Section 5- The War Ends (HW) Flashcards
The Third Reich Collapses
The Third Reich, referring to Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler, collapsed and officially surrendered to the Allied forces on May 8, 1945. This marked the end of World War II in Europe.
DDay successes
The D-Day invasion, which took place on June 6, 1944, was a major success for the Allies. It led to the liberation of France, the end of World War II, and the beginning of the end of Hitler’s regime.
Battle of the Buldge
The Battle of the Bulge was a World War II battle that took place in the Ardennes Forest from December 16, 1944 to January 25, 1945. It was the final major German offensive on the Western Front.
The German army launched a surprise attack on American troops in the Ardennes Forest
The War Ends in Europe
the US and UK worked to liberate France while soviets attack German troops. Soviets drive germans out of Russia and Poland. Soviets crossed eastern border as US attacked western border. German defense crumble, race into berlin. Hitler commits suicide. Karl Doenitz surrenders. Demand unconditional surrender - wanted to keep fighting soviets but unconditional surrender was negotiated.
May 8, 1945, when Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allied forces
Berlin
Battle of Berlin, one of the final battles of World War II. It took place from April 20 to May 2, 1945, and it ended with the fall of Berlin, the capital of the Third Reich, to the Soviet Red Army,
Hitlers death
As Soviet troops entered the heart of Berlin, Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945, in his underground bunker.
V-E day
V-E day is may 8, and it is the day that there was peace in Europe. V-E day stands for victory in Europe.
FDR dies - truman
when FDR died, Harry Truman became the president, leading the country out of ww2. unfourtunetly FDR never saw Germany get defeated.
The Battle of Iwo Jima
The US wanted Iwo Jima because the island of Iwo Jima had three airfields that could serve as a staging facility for a potential invasion of mainland Japan. 7,000 marines died and the battle lasted 5 weeks.
Firebombing Japan
bombs filled with Napalm which explodes and start fires. Killed 80k people and destroyed 250k buildings. 1million people were homeless.
napalm
Napalm is an incendiary mixture of a gelling agent and a volatile petrochemical (usually gasoline or diesel fuel).
Okinawa- purpose and differences
purpose - aking Okinawa would provide Allied forces an airbase from which bombers could strike Japan and an advanced anchorage for Allied fleets
differences - key differences included the fierce resistance from Japanese forces who were heavily fortified in caves and underground positions, the large scale of the operation involving a massive American military force, and the significant psychological impact the battle had on both soldiers and civilians due to the high number of casualties.
The Terms for Surrender- why didn’t we make a deal?
the Japanese emperor wanted an end to the war, but the Americans had a demand for an unconditional surrender. The fate of the emporer was the most important issue for japanesde. The US and Japan didn’t readily make a deal for surrender because the US insisted on an “unconditional surrender,” meaning Japan had to completely give up without any terms of negotiation, while the Japanese leadership, particularly the military, were highly reluctant to surrender and wanted to retain the Emperor’s power, making a deal with such strict conditions unacceptable to them; this ultimately led to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to force Japan’s surrender.
The Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a top-secret World War II program to develop the first atomic bombs. The project was led by the United States, with collaboration from the United Kingdom and Canada.
Einstein wrote a letter to FDR to persuade him to develope. releasing a tremendous amount of energy in a rapid explosion
Hiroshima
Tens of thousands of people were killed in the initial explosions (an estimated 70,000 in Hiroshima and 40,000 in Nagasaki), and many more later succumbed to burns, injuries, and radiation poisoning.”Hiroshima was selected as the first target as it was an important economic and military hub that had so far escaped serious air raid damage. When the Japanese surrender was still not forthcoming, Nagasaki became the second target.The bombing of Hiroshima was an atomic attack on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. It was the first use of an atomic weapon in war.
Many people died immediately, and more died in the days and months following.
Nagasaki
It looked increasingly likely that the United States would have to commit itself to a land invasion, which could have claimed many American lives. Instead, the atomic bomb served as a tool to bring the war in the Pacific to a close sooner.The bombing of Nagasaki, which occurred on August 9, 1945, was the second atomic bomb dropped by the United States on Japan during World War II.
A slightly larger plutonium bomb exploded over Nagasaki three days later levelled 6.7 sq km. of the city and killed 74,000 people by the end of 1945. Ground temperatures reached 4,000°C and radioactive rain poured down.
V-J day
Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day) was the day that marked the end of World War II. It was celebrated on September 2, 1945, the day the formal surrender documents were signed.
