Major Events of the

Second World War(1944-1945)

THE WAR YEARS

1944

Kwajalein and Eniwetok [February 1944]

Island-Hopping Campaign continued as the Americans unrelenting pushed the Japanese

back across the Central Pacific. U.S. forces captured Kwajalein was taken by U.S. forces

on Feb. 1, 1944, and the U.S. Marines captured Eniwetok Atoll on February 17-19, 1944.

Mariana Islands “Turkey Shoot”The Japanese hastily assembled a task force to destroy the U.S. naval task force. After a

massive air battle on June 19, 1944, the Japanese lost more than 400 planes to an

American loss of less than thirty. With the loss of most of its carrier planes, the Japanese

fleet fled westward, but American planes in pursuit were able to sink several vessels,

including three carriers. This victory paved the way for the recapture of the Philippines

and the heart of the Japanese homeland.

Strange… But True:

The term the whole nine yards

came from WWII fighter pilots

in the Pacific. When arming

their planes on the ground, the

.50 caliber machine gun ammo

belts measured exactly 27 feet,

before being loaded into the

fuselage. If the pilots fired all

their ammo at a target, it had

gone the whole nine yards.

Saipan [June 15, 1944]

On June 15, 1944, U.S. Marines stormed the beaches of Saipan, with a goal of gaining a

crucial air base from which the U.S. could launch its new long-range B-29 bombers

directly at Japan’s home islands. Fighting became especially brutal and prolonged when

the U.S. finally trapped the Japanese in the northern part of the island and the Japanese

defenders engaged in suicide charges. On July 9, the U.S. flag was raised in victory over

Saipan.

Suicide Cliffs of SaipanOver 8,000 Japanese civilians on the island also committed suicide by jumping off nearby

cliffs. The fighting offered a stark picture of what U.S. forces invading the Japanese home

islands could expect.

Anzio [January-May 1944]

In late 1943 the slow Allied advance was halted about 100 miles south of Rome. In an

effort to break the deadlock in Italy, Allied troops made an amphibious landing at Anzio

(30 miles south of Rome) on January 22, 1944. Due to poor planning and communication,

the American invasion force became bogged down. For the next five months the Allied

troops struggled to break out of the bridgehead. After several months of fierce German

resistance, Polish troops finally captured Monte Cassino in May 1944 allowing the

American forces to break out of Anzio and move north to liberate Rome on June 4, 1944.

Monte Cassino [January-May 1944]

Even though the Italian government had surrendered, the Germans were determined not

to allow Rome to fall to the Allies. As the Allies secured their position in southern Italy,

German forces formed a defensive line beginning at the fortified monastery of Monte

Cassino. Monte Cassino presented a very formidable obstacle to the Allied forces, who

assaulted the entrenched Germans over and over again and each time were pushed back.

The stalemate persisted for more than six months until Monte Cassino finally fell on May

18, 1944.

Before

After

After the Germans took up

defensive positions within the walls

of Monte Cassino the Western

allies had to get permission from

the Vatican to bomb and destroy

the ancient monastery. It was

rebuilt after the war.

Allies Capture Rome (June 4, 1944)

The Germans retreated from Rome hours

before the victorious Allies arrived.

As the Germans retreated

from Rome they murdered

several civilians.

Hitler had plans to kidnap the pope and hold him

for ransom, but the Allied advance was so quick

that the plan could not go into action.

Fall of Rome (June 4, 1944)

Rome was liberated on June 4, 1944. The Germans retreated a short distance and formed a

new defensive line in northern Italy, the Gothic Line, which would hold until the spring of

1945.

Prelude to D-Day: Disaster at Dieppe

The Dieppe Raid (August 19, 1942) was a miserable failure for the British & Canadian

troops. 3,623 of the 6,086 British & Canadian troops who made it ashore were either

killed, wounded, or captured. The German losses amounted only to 311 killed and 280

wounded or missing.

Bitter lessons learned from the Dieppe catastrophe in 1942. It influenced Allied

preparations for D-Day (Operation Overlord).

Stalin’s demand for a second front in 1942 resulted in

an ill-prepared disaster at Dieppe.

D-Day June 6, 1944: Allied Deceptions

From 1943, a skilled team worked to create the illusion of

a large invasion force being massed in Kent. Dummy

tanks and aircraft were built of inflatable rubber and

placed in realistic looking “camps.”

The Allies worked very hard to keep the date and site of the invasion a secret. They also

created an imaginary army to deceive the Germans by building decoy bases and using

fake radio transmissions. To fool German aerial photographers the planners even

manufactured rubber tanks and airplanes. The deceptions were a success and the

Germans were completely surprised.

General Patton was reinstated from the slapping incident in

Sicily and a fake army was built around him. Thus,

convincing Hitler that the real invasion was just a diversion

and that the main invasion would be at Calais led by Patton

instead of at Normandy. Hitler withheld reinforcements and

supplies from Normandy. By the time Hitler realized it was

just a trick and he had made a grave mistake, it was too late.

Horrible Histories- Winston Churchill's D-Day Plan

D-Day June 6, 1944: The Atlantic Wall

“The war will be won or lost on the beaches. The

first 24 hours of the invasion will be decisive.”

Field Marshal Erwin Rommel on the expected D-Day

invasion

D-Day June 6, 1944: The Atlantic Wall

To guard against an Allied invasion of Europe, Hitler ordered the laying of millions of

mines, the spreading of miles of barbed wire, and the pouring of tons of concrete to

create a defensive barrier along the western coast of Europe.

French Resistance

In France, small groups of French resisters formed and committed isolated acts of protest

and sabotage. Sabotage can be defined as destructive or obstructive action carried on by a

civilian, designed to hinder a nation's war effort. The French Resistance had operated

secretly and courageously throughout the German occupation of France. It destroyed train

tracks, cut telephone wires, and blew up bridges. The Resistance fighters added their help

to the Allied invasion of the Western front.

American Buildup in England [1942-1944]

Overpaid, overfed, oversexed, and over here.

-British saying about the American buildup in Britain in 1942-44

Underpaid, underfed, undersexed, and under Eisenhower.

-American response

Gen. Eisenhower giving words of encouragement to American paratroopers

before their drop into Normandy. General Eisenhower had already prepared a

speech accepting blame in case the invasion failed.

Fun Fact:

The British Broadcasting Company played

the opening bars of Beethoven's Fifth

Symphony in all its broadcasts to Europe

during World War II. The familiar "dah-

dah-dah-DAAAAH" opening is the same as

Morse code for the letter "v" (dot-dot-dot-

dash) - the symbol adopted for "victory."

“Soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the

Allied Expeditionary Force! You are

about to embark upon the great crusade

toward which we have striven these

many months. The eyes of the world are

upon you!”

Dwight D. Eisenhower

broadcasts D-Day invasion order June

5, 1944

A U.S. Army general who held the position of supreme Allied commander in Europe,

among many others. Eisenhower was perhaps best known for his work in planning

Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Europe. After the war, he was a very

popular figure in the United States and was elected to two terms as U.S. president,

taking office in 1953.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

D-Day: Airborne Assault (June 6, 1944)

A combined Anglo-American invasion using landing craft and airborne troops landed on

Nazi-occupied Europe at Normandy, France on June 6, 1944.

Airborne troops landed shortly after midnight

to capture key crossroads.

U.S. Airborne

British Airborne

D-Day: Airborne Hazzards (June 6, 1944)

A combined Anglo-American invasion using landing craft and airborne troops landed on

Nazi-occupied Europe at Normandy, France on June 6, 1944.

Some paratroopers landed in villages atop

awaiting German troops.

Several paratroopers missed their drop

zones, only to land in fields that were

deliberately flooded by the Germans. As

a result many paratroopers weighed

down by their heavy equipment drown

in as little as two feet of water.

Don't Wake Hitler [Horrible Histories]

When the D-Day forces landed, Hitler was asleep. None of his generals dared send

reinforcements without his permission, and no-one dared wake him.

D-Day (June 6, 1944)

Codename Operation Overlord on June 6, 1944 at Normandy, France. The largest invasion

in military history which involved hundreds of thousands of troops.

At 6:31 a.m. the first landing craft dropped its ramp

and soldiers began wading the 100 yards on a less

hostile Utah Beach.

D-Day: Landing Beaches (June 6, 1944)

On Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches, the British

and Canadian troops punched ashore against

lighter defenses and easier terrain.

At Omaha Beach, U.S. soldiers found only death and misery. Heavy German

defenses on the bluffs above killed 4,649 men before the beachhead was secured.

“Out in front everyone is holding

out, everyone. My grenadiers

and my engineers and tank

crews- they're all holding their

ground. Not one single man is

leaving his post. Not one! They're

lying in their foxholes mute and

silent, for they are dead.”

Unknown German Commander

D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Omaha Beach Scene [Saving Private Ryan]

Strange… But True

Among the first "German prisoners"

captured at Normandy were several

Koreans. They had been forced to fight

for the Japanese Army until they were

captured by the Russians and forced to

fight for the Russian Army until they

were captured by the Germans and

forced to fight for the German Army

until they were captured by the US

Army. Tom's Note: These were likely

from the 716 Static Division that was

defending at and just north of Omaha

Beach or the German 352nd Infantry

Division which had transferred to the

Omaha sector only two weeks prior to the

Normandy Invasion from the Russian

Front.

Mulberry: Reinforcing the InvasionSupplies and reinforcements for the D-Day beachheads were primarily delivered at two

Mulberries, or artificial harbors constructed of large concrete structures sunk beneath the

surface.

More than 500,000 troops and 80,000 vehicles landed at the harbors before a severe Atlantic storm on June 19-22, 1944 destroyed

the Mulberry harbor supporting the Omaha Beachhead and crippled the other Mulberry reinforcing the British at Gold Beach.

Hedgerow Country (June-July, 1944)After the Allied landing in Normandy, most things went well, but the land itself created a

problem. Through the centuries, French farmers had constructed high banks of earth

around every small field to fence livestock and protect crops from the coastal winds. These

banks were thick with the roots of shrubs and trees. In many places, sunken roads screened

by a canopy of tree branches ran between two hedgerows. The French region gave the

Germans an advantage in their defense as they tunneled into the hedgerows and used the

sunken roads for lines of communication, thus turning each field into a small fortress.

Many of the German defenders in Normandy were mere teenagers

from the “Hitler Jugend” Division.

Hedgerow Country (June-July, 1944)

The hedgerows strong walls of green presented a real problem. American tanks couldn’t

push through them. The solution came from the beaches. The Germans had put sharp steel

bars along the coast. The bars were designed to rip the bottom out of boats that passed

over them. Now the Allies tore up the bars and welded them to the front of the tanks. The

sharpened bars were very effective in cutting holes in the hedges of Normandy.

Operation Cobra (June-July, 1944)

Hitler’s refusal to retreat from the Falaise Pocket resulted in the death of thousands of German soldiers and the destruction of hundreds of

badly needed tanks.

Operation Cobra was the breakout of Patton's 3rd Army from Normandy which finally

opened the door for the Allies to conduct mobile movement. Allied forces trapped an

entire German army group in the Falaise Pocket. Most of the trapped German army was

destroyed because of Hitler’s refusal to retreat from the Falaise Pocket.

The object of war is not

to die for your country

but to make the other

poor b$#@&d die for

his.

George S. Patton

German Retreat from Russia

Although the Red Army kept pushing, it was not until the summer of 1944 that a major

Soviet offensive took place. Operation Bagration began three years to the day after

Germany’s initial invasion of Russia, on June 22, 1944. The objective was to drive out

completely the German forces centered in Belorussia and central Russia. The Soviets

advanced with nearly 2 million troops and thousands of tanks and within days had

broken the German front line in two. On July 3, Soviet forces took the Belorussian

capital of Minsk, and less than two weeks later, the Red Army reached the Polish

border.

Invasion of Southern France [August 15, 1944]

On August 15, 1944, a second Allied assault was made into France, this time along the

Mediterranean coast in the south. This campaign, code-named Operation Dragoon,

involved nearly 100,000 troops, who rapidly spread out northward into France. With

this southern operation a success, Allied forces were able to approach the French

capital from two directions as Hitler ordered the evacuation of southern France.

Commonly nicknamed, “Champaign Campaign,” because of the lack of resistance.

Failed Plot to Assassinate Hitler July 20, 1944

Count Klause Von Stauffenberg: Attempted to place a bomb and kill Hitler at the

Wolf’s Lair on July 20, 1944.

German generals wanted to make peace with the Anglo-American alliance, but continue

the war against the Soviets. Hitler would never agree to this, so the generals plotted to

assassinate Hitler and take over. On July 20, 1944, Count Klause Von Stauffenberg

planted a bomb at Hitler's HQ called the Wolf's Lair in East Prussia. The bomb

exploded, but Hitler survived. Hitler overwhelmed with the thought of being betrayed

ordered anyone involved or having knowledge of the plot to be executed. Several high-

ranking German generals were killed including Rommel.

Failed Plot to Assassinate Hitler God has once again

intervened so that I

may fulfill my

mission!

Hitler’s right arm was temporarily paralyzed, his

eardrums were punctured, and his hair was singed.

Stauffenberg Bomb Plot to Kill Hitler 01 [War and Remenbrance]

Stauffenberg Bomb Plot to Kill Hitler 02 [War and Remenbrance]

Failed Plot to Assassinate Hitler: Stauffenberg Executed

Today, there is a main thoroughfare in

Berlin named after von Stauffenberg.

“We took this challenge before

our Lord and our conscience,

and it must be done, because

this man, Hitler, he is the

ultimate evil.”

von Stauffenberg

Plot to Assassinate Hitler: The People’s Court

People's Court began on August 7, 1944, in the aftermath of the July 20, 1944 plot to

assassinate Hitler. The trials were held in the Great Hall of the Berlin Chamber Court

and the proceedings were led by the red-robed Roland Freisler. The accused were forced

to wear shabby clothes, denied neckties and belts or suspenders for their pants, and

were marched into the courtroom handcuffed to policemen. The accused were unable to

consult their lawyers, who were not seated near them. None of them were allowed to

address the court at length, and Freisler interrupted any attempts to do so.

The 62-year-old Field Marshal von Witzleben was the first to

stand before Freisler and he was immediately bawled at for giving

a brief Nazi salute. He faced further humiliating insults while

holding onto his trouser waistband.

Freisler was an admirer of Andrey Vyshinsky, the chief prosecutor

of the Soviet purge trials, and copied Vyshinsky's practice of

heaping loud and violent abuse on defendants. Roland Freisler

was killed during an Allied air raid in February 1945.

Plot to Assassinate Hitler: The Condemned

It is estimated that 4,980 Germans were executed after the July Plot. Hitler decided that

the leaders should have a slow death. They were hung with a thin piano wire from meat-

hooks. All tried conspirators were condemned to death by hanging, and the sentences

were carried out shortly afterwards in Plötzensee prison.

Their executions were filmed and later shown to Hitler at

evening entertainment parties.

Death of Field Marshal RommelField Marshal Rommel was recuperating at his home in Herrlingen, from wounds

received when his car was strafed on a road in France. On October 14, 1944, he was

visited by three high ranking officers from Berlin. Accused of complicity in the July 20

plot against Hitler, Rommel was given the choice of committing suicide or being arrested.

If he chose to be arrested, he would have a public trial. If he chose suicide, he could have

a death by poison and a funeral with state honors.

Rommel Bid his wife Lucie and son Manfried a fond farewell, then drove off with three

Gestapo agents. A few miles down the road the car stopped and the three officers walked

up the road for some distance. When they returned to the car, Field Marshal Rommel

took poison and was slumped, dead on the back seat. He was buried with all the honors of

a national hero, the German radio announcing that he had died from his wounds.

Liberation of Paris (Aug 25, 1944)

Women who were suspected of collaborating with the Nazis during

the occupation of Paris had their heads shaved and marched

through the streets of Paris.

Hitler ordered the destruction of Paris, instead the German

commander surrendered peacefully.

By mid-August 1944, most of Western Europe was under Allied control and Hitler

ordered the destruction of Paris, but the German commander refused and surrendered.

On August 25, 1944 the American and Free-French forces entered Paris. Eisenhower

wanted to bypass the city, which had little strategic importance.

The Polish InsurgencyBy July 1944, as Soviet troops reached the outskirts of Warsaw, Poland, an active Polish

insurgency arose to fight against the Germans in Warsaw and throughout western

Poland. The Allies had limited success in their efforts to airdrop supplies to these

insurgents because the Soviet government refused to assist in these airdrops. Before

entering Warsaw, the Soviet army halted its advance. Stalin’s intentions became clearer

as he allowed the Germans to destroy the Polish Army. The Soviets did not want the

Polish Army to fight against a communist takeover after the war. More than 200,000

Poles in Warsaw died before the Soviets entered the city in January 1945.

The Air War Against JapanWhen the United States first began its air war against Japan the raids were carried outfrom bases in China. However, as gains made by island-hopping brought Japan withinreach of the Army Air Forces' huge new bomber, the B-29, which was able to make anonstop flight of the 1,400 miles to Tokyo and back. The first raid on the home islandscame in June 1944. These raids would include the use of incendiaries in which thedestruction wrought on the cities of Japan was enormous.

More people died from the strategic bombing of Japanese cities than from the atomic bombs. The main reason was because

unlike most cities in Europe, Japanese cities were made mostly from wood and the fires spread too rapidly for people to escape.

The Air War Against JapanThe first night raid on

Tokyo was conducted on

March 9-10, 1945.

Approximately 80,000-

100,000 Japanese died in

the resulting firestorm.

Other fire-bombing raids

continued against Japan's

major cities throughout

the summer of 1945.

A sample of a Japanese leaflet dropped by

the U.S. warning the Japanese people to

evacuate cities and demand that their

government seek immediate peace terms.

During WWII,

Americans tried

to train bats to

drop bombs. They

failed.

Horrible Histories- Bat Bomb

Hitler’s Secret Weapon’s: Combat Jet Aircraft

The Germans were the first to use rocket-propelled and jet-powered aircraft in combat.

Began work in 1938 (pre-WWII)

Messerschmitt ME 163

Small, rocket-powered plane used to intercept

Allied bombers flying over Germany.

Tended to be unreliable (some exploded during

takeoff and killed its pilots)

Messerschmitt ME 262

Twin-engine rocket propelled jet aircraft. These

jet aircraft were very deadly to Allied bombers.

Unfortunately for Hitler, only 100 were built and

too late in the war.

Hitler’s Secret Guided Missiles: The V-Rockets

V-1 (Vengeance Weapon-One)

The V-I rocket was a small jet aircraft with a built-in 2,000 lb. explosive charge. It flew

very slow and could easily be intercepted by Allied fighters.

V-Rocket Bomb Attacks

Number of V1s fired- 10,000

3,676 hit London.

2,600 failed to reach their target.

1,878 were shot down by anti-aircraft

batteries.

1,846 were destroyed by fighters.

6,184 number of people killed by the V1s.

Hitler’s Secret Guided Missiles: The V2-Rockets

V-2: The grandfather to the ICBM’s

Wernher von Braun:

After the war he and many other former

Nazi scientists were sent to the United States

where they helped to research and develop

missiles for the U.S. military rockets against

the Soviet Union the Cold War and

eventually the U.S. space program.

V-2 (Vengeance Weapon-Two)

The V-2 was a short-range ballistic missile that carried a 1-ton warhead. It

was the grandfather of the ICBM’s, used by the U.S. during the Cold War.

Number of V2s launched- 1,115

Number of people killed- 2,754

Operation Market Garden [Sept. 17-30, 1944]

Operation Market Garden, conceived by General Bernard Montgomery, planned for

30,000 British and American airborne troops flown and dropped behind enemy lines. On

Sunday 17 September, 500 gliders and 1,500 aircraft dropped these divisions near the

Dutch towns of Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem. The planners called this an 'airborne

carpet', along which the advancing British armor of XXX corps would relieve the

airborne troops, cross the intact bridges, then push through to Germany.

Operation Market Garden [Sept. 17-30, 1944]

But German resistance stiffened and Operation Market Garden had failed. It would be

another four months before the Allies crossed the Rhine again and captured the German

industrial heartland. The war dragged on, costing the lives of many thousands of civilians

and servicemen.

The British 1st Airborne Division whose goal was to capture

the bridge at Arnhem landed atop two SS panzer divisions.

If Operation Market Garden, planned to take place in

the area near Arnhem, in Holland, had succeeded, the

western Allies could have punched their way across one

of the last great natural barriers between them and the

German fatherland. Their tanks and troops might have

reached Berlin weeks before the Russians, ending the

war by Christmas 1944. The fate of post-war Europe

might have been very different.

MacArthur’s Return to the PhilippinesOriginally, the Philippines were to be by-passed, but MacArthur protested and was

determined to keep his solemn pledge to the U.S. soldiers he left there who had suffered

greatly under Japanese captivity since early 1942. The amphibious assault on Leyte took

place on October 20 1944 with four divisions of the U.S. Sixth Army as part of a strategy

aimed at isolating Japan from the countries it had occupied in Southeast Asia, and in

particular depriving its forces and industry of vital oil supplies. Initial opposition was

light, but the Japanese sent large numbers of reinforcements to Leyte and the U.S. Army

was engaged in a major struggle. It took two months of heavy fighting before Leyte could

be secured.

Battle of Leyte Gulf [October 23–26, 1944]

The Battle of Leyte Gulf, generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World

War II was fought in waters of the Leyte Gulf, near the Philippine islands of Leyte,

Samar and Luzon, from October 23–26, 1944, between combined American and

Australian forces and the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Imperial Japanese Navy

mobilized nearly all of its remaining major naval vessels in an attempt to defeat the Allied

invasion but was repulsed and suffered very heavy losses, and never sailed to battle in

comparable force thereafter. The majority of its surviving heavy ships, deprived of fuel,

remained in their bases for the rest of the Pacific War. It was the first battle in which

Japanese aircraft carried out organized kamikaze attacks.

Battle of the Bulge (Dec. 16-25, 1944)

Hitler hoped that one last powerful offensive with three armored formations smashing

through the inadequately-defended Ardennes Forest and then seizing the Belgian city of

Antwerp would split the Allies between Montgomery in the north and the Americans

further south and destroying them piecemeal.

Battle of the Bulge (Dec. 16-25, 1944)

German General Otto Skorzeny headed a special task force that deployed a group of about

thirty English-speaking soldiers behind Allied lines, dressed in American uniforms and

driving captured American vehicles. These special troops succeeded in creating chaos

among the Allied troops by reversing road signs, cutting communications wires, and

inciting a panic among Allied troops once they realized that they had been infiltrated.

Otto Skorzeny

Ja... Ich bin ein

amerikanischer

Soldat!

Sehr gut!

Battle of the Bulge (Dec. 16-25, 1944)On December 16, 1944, the Germans commenced their last major counteroffensive of the

war with three armored armies. Despite telltale German troop movements, the Allies

were still caught off guard. As the Germans raced west it created an outward “bulge,”

resulting in the battle’s name.

The huge bulge created in the

American lines by the German

counter-offensive in the

Ardennes in Dec. 1944 gave this

famous battle it’s name.

Battle of the Bulge (Dec. 1944–Jan. 1945)

American soldiers who had surrendered were murdered by members of the German 1st

SS Panzer Division on December 17, 1944, around the tiny village of Baugnez, Belgium

which came to be known as the, “Malmedy Massacre.”

Hitler gambled and lost his last strategic reserves during

the Battle of the Bulge.

After the war Peiper was

tried by an American

War Crimes Tribunal. He

was convicted and

sentenced to death. His

sentence was commuted

to life imprisonment, and

he was finally released in

1956. He lived out much

of his later years in

seclusion in the small

village of Traves in

northeast France. On the

night of 13-14 July 1976

his house was firebombed

and Peiper died

defending himself. The

murderers (alleged to be

French Communists)

were never caught or

tried.

Battle of the Bulge (Dec. 16-25, 1944)

When asked by the Germans to surrender, American

General McAuliffe responded, “NUTS.” His

response not only baffled the Germans who had never

heard of this American slang term, but it also became

one of the most famous quotes in American military

history.

Vas ist NUTS?

The Battle of the Bulge (Dec. 16-25, 1944)

The weather cleared around December 24, and allowed the Allied planes to bomb the

German armored divisions. General Patton arrived with his Third Army and relieved

Bastogne. The German Army was sent retreating... Hitler had gambled and lost precious

reserve forces which could have been better used to defend Germany.

By Christmas Day 1944, the

skies cleared and Allied aircraft

destroyed the German tanks

caught in the open.

The Russians Advance from the East

The Red Army began its advance toward Germany from the East in January 1945. By

January 1945 the Soviets moved through Poland and within a month the Red Army was

just 65 miles from Berlin. The German forces were heavily outmatched and Hitler

refused pleas from his military commanders to withdraw German troops to better

defensive positions.

Russians Discover and Liberate AuschwitzIn late January 1945 the Red Army advanced into western Poland and liberated

Auschwitz. Upon arrival, they found hundreds of dead bodies, along with gas chambers,

crematoria, and thousands of living prisoners in varying states of starvation. Although the

West had received reports of such atrocities for some time, this Soviet discovery was the

first absolute proof.

The main gate at Auschwitz, the most infamous of all the “death camps” in Poland. The sign “Arbeit Macht Frei,” means work shall make

you free.” Up to 10,000 people were murdered each day at Auschwitz. As the war was nearing its end, the Nazis increased the killings.

THE WAR YEARS

1945

MacArthur’s Return to the Philippines“I Have Returned” On January 9, 1945, the U.S. Army made its main amphibious assault

on Luzon. MacArthur sent troops to each of the surrounding Philippine islands, ignoring

the high command's decision to bypass them. The defense of the Philippines was Japan's

most costly defeat in the entire war. The Bataan Peninsula and Corregidor fell in late

February 1945. The battle to recapture the Philippines left Manila in ruins and over

100,000 Filipino civilians dead.

At first, American troops

only encountered light

Japanese opposition, but

Japanese determination and

arriving reinforcements to

the Philippines made the

recapture of the Philippines

difficult.

MacArthur wading ashore during the American

landing on Luzon.

MacArthur’s Rescue of American POWsMacArthur sent rangers behind enemy lines to save American POWs that the Japanese

planned to execute to prevent them from being liberated.

WWII POW Medal

MacArthur

Burma [1943-1945]

It was only in mid-1943, when the Allies organized a new command structure in the

region, the Southeast Asia Command, that they made any substantial progress in

driving the Japanese back. Under this new command, the British cooperated with the

Chinese to advance on the Burmese border, while U.S. and British special operations

forces went behind enemy lines to cut communications and create chaos in general.

Burma [1943-1945]

A major focus of the campaign was to capture the town of Myitkyina, which was a

principal Japanese communications post. There was a prolonged struggle for the

Myitkyina, which finally fell on August 4, 1944.

Another goal was to secure the so-called Burma Road, which linked Burma and China

but was blocked by Japanese forces. The Burma Road was reopened in January, 1945.

Finally, the Allies recaptured Rangoon on May 3, 1945.

Terror on Ramree Island [1945]

On January 26, 1945, British troops managed to drive nearly 1,000 enemy combatants

into the dense mangrove swamp that covered Ramree Island. Unfortunately for the

fleeing Japanese soldiers, the mangrove jungle on Ramree Island is home to the largest

reptilian predator in the world, the saltwater crocodile. These prehistoric holdovers can

grow to over 20 feet in length and over 2,000 pounds. When nearly 1,000 panicked

soldiers came dripping blood and sweat into the cramped confines of the Ramree

mangrove swamp, the giant lizards likely had the feast of their lives. Horrific tales of

dozens of crocodiles attacking the soldiers enmasse, and appearing out of seemingly

nowhere to drag off some poor soul. The nights were said to have been filled with dire

screams, gunfire, and the sounds of animal attacks. Only 20 of them were eventually

recaptured by the British forces who had set up a perimeter around the thick wilderness.

The Soviet Advance

The Red Army had moved deep into Hungary and, by early December, had taken most of

the country except for the area immediately around Budapest. U.S. and British aircraft

provided support as the Soviets advanced into German territory, making devastating

bombing attacks on the cities of Leipzig, Dresden, and Berlin. Dresden, in particular, was

almost completely destroyed.

By late March 1945, the Red Army had secured all of eastern Europe. It continued its

advance into Austria, capturing the capital of Vienna on April 13. By this time, the Allied

forces coming from France had crossed the Rhine River and were moving swiftly toward

Berlin from the west. The Allies decided to let Soviet forces enter Berlin first, while

British and U.S. forces concentrated on other areas to the north and south.

Yalta Conference

On February 4, 1945, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin came

together for a now-famous meeting at Yalta, a resort on the Crimean Peninsula in the

USSR. During the meeting, the “Big Three,” as they came to be called, discussed their

strategy for the last stages of the war. The three leaders also spoke about the issue of how

Europe would be divided after the war, with particular concern regarding the situation in

Poland, which was by this point controlled entirely by the Soviet Union. With

considerable difficulty, Roosevelt and Churchill managed to pressure Stalin into holding

democratic elections in Poland. However, these turned out to be heavily rigged in favor of

a pro-Soviet Communist government.

Iwo Jima (February 19, 1945 to March 1945)

The objective of the battle was to secure airfields for the final air assault on the Japanese

home islands. Iwo Jima was a volcanic island 400 miles from Japan and its deep black

sandy ash and rocky terrain was difficult.

The Japanese defenses were formidable after 20,000 Japanese had prepared defenses into

the cliffs of Iwo Jima weeks in advance. The defenses included a massive network of

tunnels, bunkers, and pre-targeted artillery when the benches were most covered with the

invading marines. The U.S. Marines suffered terrible casualties on the exposed beaches.

It has been estimated that a U.S. Marine fell for every square foot of Iwo Jima, thus

making the island the costliest in U.S. Marine Corps history.

The objective of the battle was to secure airfields for the final

air assault on the Japanese home islands.

Japanese Defenses on Iwo Jima

Iwo Jima (February 19, 1945 to March 1945)

After U.S. forces came ashore, they surrounded the base of Mt. Suribachi within a single

day. After a brutal, four-day struggle, U.S. forces reached the peak of Mt. Suribachi on

February 23, where an Associated Press photographer, Joe Rosenthal took a now world-

famous photograph of a group of Marines raising the American flag.

Three out of the five U.S. marines who raised the flag atop Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima were killed within one

week after the famous photo was taken.

Iwo Jima (February 19, 1945 to March 1945)

The fighting on Iwo Jima was indescribably brutal. It would be more than a month

before U.S. forces secured the entire island. The entire Japanese garrison of

Approximately 20,000 Japanese soldiers perished, including General Kuribayashi. The

Americans suffered heavy casualties: more than 6,000 dead and 17,000 wounded.

A debate ensued over whether the conquest of Iwo Jima was worth the high price in

lives lost. Was the battle necessary? Could Iwo Jima have been bypassed?

KamikazesAs the war began to go badly, the Japanese military decided their best hope was to use

kamikazes, or suicide planes. The pilots were volunteers, typically teenage schoolboys. At

first they were the poorer pilots. Japan saved its good pilots to defend the home islands.

They would pick out important ships and crash their bomb-laden aircraft into them. They

came out by the hundreds. In one 36-hour period in April 1945, there were 355 kamikaze

attacks at Okinawa. April through June saw a total of 1,465 kamikaze attacks. Kamikazes

sank 21 ships and damaged 66.

"Jap planes were coming at us from all directions."

Okinawa (April 1-June 22, 1945 )

On April 1, 1945, the U.S. Army invaded Okinawa, only 300 miles south of the Japanese

home islands. By the time the fighting ended on June 2, 1945, the U.S. had lost 50,000 men

and the Japanese 100,000.

Western Allies Enter GermanyThe invasion of Germany began when Anglo-American forces crossed the Rhine. (Last

river before entering Germany.) The Allied plan called for three-pronged advance to clear

the Rhineland.

The U.S. Third Army crossed the Rhine at Remagen (March 1944.) By March 25, all

organized resistance west of the Rhine had ceased. By April 1945, all seven Allied armies

had crossed the Rhine. April 25, 1945 American and Soviet forces meet on the Elba River

near Torgau, Germany.

April 25, 1945 American and Soviet forces met on the Elba

River near Torgau, Germany. Within a few years both

Armies would be on opposing sides during the Cold War.

Death of President Roosevelt

On April 12, 1945, U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt, whose health had been failing

for some time, died of a cerebral hemorrhage at his vacation home in Georgia. The

United States saw an outpouring of grief, as Roosevelt had been president an

unprecedented twelve years and, in addition to being an effective commander in chief and

diplomatic leader, had almost single-handedly rallied the American people through the

hardships of the war. Vice President Harry S Truman succeeded Roosevelt as president.

A disillusioned Hitler rejoiced at

hearing the news of FDR’s death

from his bunker, falsely believing it

would be a reverse of fortunate.

Battle for Berlin (April-May 1945)

The Soviets lost more casualties in the Battle for Berlin than American

troops had suffered throughout the war in Europe.

Just days after Roosevelt’s death, on April 16, 1945, the Soviets began their final

offensive against the Third Reich. Over the coming days, more than 3,000 tanks crossed

the Neisse River, assaulting Berlin’s outer defenses while Allied aircraft bombed the city

from above. On April 20, Hitler spent his birthday in an underground bunker and soon

resigned to kill himself when the city fell. Although imminent defeat was obvious, Hitler

not only refused to allow his troops to surrender but also insisted that the conscripted

civilian army was to defend Berlin to the last man.

Hitler Youth Defend Berlin

Death of Mussolini

By April 1945, the Allies were closing in, and Mussolini tried to escape to

Switzerland. Instead, he was captured by Italian partisans. They took him to a quiet

country road and shot him and his mistress. The next day they loaded up their

bodies onto a truck, drove to Milan, and hung their corpses upside down for the

Italians to spit on and beat with wooded poles.

The Death of Mussolini

Former Italian dictator, Benito

Mussolini and his mistress were

captured by Italian partisans and

murdered. After Hitler saw these

images, he was convinced that he

should never be captured alive.

Death of Hitler

On April 30, 1945, Adolph Hitler and Eva Braun were married. The next day they

committed suicide rather than surrender and were cremated. Pieces of Hitler’s skull are

in the former Soviet achieves in Moscow. Very few people are allowed to view them. The

other remains were buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in the former East

Germany.

Shortly before his death, Hitler dictated

his last will and testament. In it Hitler

blamed the Jews for provoking the

outbreak of war in 1939, urged the

German people to continue the struggle

against the Jews, and handed over power

to Admiral Donietz.

Hitler and

Eva’s bodies

were soaked

with petrol

and set a blaze

in the Reich

Chancellery

garden.

Death of HitlerDid Hitler Commit Suicide? Or Did Hitler Escape?

Pistol

False teeth

matching dental

records

Skull with bullet hole

found at site

EyewitnessesEyewitnesses?

No Physical

Proof Yet…

Death of Hitler

Death of Joseph Goebbels

Goebbels was extremely devoted to Hitler, especially in the later years. In 1945,

after Hitler committed suicide, Goebbels’ wife poisoned their six children and then

he and his wife committed suicide.

The Goebbels family in happier days of the Third Reich. Goebbels poisoned his six

children and then he and his wife committed suicide.

Goebbels charred remains were

discovered by the Russians in May 1945.

Battle for Berlin (April-May 1945)

On April 30, the Red Army hung a Soviet flag from the top of the Reichstag, the

German parliament building in Berlin.

Over the following days, there was a great deal of confusion throughout Germany. Some German

forces surrendered, while others continued to fight. Among the remaining leaders, some went into

hiding or sought escape abroad. Others followed Hitler’s example and committed suicide.

Victory in Europe “VE Day”Early on the morning of May 7, 1945, General Alfred Jodl signed the official

surrender on behalf of all German forces, which went into effect the next day. Some

sporadic fighting continued in the interim, particularly in Czechoslovakia. The

Western Allies thus celebrated May 8, 1945, as V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day).

Because some fighting between Soviet and German forces continued into the next day,

May 9 became the official Victory Day in the USSR.

The unconditional surrender of the German

Third Reich was signed in the early morning

hours of Monday, May 7, 1945 at Supreme

Headquarters, Allied Expeditionary Force

(SHAEF) at Reims in northeastern France.

The news flash reached the international world at 9:36 p.m.

Eastern Daylight Time on May 7, 1945: “Germany has surrendered

unconditionally.”

Potsdam ConferenceBetween July 17 and August 2, 1945, Harry S Truman of the United States, Winston

Churchill of Britain (and later Clement Atlee, who replaced him as prime minister during

the conference), and Joseph Stalin of the USSR met in Potsdam, Germany, with other

Allied leaders to discuss the future administration of Germany. On July 26, the three also

held a special meeting to settle on the terms of surrender for Japan in order to end the

war. The agreement was set forth in a document known as the Potsdam Declaration. In

short, it demanded an unconditional surrender that included the complete

demilitarization of the country and the replacement of Japan’s current leadership by a

“peacefully inclined and responsible government.”

Manhattan ProjectThe Manhattan Project was a joint United States and British development of an atomic

bomb. The United States hoped to shock the Japanese into an unconditional surrender.

Successful testing of the bomb on July 15, 1945 at Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Japanese were threatened with "complete and utter destruction" if they failed to accept.

The Navy argued that a blockade and air raids were sufficient to secure the Japanese

surrender, while the Army advocated the use of the atomic bomb. Neither an effective

blockade nor terror bombing had succeeded in ending the war.

The Japanese military showed no sign of surrendering. The United States considered

demonstrating bomb before using it on a Japanese target.

Availability of only two bombs discouraged the use of one for demonstration purposes.

Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967)

Physics professor at U.C. Berkeley and CalTech, he headed the U.S. atomic bomb project

in Los Alamos, New Mexico. He later served on the Atomic Energy Commission, although

removed for a time the late 1950's, over suspicion he was a Communist sympathizer.

"I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds…”

J. Robert Oppenheimer

Atomic Bomb

A bomb that uses the fission of radioactive elements such as uranium or plutonium to

create explosions equal to the force of thousands of pounds of regular explosives.

Los Alamos, New Mexico

On July 16, 1945, U.S. scientists tested the first atomic bomb in the New Mexico desert.

Why Did the United States Drop the Bombs?

Four Possible Reasons:

• The Americans believed Japan would never surrender. If the bomb had not been

dropped thousands of American lives could have been lost in an invasion of

Japan

• The Bomb had cost a lot of money to develop and the Americans wanted to use

it. The bomb cost $2000 million. It would have been difficult to justify not using

after such as vast financial investment

• The Japanese had been very cruel to prisoners of War. Some Americans thought

they deserved to be taught a lesson.

• The USA wanted to show how much stronger it was than the USSR (Russia)

which it did not trust.

Downfall: The Plan for the Invasion of Japan

Despite these huge losses, the Japanese military showed no inclination to surrender

following the defeat at Okinawa. Convinced the Americans that the Japanese would resist

fanatically an invasion of the Japanese home islands. The U.S. invasion of Japan was

tentatively scheduled for November 1945. Military planners estimated one million

U.S. military casualties during the invasion of Japan.

Tragedy of the U.S.S. IndianapolisThe U.S.S. Indianapolis delivered the first atomic bomb to be dropped on Japan. On it’s

return voyage it was sunk by a Japanese submarine. Of the 1,200 sailors who jumped into

the water to escape going down with the ship, only 317 survived a week in the water. The

other 750 were attacked by man-eating sharks.

Of the nearly 1,200 crew aboard the

Indianapolis, only 317 survived five days at

the mercy of the sharks and the Pacific

Ocean.

Atomic Bombs- HiroshimaI. Hiroshima (Aug. 6, 1945)

A. The first atomic bomb was on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

B. Enola Gay (Plane that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima)

1. Bomb’s nickname “Little Boy”

A Pocket watch found at

Hiroshima stopped at the

moment of explosion.

Atomic Bombs- HiroshimaI. Hiroshima (Aug. 6, 1945)

C. Destroyed 60 percent of the city and killed between 80,000 to 100,000 Japanese.

1. Some people were burnt to ashes and only their shadows burnt onto

walls remained.

D. The Soviet Union declared war on Japan on August 8, 1945, shortly after the

Hiroshima bombing.

Atomic Bomb Explosion [Video]

Atomic Bombs- Hiroshima

Shadows of Death: Flash from explosion instantly burnt victims’ shadows onto concrete.

Enola GayA specially equipped B29 bomber that dropped the first atomic bomb was dropped on the

city of Hiroshima.

Atomic Bombs- Nagasaki

II. Nagasaki (Aug. 9, 1945)

A. The second atomic bomb was on the Japanese city of Nagasaki.

B. Bockscar (Plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki)

1. Bomb’s nickname “Fat man”

C. Killed approximately 35,000 people.

1. By December 1945, an additional 40,000 died from radiation.

D. Japanese military continued to reject surrender even after Nagasaki.

Effects of the Atomic BombsI. Effects of the atomic bombs:

A. Radiation, heat, explosion, and radioactive fallout.

B. For several weeks after the Hiroshima attack, people died of radiation

sickness.

V-J Day (Victory over Japan)Japan surrendered on August 14, 1945.

Japan SurrendersThe Japanese government agreed to surrender if the Japanese emperor would not

be imprisoned. On August 14, 1944 Hirohito addressed the Japanese nation that

the war was over. August 14, 1944 was designated as V-J Day (Victory Over

Japan). September 2, 1945. (The war is officially over.)

The official unconditional surrender of

Japan took place aboard the U.S.S.

Missouri in Tokyo Bay on Sept, 2, 1945.

World War Two is Over!!!

The Nuremberg Trials

I. Nuremburg Trials (1946-1949)

A. Nuremburg was selected by the Allies because it was the site of the massive

Nazis rallies during the 1930s and the infamous decree of laws against

German Jews in 1935.

B. To punish the Nazis for the war and the crimes committed against humanity.

The Nuremburg Trials lasted several

months. Between 1946 to 1949 several of

the highest- ranking Nazis were convicted

and hanged for war crimes and crimes

against humanity. The city was chosen

because it was the site of the Nazis rallies

in the 1930s.

Beginning in 1950, the United States

halted the trials and began to release

many of the Nazis from prison because

they were needed in the Cold War against

the Soviet Union. Rudolf Hess, Hitler’s

deputy was the last prisoner. He

committed suicide in 1989.

The U.S. Occupation of Japan and the

Tokyo War Crime TrialsI. Tokyo War Crime Trials.

A. Tojo and the Japanese warlords were sentenced to death.

1. Emperor Hirohito allowed was to continue his reign.

I. General MacArthur was selected as military governor of Japan.

A. Began restructuring Japanese society, including women’s right to vote.

B. Refused to allow the Soviet Union to occupy Japan like Germany.

Tojo, the Japanese Prime Minister attempted suicide, but U.S.

forces rushed him to the hospital, saved his life, then put him on

trial for war crimes. He was found guilty and executed.

General MacArthur was selected as

military governor of Japan