WWII/Part III

One final look at Europe…. D-Day (June 6th, 1944) was successful, Paris is

liberated by August of 1944. January 26th, 1945: Soviet troops liberate

Auschwitz February 4-11, 1945: Churchill, FDR and Stalin

meet in Yalta. April 21st, 1945: Soviets reach Berlin April 30th, 1945: Adolf Hitler commits suicide

War in the Pacific

Japan has a busy month in December 1941: The bombing of Pearl Harbor Seize land near Singapore and invade

Thailand The invasion of the Philippines, Guam,

Burma, Hong Kong and Wake Island The bombing of Manila

Japanese Empire, 1942

Japan in 1942 Japan continues invasions around the Pacific

In the largest bombing since Pearl Harbor, Japan strikes Australia and Bali

February 23: Japanese attack on the U.S. mainland. A submarine bombs an oil refinery in Santa Barbara, CA.

Japan invades the Midway and Aleutian Islands Battle of Midway: June 4-7, 1942. The most

important naval battle of the Pacific.

One Major Event of 1942

The Bataan Death March The U.S. troops unconditionally surrender on

Bataan (the Philippines) April 10th, the Death March begins. 76,000

Allied POW’s (including 12,000 Americans) are forced to march 60 miles toward a new camp, in the sun without food or water. This results in 5,000 deaths.

The Allies Surrender in the Philippines

The Bataan Death March

The Bataan Death March

The Solomon Islands, beginning Aug.1943

Solomon Islands, 1944The most lethal fighters on the island

Marshall Islands, 1944A Solider Survives Two Days of Fighting.

U.S. troops land on GuamJuly 20th, 1944

The Island Battles Continue: The Allied strategy was to start with the

Solomon Islands and to work their way northwesterly toward the ultimate goal of Japan.

This is also known as “island hopping”. Other battles included: Guadalcanal, New Guinea,

the Gilbert Islands, the Marshalls, the Carolines, the Marianas and the naval battle of Leyte Gulf.

Many of these battles stretched on for several months.

The Battle of Iwo Jima

The Details of Iwo Jima

February 19, 1945: by nightfall, 566 Marines were killed and 1,854 wounded.

The Battle continues for 2 1/2 months for an 8 mile square of land.

By March 16, when Iwo Jima was declared secured, 6,821 Americans and 21,000 Japanese had died.

The Flag Raising; Feb. 23rd, 1945Three of the flag raisers would later perish in battle

• This picture comes to symbolize what it means to be a Marine.

The Japanese style of fighting

• USS BUNKER HILL hit by two Kamikazes in 30 seconds off Kyushu, resulting in 372 dead and 264 wounded. May 11, 1945.

On the way to Japan: Okinawa

• On Okinawa, just 350 miles from Japan, a Marine dashes through Japanese machine gun fire while crossing a draw, called 'Death Valley' by the men fighting there. Marines sustained more than 125 casualties in eight hours crossing this valley. May 1945.

The Forgotten War China-Burma-India Theater Some U.S. forces, mostly British commanders

and soldiers. Allied with commander Chiang Kai-shek.

The Hump: an operation of the U.S. Air Force to air lift supplies to support Chinese troops

Over 10 million Chinese will die as a result of WWII.

The Beginning of the End Battles on Islands and on the sea continue,

U.S. captures territory. January 3rd, 1945-General MacArthur is placed

in command of all ground troops April 12th, 1945-President Roosevelt dies and

is succeeded by Harry Truman May 8th, 1945-Victory Day in Europe (VE Day) August 8th, 1945-The Soviet Union declares

war on Japan and invades Manchuria.

V-E Day: May 8th, 1945(Victory in Europe)

How it all ends….• August 6th, 1945

Hiroshima is hit with a 9,000 pound atomic bomb.

• 72,000 people are killed.• August 9th, 1945

Nagasaki is hit with another atomic bomb.

• August 15th, 1945, Japan unconditionally surrenders.

V-J Day: September 2nd, 1945Japan signs instrument of surrender on board the USS Missouri

The Cost of War 61 Countries participated-1.7 billion or 3/4 of the

world’s population was involved. The war cost over $1 trillion, more than all other wars

combined. The U.S. spent the most money. U.S.S.R lost the most people with 20 million deaths. Total war deaths are estimated at 55 million, not

including the deaths from the Holocaust. 30 million civilian deaths and 25 million military deaths

60 million people were displaced; either homeless or refugees.

Back to the Beginning:

“The Second World War affected nations on every continent; caused the deaths of 60 million people, produced vast physical damage, generated new forms of genocidal mass murder as well as weapons of mass destruction and contributed to the influence of two superpower nations”.