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History 171C The United States and the World 1898-1945
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The World in 1945
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April 1945—FDR died; Harry S. Truman became president
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Late April 1945— Soviets started taking Berlin
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Hitler committed suicide
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May 8, 1945—Germany surrendered
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Spring 1945—Allied forces liberated death camps, revealing full dimensions of Nazi Holocaust
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By spring of 1945 increasingly clear Japan would lose the war, but still Japan refused to surrender February-March 1945— Battle of Iwo Jima
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By spring of 1945 increasingly clear Japan would lose the war, but still Japan refused to surrender April-June 1945— Battle of Okinawa
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Kamikaze attacks
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Meanwhile, US was secretly developing atom bomb (Manhattan Project)
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Germany surrendered before bomb was completed; Truman had to decide whether and how to use bomb against Japan
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July 1945—Potsdam Conference Churchill, Truman, and Stalin
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July 1945—Potsdam Conference Churchill, Truman, and Stalin
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July 1945—Successful test of atom bomb in New Mexico desert
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July 1945—At Potsdam, Truman issued ultimatum, containing nonspecific reference to “utter devastation” of Japan
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Japan rejected ultimatum
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Truman’s attempt, at Potsdam, to warn Stalin about the atom bomb
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August 6—US dropped atom bomb on Hiroshima, killing 80,000 immediately (120,000 died later)
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Soviet Navy at Port Arthur, Manchuria August 8—Soviet Union declared war on Japan, dashing Japan’s hopes for Soviet mediation
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August 9—US dropped second atom bomb on Nagasaki, killing 70,000
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Mid-August—Japan agreed to surrender if emperor could be retained US accepted Japan’s terms Emperor Hirohito
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September 2—Japan formally surrendered, bringing WWII to an end
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US-Soviet rivalry US and Britain disagreed with Soviet Union over interpretation of Yalta Agreement
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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
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Political Division of Germany
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Nuclear weapons ’
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Decolonization
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Vietnam Joint Japanese-French administration of Vietnam during war
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Vietnam March 1945— Japanese forces took over in Vietnam, jailing French colonial officials
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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
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August 1945—Vietminh launched “August Revolution”
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September 2, 1945—Democratic Republic of Vietnam declared independence Ho appealed to Truman for support
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1945-1946—Truman administration acquiesced in France’s reconquest of Vietnam, setting stage for later US involvement in conflict
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Palestine
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Liberation of Nazi death camps
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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
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Zionists demanded that Britain ease restrictions on immigration to Palestine, but Britain refused
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1945-1946—Paramilitary groups attacked British forces in Palestine; Haganah illegally smuggled Jewish DPs into Palestine
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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
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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
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