The End of the European War Mid-January, ‘45: Soviets took Warsaw. Early February: Soviets about 40 miles from Berlin on the Oder River. Early March: American capture the last intact bridge across the Rhine. American and Soviet forces met on the Elbe River on 4/25. Red Army moved thru Hungary and into Austria, seizing Vienna on 4/13.

The End of the European War End of April, German armies in Italy surrendered. –Italian partisans seized Mussolini, murdering him on 4/28. 4/19: Red Army entered Berlin. –4/30: Hitler committed suicide in his subterranean bunker. 5/7: Hitler’s successor, Admiral Karl Doenitz surrendered.

Einsatzgruppen

The Holocaust Hitler’s attempt to exterminate the Jews of Europe. “Final Solution to the Jewish Question” and Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS. –Einsatzgruppen: Special murder squads. –Networks of concentration and extermination camps, such as: Auschwitz, located in Poland. Dachau, in southern Germany. Buchenwald, in central Germany. Mauthausen, in Austria. –Local anti-Semites recruited into the SS.

The Holocaust Result: Germans killed 6 million Jews, 2/3 of Europe’s Jewish population. Others targeted: Soviet POW’s, Slavs, Gypsies.

The War Against Japan Early Japanese Aggression –Early ‘30s: Japan seized Manchuria. –July, ‘37: Japan went to war with China. –Sept., ‘40: Japan occupied bases in the northern part of French Indochina. –Sept., ‘40: Japan signed the Tripartite Pact, allying itself more closely with Germany and Italy.

The War Against Japan American Economic Pressure on Japan –Sept., ‘40: Roosevelt imposed an embargo on the shipment of scrap iron and steel to Japan. –July ‘41: Roosevelt froze Japanese assets in the U.S. –Japanese dilemma: halt its aggression and reverse U.S. Sanctions, or seize the oil resources of the Dutch East Indies which would evoke a strong U.S. Response?

The War Against Japan Attack on Pearl Harbor –Oct., ‘41: pro-war government led by General Hideki Tojo took power in Japan. –12/7/41: Japanese aircraft attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, HI. –12/8/41: U.S. Declared war on Japan. –12/11/41: Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S.

The War Against Japan Early Japanese Victories –Japanese moved quickly to conquer Hong Kong, the Philippines, British Malaya with its great port at Singapore, British Burma, and the Dutch East Indies. –Ultimate target was Australia. –Seized American possessions of Guam and Wake islands in the central pacific.

The War Against Japan Battles of Coral Sea and Midway Island –5/7: Battle of Coral Sea, the first naval battle in history in which the ships did not directly engage one another. Removed the Japanese threat to Australia.

The War Against Japan Battles of Coral Sea and Midway Island –6/3-6/42: Battle of Midway Island resulted in a U.S. Victory, eliminating the threat to Hawaii.

The War Against Japan American Island-Hopping –Summer, ‘42 to ‘44, U.S. Forces advanced on Japan employing the island-hopping strategy. –Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, etc...

The War Against Japan Return to the Philippines –8/20/44: troops commanded by MacArthur land in the Philippines.

The War Against Japan –10/44: Battle of Leyte Gulf Destruction of the remainder of Japan’s naval power. –2/45: Philippine campaign ended with the fall of Manila to the Americans.

The War Against Japan Iwo Jima and Okinawa –2/19/45: American marines landed on Iwo Jima, in the Bonin Islands, about 750 miles from Tokyo.

The War Against Japan Iwo Jima and Okinawa –4/45: American army invaded Okinawa, in the Ryukyu Islands southwest of Japan. Appearance of the kamikazes.

The War Against Japan The End of the War Against Japan –Possession of Iwo Jima and Okinawa enabled the U.S. To step up the air war against the Japanese home islands. –Invasion of Japan planned for 11/1/45. Estimated U.S. Casualties of over 1 million.

The War Against Japan The End of the War Against Japan –The Atomic Bombs 8/6/45: first bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Ultimatum. 8/9/45: second bomb dropped on Nagasaki. 8/10/45: Emperor Hirohito surrendered. Formal documents signed 9/2/45.

Allied Wartime Diplomacy During the war, the Allies held a series of conferences where they discussed military operations and their plans for the postwar world. 1/43: Casablanca Conference. –Roosevelt and Churchill agreed to demand unconditional surrender of the Axis powers-- reassurance of the Soviets. 11/43: Teheran Conference. –Roosevelt, Churchill, & Stalin planned the opening of the 2nd Front. –Stalin made clear his intention to extend Soviet power in E. Europe.

Allied Wartime Diplomacy The Yalta Conference –2/45 meeting in the Soviet Crimea--the most important wartime conference. –Soviet agreement to enter the war vs Japan. –Soviets would enter the war vs Japan within 3 months of defeat of Germany.

Allied Wartime Diplomacy The Yalta Conference –In return, Soviets would receive a sphere of influence in Manchuria and an occupation zone in northern Korea. –Occupation of Germany. 3 leaders agreed to divide Germany into 4 occupation zones, including France as an occupier.

Allied Wartime Diplomacy The Yalta Conference –Agreement on Voting in the UN. Security Council and veto power. –Disagreements on Poland. Government in exile vs communist, pro-Soviet government established by the Red Army. Soviets wanted to annex eastern Poland. –Friendly Governments vs Free Elections. Declaration on Liberated Europe: postwar governments to be established on the basis of free elections. Soviets established friendly governments in E. European conquered territories.

Allied Wartime Diplomacy The Potsdam Conference –New participants: Truman and Attlee 4/12/45: Roosevelt died. Churchill was replaced during the conference.

Allied Wartime Diplomacy The Potsdam Conference –Decisions on German Occupation. Americans, French, British, and Soviets had already taken up occupation positions. The 4 powers failed to agree on common policies, and thus each power determined policy for its zone.