There is Light at the end of the Tunnel

Allied Victory in Europe The D-Day Invasion U.S. & GB plan a secret attack on Normandy, France  3.5 million troops gathering Operation Overlord, under Ike, called for fake attack on Calais to keep Germans guessing June 6, 1944 is known as D-Day Originally 3,000 American soldiers died on the beaches that day Over the next month more troops were sent in and by late August the Allies had liberated France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands

D-Day June 6, 1944

Normandy Landing (June 6, 1944) German Prisoners Higgins Landing Crafts

July 20th, 1944 Assassination Plot Major Claus von Stauffenberg

July 20th, 1944 Assassination Plot 1. Adolf Hitler 2. Field Marshall Wilhelm Keitel 3. Gen Alfred von Jodl 4. Gen Walter Warlimont 5. Franz von Sonnleithner 6. Maj Herbert Buchs 7. Stenographer Heinz Buchholz 8. Lt Gen Hermann Fegelein 9. Col Nikolaus von Below 10. Rear Adm Hans-Erich Voss 11. Otto Gunsche, Hitler's adjutant 12. Gen Walter Scherff (injured) 13. Gen Ernst John von Freyend 14. Capt Heinz Assman (injured)

Allied Victory in Europe The Battle of the Bulge Allied forces from the west and Soviet forces from the east  two fronts for Hitler German movements caught Allies off guard but Allies were still able to push back the Germans Hitler is cooked Germany’s Unconditional Surrender Hitler marries his longtime companion Eva Braun, also wrote one final address to his people blaming the Jews for starting the war and his generals for losing it May 1st, Hitler shot himself after taking poison and Eva simply swallowed the poison May 8th, official day of German surrender and now known as V-E day, or Victory in Europe day

Battle of the Bulge: Hitler’s Last Offensive Dec. 16, 1944 To Jan. 28, 1945

Hitler Commits Suicide April 30, 1945 Cyanide and Pistols The Fuhrer’s Bunker Mr. and Mrs. Hitler

V-E Day (May 8, 1945)

Victory in the Pacific Battle of Leyte Gulf Japanese wanted to take out rest of the American fleet, so they could not resupply themselves Japanese was no longer a major fighting force Kamikaze pilots would try to take out American ships but not enough of them and Japan is now severely weakened March 1945, Americans land on Iwo Jima Then onto island of Okinawa, sight of the bloodiest land battle of the war

US Marines on Mt. Surbachi, Iwo Jima [Feb. 19, 1945]

Victory in the Pacific The A-Bomb ends all hope and brings in a new era An invasion of Japan would result in catastrophic losses for the Americans (~500,000 estimated) Truman, US President, had to decide to use the atomic bomb Seen as the quickest possible end Truman warned the Japanese  no reply August 6th, 1945  Hiroshima bombed, loss of 73,000 from 365,000 August 9th, 1945  Nagasaki bombed, loss of 37,500 from 200,000 Japanese surrendered to General Douglas MacArthur on September 2 on board of USS Missouri  WWII over

The Manhattan Project AMERICAN PROJECT TO BUILD THE ATOMIC BOMB, BEFORE GERMANY HAD ONE. VERY SECRETIVE AND EXPENSIVE PROJECT. NO ONE UNDERSTOOD WHAT ITS POWER WOULD BE.

The Manhattan Project: Los Alamos, NM Dr. Robert Oppenheimer I am become death, the shatterer of worlds Major General Lesley R. Groves

Tinian Island, 1945 Little Boy Fat Man Enola Gay crew

Hiroshima – August 6, 1945 70,00 killed immediately 48,000 building destroyed 100,000s died of radiation poisoning & cancer later

Nagasaki – August 9, 1945 40,000 killed immediately 60,000 injured 100,000s died of radiation poisoning & cancer later

Japanese A-Bomb Survivors

Hiroshima Memorials

V-J Day (September 2, 1945)

Why did the Allies win? They were successful at Normandy in the D-Day Campaign: FAILURE WOULD HAVE GIVEN GERMANY ANOTHER YEAR TO BUILD ITS DEFENSES, AND COMPLETE THE FINAL SOLUTION.

Why did the Allies win? The Allied forces gained the strength of the American manufacturing industries: AMERICANS BUILT THE PLANES, TANKS, SHIPS, AND GUNS TO FIGHT HITLER, NOT JUST FOR US SOLDIERS BUT OUR ALLIES AS WELL.

Why did the Allies win? The Allies had the Soviet Union as a strong force to the East: THE SOVIET ARMY WAS ABLE TO BLEED THE GERMANS TO DEATH.