1945 BY: LAUREN DEAS, ADRIENNE WEBB, JARED BURGOYNE

OPERATION BODENPLATTE LAUNCHED ON JANUARY 1 ST 1945 AN ATTEMPT BY THE LUFTWAFFE (AERIAL WARFARE BRANCH OF THE GERMAN WEHRMACHT) TO INJURE ALLIED AIR FORCES IN THE LOW COUNTRIES THE GOAL WAS TO GAIN AIR SUPERIORITY DURING THE STAGNANT STAGE OF THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE TO ALLOW THE GERMAN ARMY AND THE WAFFEN- SS FORCES TO RESUME THEIR ADVANCES THE OPERATION WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED FOR DECEMBER 16 TH 1944 BUT WAS DELAYED DUE TO BAD WEATHER

PLANES

RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE IN 1945 RED ARMY ENACTS MASSIVE OFFENSIVE AGAINST GERMAN FOES ALONG THE EASTERN FRONT JANUARY 12 TH 1945 – FEBRUARY 2 ND 1945 TARGETS ARE GERMAN ARMY A AND ARMY GROUP CENTER LOCATED IN EAST PRUSSIA AND POLAND BATTLE LINE IS LONG RUNNING FRONT FROM THE LITHUANIAN COAST DOWN TO THE BALKANS REGION THE RED ARMY OFFENSIVE IS SPEAR-HEADED BY THE 1 ST, 2 ND AND 3 RD BELORUSSIAN FRONTS AS WELL AS THE 1 ST BALTIC FRONT JOINED BY THE 1 ST UKRANIAN FRONT

Soviet troops enter led by a Self-Propelled gun.

JANUARY 16 TH 1945 HITLER REORDERS HIS FORCES, WEAKENING KEY AREAS OF DEFENSE, TO ATTEMPT A FLANKING MANEUVER AGAINST THE RED ARMY NEAR POZNAN

MUSSOLINI APRIL 28 TH

HITLER’S SUICIDE APRIL 30 TH 1945 AVA, HIS WIFE COMMITTED SUICIDE WITH HIM BY CYANIDE THE AFTERNOON OF, THEIR REMAINS WERE CARRIED UP THE STAIRS, DOUSED IN PETROL, AND SET ON FIRE SOME SAY HE DIED BY POISON ONLY SOME SAY SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUND WHILE BITING DOWN ON A CYANIDE CAPSULE THE DEATH OF ADOLF HITLER:

GERMANY SURRENDERS DUE TO FAILURE OF NAZI TROOPS IN BERLIN AND ELSEWHERE, DONITZ AND HIS FELLOW NEGOTIATORS LOST ANY LEVERAGE IN ASKING FOR CERTAIN CONDITIONS IN REGARD TO THE SURRENDER DONITZ DECIDED ON MAY 7 TO GIVE IN TO ALLIED DEMANDS OF UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER THE SURRENDER WAS MADE OFFICIAL THE FOLLOWING DAY WITH A SIGNING AT A FORMAL CEREMONY MAY 8 WAS DECLARED VICTORY-IN-EUROPE (V-E) DAY, A DAY STILL CELEBRATED AS A PUBLIC HOLIDAY IN SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.

HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI CONDUCTED BY THE US PACIFIC WAR CONTINUED AFTER GERMANY’S SURRENDER TOGETHER IN THE UK AND THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA, THE US CALLED FOR SURRENDER OF JAPAN IN THE POTSDAM DECLARATION (JULY 26 TH 1945) THREATENING JAPAN WITH “PROMPT AND UTTER DESTRUCTION” WHEN THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT IGNORED THE ULTIMATUM, AMERICAN AIRMAN DROPPED LITTLE BOY ON THE CITY OF HIROSHIMA ON AUGUST 6 TH 1945 THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY FAT MAN ON NAGASAKI ON THE 9 TH OF AUGUST

CONTINUED… WITHIN 2-4 MONTHS, PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN HIROSHIMA AND IN NAGASAKI HALF OF THE DEATHS IN EACH CITY HAPPENED WITHIN THE FIRST DAY ESTIMATED THAT THE PEOPLE WHO DIED ON THE FIRST DAY SUFFERED FROM: 60% - FLASH/FLAME BURN 30% - FALLEN DEBRIS 10% - OTHER CAUSES

CONTINUED… AFTER THAT: 15-20% - RADIATION SICKNESS 20-30% - BURNS 50-60% - OTHER INJURIES

JAPANS SURRENDER AUGUST 15 TH 1945 – SURRENDER IS ANNOUNCED ANNOUNCED TO JAPANS ALLIES SEPTEMBER 2 ND 1945 – SIGNED INSTRUMENT OF SURRENDER OFFICIALLY ENDED WWII

Germany’s ally zone in July 2945

When was Operation Bodenplatte launched?

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