an "aggressive war" & committing "crimes against humanity"

The Nuremberg Trials The results… –22 defendants –11 sentenced to death by hanging (Nov. 1946) –7 received life prison terms –3 acquitted

The Japanese Trials Where? Tokyo, Japan Why? Charges of aggressive war, atrocities against POWs & civilians.

The Japanese Trials The trial of 28 Japanese officials The results… –28 defendants –7 death by hanging –16 life in prison (Parole 1956) –2 lesser terms, 2 died during trial, 1mental breakdown

Victory in Europe - May 8,1945 V-E Day

V-J Day Victory over Japan – August 15,1945 Formal surrender Sept. 2, 1945 aboard the USS Missouri

The Economic Cost of WW II TOTAL COST: $1 TRILLION $ Cost per country… USA: 341 billion Germany: 272 billion USSR: 192 billion Great Britain: 120 billion Italy: 94 billion Japan: 56 billion

The Cost of WW II Allied Military Dead & Wounded Country: Dead……. Wounded USSR:……… 11m……… N/A China:……… 1.3m…… m Yugoslavia:.. 305,000…. 425,000 USA:……….. 292,000…. 672,000 UK:…………. 265,000…. 277,000 France:……. 213,000…. 400,00 Poland:……. 123,000….. 237,00

The Cost of WW II Axis Military Dead & Wounded Country: Dead: Wounded: Japan:…… 1.3m…….. 4m Germany:.. 3.5………. 5m Romania:… 300,000…. N/A Italy:……… 242,000…. 66,000 Hungary:… 200,000…. N/A

The Cost of WW II War Related Allied Civilian Deaths Country: Dead: Wounded: USSR:……… 7m……. N/A China:……… 115,00… N/A Yugoslavia:.. 1.2……… N/A USA:……….. 6,000… ,000 UK:…………. 93,000….. 214,000 France:……. 350,000… N/A Poland:……. 5.7m…… 421,000

The Cost of WW II War Related Axis Civilian Deaths Country:Dead Wounded Germany:…780,000… 3.4m Japan: ……672,000… 810,00 Romania:… 200,000… 100,000 Italy:……… 153,000… 350,000 Hungary…290,000… 170,000