The End of World War II: The Death of FDR and the Start of Nuclear Warfare

death of FDR (reference source)

• died due to a cerebral hemorrhage; manifestation of underlying health conditions

• he had previously been alright at hiding the issues he faced from a health standpoint but ultimately died in april 1945

• Churchill was hit hard with the news, Stalin was upset

• shocked country and world at large

• hundreds of thousands of Americans watched his funeral procession from Georgia to DC

• replaced on the day of his death by Vice President Harry Truman

The Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (info from textbook)

• Potsdam threat fulfilled → Japan refuses to surrender

• August 6, 1945: atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, 180,000 killed/wounded/missing

• 70,000 died instantly

• 60,000 died due to radiation poisoning and burns

• August 8, 1945: Stalin enters war against Japan (deadline date)

• six day victory parade → Soviet troops overtake Japanese forces in Manchuria, Korea

• Stalin wanted a say in how winnings were split following Japan's defeat

• August 9, 1945: atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, 80,000 killed/missing

• August 10, 1945: Tokyo sues for peace on one condition → Hirohito can remain nominal emperor; Allies accept this on August 14th despite previously agreed to "unconditional" policies

• official end to the war: September 2, 1945 → surrender ceremonies conducted by General MacArthur on battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay

• Americans celebrate "V-J Day" (Victory in Japan Day)