1. What battle was Hitler’s last attempt to defeat the Allies?
How did the allies finally weaken Germany?
Which country had conquered most of eastern Europe from Hitler toward the end of WWII?
What was the US strategy for fighting in the Pacific against Japan?
Which Japanese city did the US drop the Atomic bomb on first?
Refresher Quiz

3. The Big 3
Meeting at Yalta

4. Yalta Conference February 1945
Before the end of WWII, the three major leaders met to discuss what to do after the war
Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt became known as the “Big Three”
Goals of Yalta:
Divide Germany 2. Create the United Nations 3. German War Reparations 4. USSR aid with Japan 5. Future of Poland
Little Achieved during this meeting
Yalta Conference

5. Difference of Opinions
All three leaders had great distrust for one another:
Stalin felt that the western leaders, esp. Churchill and Roosevelt, wanted to destroy communism
Roosevelt thought that Churchill had plans for British imperialism
Churchill thought that Stalin was trying to take over Europe
Stalin asked for aide against Hitler early on in the war, but did not receive help until 1944, further increasing his suspicion of the west

6. Stalin Communist Goals At Yalta
Spread Communism, keeping the territory he captured in the war communist
Take over Poland to create a buffer zone for communism
Germany pays reparations for the war
Divide Germany
All 15 Soviet republics join the UN
Stalin

7. Roosevelt US Goals at Yalta Divide Germany into 5 parts
UN security council, and their ability to veto
Hold free elections in European occupied zones, esp. Poland
Soviet aide in Japan
Keep British out of further expansion opportunities
Roosevelt

8. Churchill British Goals at Yalta
Divide Germany and France with zone occupation
Create the UN
Prevent any opportunity for increased German strength and another Hitler
NO GERMAN REPORATIONS
FREE ELECTIONS IN POLAND
Churchill

9. After the meetings in Yalta, the big three choose to draw boundaries and tie up loose ends later on
Roosevelt worked more closely with Stalin to prevent England from more colonies and to contain Stalin’s communist goals
Unfortunately, Roosevelt suddenly died in office, April 1945, before the end of WWII
End before the End

10. Germany tried for a huge push against the allies in the Ardene’s
This became known as the ‘Battle of the Bulge’
Hitler gave it everything he had, pulling troops away from the battles in the east against the soviets
Lasted over a month, completely draining Hitler’s resources
Hitler lost power in Germany, officers wanting to end the war
Ally forces closing in on Germany, already re-taking France during D-Day
Hitler took his life, April 30, 1945
Germany Surrenders, May 7, 1945
V-E Day, May 8, 1945
End of the War in Europe

11. Truman Takes Over After Roosevelt died, VP Truman took over
Truman was unaware of all of Roosevelt's goals and strategies
Learned about the Manhattan project
Needed to end the War with Japan, therefore ending WWII
Truman Takes Over

13. Truman was forced to make a decision: drop the bomb or don’t
A lengthy battle with Japan could cost more civilian and American lives
Japan would never surrender to US forces
Dropping the bomb would open a whole new way of fighting war
Would cause millions of deaths
Did not know of the long term consequences of dropping the bomb
Controversy in Japan

14. The Decision Offer Japan the warning to surrender: Potsdam
Dropped “Little Boy,” Aug. 6, 1945 Hiroshima, killing more the 70,000
Soviets declare war and invade Manchuria August 8, 1945
Dropped “Fat Man,” Aug. 9, 1945 Nagasaki, killing over 40,000
Japan surrenders Aug. 10, 1945,
In the morning of 2 September 1945, more that two weeks after accepting the Allies terms, Japan formally surrendered.
The ceremonies, less than half an hour long, took place on board the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay
The Decision

15. After WWII, the world leaders wanted to prevent another world war
They created the UN, (United Nations) which was countries around the world working together to prevent war and protect humanity
UN protected international law
China, France, England, Russia, and the United States are the 5 permanent members of the UN
All other countries that join the UN need to re-apply
The UN works still today to protect international law and prevent major world conflicts
What the World Did

16. How to Honor the Dead UN created the Declaration of Human Rights
This was a list of Rights that all humans had, no matter what country they lived in
The UN would protect these rights, and if any leader breaks them, the UN would step in
How to Honor the Dead