1. The end of the beginning?
The last year of the War
The end of the beginning?

2. After Normandy . . . The Netherlands
Hundreds of thousands of men followed the initial Normandy landings.
Canadians were instrumental in pushing the Nazis out of the Netherlands.
Hitler pinned his hopes on the ferocious fighting of his troops and his “secret” weapons – the V1 and V2 rockets.

3. The beginning of the end

4. The end of the dictators
Italian partisans captured Mussolini and his mistress and hung them upside down in the town square of Milan.
After months of vicious fighting, the Soviets were in Berlin.
Hitler committed suicide in his bunker April 30, 1945.

5. The War ends in Europe V-E Day (Victory in Europe) was May 8, 1945.
The Allies celebrated.
Prominent Nazis tried to escape or change identities.
Mistrust grew between the Soviets and the other Western Allies.

6. But we’re still fighting in the Pacific
The Japanese had taken over many countries in Southeast Asia including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Burma.
Their advance was finally stopped in 1942 during the Battle of Midway.
From that point on, American forces engaged in a tactic called “island hopping” and retook the the Pacific.
Fighting for these islands was bitter and brutal.

7. What the Allies faced . . .
Japan’s military had a tradition of no surrender so their soldiers fought to the death.
Kamikaze pilots were used to attack American aircraft carriers in particular.
By the summer of 1945 the Americans were poised to invade Japan itself.
They knew they would face heavy losses.

8. The Americans in the Pacific

9. But the Japanese won’t surrender.
The American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died in April 1945.
Harry Truman succeeded him.
He had a decision to make: how will he end the war?
Will he invade Japan?
Will he use the new weapon that is available to him?
It’s up to you to advise him.

10. What would you do?
Read over the arguments for and against dropping the atomic bombs.
Decide what you will do.
Back up your decision with reasoned arguments.

11. The decision
The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.
people were killed instantly.
The second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.
It was only after this bomb destroyed the city that the Japanese agreed to surrender unconditionally.

12. World War II Ends Statistics
Country Population Military deaths Civilian deaths Total
Canada ,300, , ,300
China ,000, ,000, ,000, ,000,000
France ,700, , , ,000
Germany ,300, ,500, ,000, ,500,000
Italy ,800, , , ,500
Japan ,000, ,000, , ,600,000
SovietUnion ,500, ,700, ,500, ,200,000
United Kingdom47,800, , , ,400
United States ,000, , , ,500
Totals ,971,470, ,456, ,326, ,536,700