The Allied Victory How do the Allies defeat the Axis Powers?
Planning the Victory 1943: Allied leaders first meet at Tehran Conference, plans on beating Hitler in Europe FDR & Churchill meet with Chiang Kai-Shek to discuss Asia at the Cairo Conference 1945: Big three meet at Yalta discuss post-war plans, will meet later at Potsdam
D-Day: Invasion of Normandy (European War) June : Allies launch an invasion in N. France Great Britain Gen Omar Bradley begins air assault, Allies winning within a month Led by Gen. George Patton, 150K allied troops land, thousands killed Nov 1944: FDR reelected for fourth term
With Soviets pushing from East, Hitler counter attacks in West April 1945: FDR dies Dec 1944: Battle of the Bulge, Germans lose must retreat 4/30/1945: Hitler’s suicide, 5/7 Germany surrenders to Ike (VE Day) Nov 1945: Nuremberg Trials – former Nazis appear before military tribunal, most found guilty
The Pacific War March 1945: After a month of bitter fighting, the Allies take the island of Iwo Jima (over 18K-Japan, 6K-Allies killed) April 1945: Battle of Okinawa, one of the bloodiest battles of the war: 100K Japanese & 19K Allied troops killed in a month and a half Despite the heavy casualties, Japan refuses to surrender. Allies preparing for a full-scale invasion of Japan
The Manhattan Project FDR had given okay for developing an atomic bomb General Leslie R. Groves & physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer developed bombs at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico Weapon could release more energy than 20,000 tons of TNT July 1945: Gadget was exploded during “trinity Test” Trinity Test
Truman informed of the new weapons, August 6, 1945 a plane named Enola Gay dropped “Little Boy” on the city of Hiroshima Japan doesn’t surrender. Three days later, a plane named Bockscar dropped the third bomb named “Fat Man” on Nagasaki Japan surrenders on Aug 13 th, 1945 (V-J Day)