World War II World Civilizations

Operation Overlord On 6 June, 1944 some 6,500 vessels landed over 130,000 Allied forces on five Normandy beaches: codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. Some 12,000 aircraft ensured air superiority for the Allies - bombing German defenses, and providing cover. On Utah beach 23,000 troops were landed, with 197 casualties. Most of the 4,649 American casualties that day occurred at Omaha beach, where the landing was significantly more difficult to achieve, meeting with fierce German resistance.

The Battle of the Bulge The Battle of Ardennes, (Belgium) 16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945 German forces intended to split the Allied line. G.B. and U.S. had 83,000 men. Germany over 200,000 G.B. and U.S. 80,987 casualties(10,276 dead, 23,218 missing, 47,493 wounded) Germany 84,834 casualties (15,652 dead, 27,582 missing, 41,600 wounded Allies keep moving into German Territory

Victory in Europe Mussolini was captured and killed by Italian partisans and Hitler committed suicide in April 1945, as the Russian troops took Berlin. Germany surrendered unconditionally on May 7, 1945 (V-E Day). Fighting in the Pacific would continue until August.

The Pacific Theater Within 6 months of Pearl Harbor, Japan had a new empire. – Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere Japanese racial purity and supremacy – Treated Chinese and Koreans with brutality. “Rape of Nanjing”- Japanese slaughtered at least 100,000 civilians and raped thousands of women in the Chinese capital between Dec and Feb – Could have consolidated – “victory disease” After Pearl Harbor, American military leaders focused on halting the Japanese advance and mobilizing the whole nation for war.

The Pacific Theater: Early Battles American Forces halted the Japanese advances in two decisive naval battles. – Coral Sea (May 1942) U.S. stopped a fleet convoying Japanese troops to New Guinea Japanese designs on Australia ended – Midway (June 1942) Japanese Admiral Yamamoto hoped to capture Midway Island as a base to attack Pearl Harbor again U.S. Admiral Chester Nimitz caught the Japanese by surprise and sank 3 of the 4 aircraft carriers, 332 planes, and 3500 men. – American cryptanalysts

Importance of Midway The Japanese defeat at Midway was the turning point in the Pacific. – Japanese advances stopped. – U.S. assumes initiative. – Japanese have shortage of able pilots. Censorship and Propaganda – News of the defeat was kept from the Japanese public.

Guadalcanal 7 August 1942 First offensive action of the war. Critical airfield. – First plane makes emergency landing on 12 Aug. – 2 USMC squadrons arrive on 20 Aug. – Only one “healthy” carrier left by end of battle. Jungle causes significant casualties. – Over 1k new cases of malaria per week. Island “secured” in Feb ’43. Japan suffers critical losses in all areas. – 25,000 soldiers (1/2 in combat, ½ to illness)

The Beginning of the End in the Pacific Yamamoto is assassinated by the U.S. (April 1943) Loss of Saipan (August 1944) – “the naval and military heart and brain of Japanese defense strategy” – Political crisis in Japan The government could no longer hide the fact that they were losing the war. Tōjō resigns on July 18, 1944 Intensive air raids over Japan – Iwo Jima (February, 1945) American marines invaded this island, which was needed to provide fighter escort for bombings over Japan

Iwo Jima D-Day 9 Feb 1945 Airfields again the objectives. 450 ships Pre-invasion bombardment shortened from 12 to 3 days. – Weather limited effectiveness of even this. Southern half of island in US hands by D+2. – Takes 34 more days to secure remainder of island (8 square miles total). Nothing fancy; simple but costly. – “Throwing human flesh against reinforced concrete.” 36 days, 26k US casualties including 6k KIA. – 1 of every 3 US personnel that went ashore was wounded or killed. 1k of 20k defenders survived 2400 B-29s w/ 27k crewmen made unscheduled landings on island by the time the war ended. 27 Medals of Honor awarded.

Manhattan Project Albert Einstein – Developed the theory of relativity and set in motion the process of developing the atomic bomb Manhattan Project – Committee that looked at the feasibility of an atomic bomb – July 16, 1945 – they test the first atomic bomb in the desert at Alamogordo, New Mexico – The bomb left a huge crater in the earth and shattered windows up to 125 miles away

Decision to Drop the Bomb The alternatives – Invading main land Japan – A naval Blockade and continued bombing – Softening of the idea of unconditional surrender – Dropping the bomb on a remote, deserted island to show its power The decision –High casualties would result from invading Japan –The bitterness that Americans felt towards Pearl Harbor –The U.S. wanted to “flex its muscles before the eyes of the communist rivals” and the rest of the world

The Bombs August 6, 1945, the first bomb, “Little Boy,” was dropped on Hiroshima August 9, 1945, the second bomb, “Fat Man,” is dropped on Nagasaki September 2, 1945, Japan surrenders

VJ! Some Japanese still want to fight after A-bombs, but Emperor Hirohito urges them to stop. Surrender to General Douglas “god” MacArthur. His goal was to demilitarize Japan (reduce their ability to fight) Second goal was democratization, creating a democracy Become a Parliamentary democracy similar to Great Britain, with Emperor as figurehead. Hirohito forced to admit that he was not God! Article 9- Japanes cannot make war. No Army, only SDF. We are still responsible for Japan.

Nuremberg War Crimes Trial 22 Nazis put on trial for war crimes and “crimes against humanity.” Hitler and many top Nazis dead, but some still remain. Reichsmarshall Herman Goering and Deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess among those tried. 12 sentenced to death, Goering kills himself, escapes hanging. “I was just following orders.” Only 1, Hans Frank, the slayer of the Poles, expressed remorse.