World War I

Causes

long-term, short-term and immediate causes

• The historian Fritz Fischer contends that Germany was determined to start a war. Germany had prepared many minor modifications. Moreover, Germany was at the height of its military power and wanted to exploit the situation.

Nationalism

• There was an emerging problem of aggressive patriotism in Europe.

• In Austria-Hungary , a large number of ethnic groups (such as Serbs, Hungarians, etc.) lived under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. These minorities wished for independence. This created tension between the government in Vienna and the minorities.

• In France, there was still a powerful feeling of resentment, since France had to give up Alsace and Lorraine to Germany in the Franco-Prussian war.

Imperialism

• Problems with colonies, growing industries- countries needed more raw materials

• Colonies wanted independence

• Britain had conflicts with Russia in both China and India

• Russia wanted control of the Straits, Black Sea and Mediterranean

• Britain and France in Egypt, Africa, and Sudan

• Germany and Britain

• Wanted to build a railway from Berlin to Baghdad, and this conflicted with British aims.

• Increase in the German navy.

Alliances

• In 1882, The Triple Alliance was formed between Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary. This was a treaty in which the nations offered to support each other militarily in the event of an attack against any of them by two or more great powers

• In 1894, the Franco-Russian Alliance was established, as a result of Russia's feeling of vulnerability after the Triple Alliance and France's isolation. It promised mutual military assistance if either country was attacked. Ten years later, in 1904, France and Britain formed the Entente Cordiale, ending conflicts between the countries. In 1907, Britain, France and Russia formed together the Triple Entente, to constitute as a counterweight to the Triple Alliance.

• After Germany's isolation in the Algeciras Conference, it realized that its only ally was Austro-Hungary. Suddenly, Austro-Hungary took on a new importance. This led to it's blank-cheque of 1914.

• France also offered Russia a blank-cheque in 1912.

• The alliance system reduced the ability to deal with responses flexibly. If one thing led to another, countries had to respond to events in the fashion they promised. And indeed, that's what happened.

Problems of Industrial Societies

• Colonies: Russia, Britain and France all wanted colonial posessions. Britain had done the best during the Scramble for Africa. Russia was eyeing Northern China. In North Africa, Britain and France shared Egypt, along with the tensions this produced. Germany, too, was seeking influence in the Middle East, as it was building a new railroad between Berlin and Baghdad.

• Russo-Japanese War- rival imperial ambitions of the Russia and Japan over Manchuria and Korea

• Moroccan Crises- fighting over the status of Morocco, and a substantial amount of fighting and conflict between Germany and France over it.

• Algeciras conference- meeting held to settle the Franco-German dispute over Morocco, in which Germany was isolated.

• The Boer War - conflict in South Africa between Britain and the Boers, as Britain desired to dominate the region and the Boers wanted independence.

• Arms Race: Both Germany and Britain competed in the Arms Race.

• Germany had the best equipped and largest army in all of Europe.

• Admiral Tirpitz supervised the construction of the new German Navy, which was meant to challenge the British (who had the most powerful naval forces) in the Indian Sea

• The British launched a new class of battleships, pioneered by the H.M.S. Dreadnought in 1906, which was heavily armed and shielded.

• It can be said that Britain's isolation and fear of the German Navy led her to pursue more cordial relationships with France and Russia.

• German army reforms led the Britsh High command to believe that a preventive war against Russia made sense.

• New inventions: 75mm Field Gun, magazined rifle, machine gun

• Commercial Rivalry: There was a great deal of commercial rivalry between the Major Powers in Europe. This was manifested most obvious in the colonies and the countries around the colonies. Britain dominated the market, by having the most manufactured goods. Germany was closing in on France especially by exporting more and more Iron. This also contributed to Britain's uneasiness concerning Germany.

Europe During World War I (Practice of World War 1)

campaigns, war at sea, effects on civilian population

1914 - Plans to Stalemate

• Archduke Franz Ferdinand was murdered by Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo, during a state visit in June of 1914. This led Austro-Hungary to declare war on Serbia in July 1914.

• Germany puts the Schlieffen Plan, which had been developed by von Schlieffen in the late 1800s and modified through the early 1900s until its nearly final form was reached in 1906, and invades Belgium. The Belgian army is overwhelmed, and the Germans soon take over most of Belgium, with very small pockets of resistance still holding.

• Austro-Hungary invades Russia, but progress is moderate, due to the fact that the Austro-Hungarian army was poorly equipped and trained.

• France develops the Plan 17 XVII, which would take back Alsace and Lorraine. Its application is a fiasco, since the German defenses were a lot more well prepared than expected by the French. Within a few weeks, the French were back in their starting positions, while the Germans had advanced almost unopposed through Belgium and northern France and were threatening Paris.

• The German high command diverted troops to the Eastern Front and to a counterattack in Alsace-Lorraine, which was in turn repulsed by the French.

• This allowed the French and the British to halt the German advance in the First Battle of the Marne.

• The outcome of the battle of the Marne led to Trench Warfare, and the Race to the Sea.

• The Russians mobilize quickly to prevent Austro-Hungary's attack. They drive the latter back until the German Army, which was superior by far to their allies', comes to the help of Austro-Hungary and manages to stop the Russians at the Battle of Tannenberg.

1915 - Weak Point Strategy

• As at the end of 1914, no major territorial changes were produced by the war, the Major Powers decide to focus their efforts on their enemies' weak points, hence the name Weak Point Strategy.

• 1915 sees Italy entering the war and on the Austro-Italian Front there was some fighting. The countries were fighting each other in the Alps. The Italians benefitted from a superiority of almost 2:1. The Austrians were controlling the higher ground, so the Italians' superiority didn't help them at all.

• Britain starts a blockade in the North Sea, trying to make Germany rely solely on its internal goods, and thus starve it.

• Britain also started the Gallipoli Campaign, by which it tried to take over Istanbul, thus knocking Germany's ally, Turkey, out of the war. Unfortunately for Britain, the Turks were very well prepared for the attack. This led to a disaster for Britain, which lost its own troops, as well as ANZAC troops dispatched to fight for her.

• Britain tried to attack Turkey through Basra and Palestine, but with no success.

• As 1914, 1915 fails to bring any significant changes to the front lines.

• Basra Landing

• Palestine.

1916 - Great Attacks

• By 1916, Trench Warfare was starting to take its toll on the men in the front lines.

• Germany starts a massive attack on Verdun, during which 400.000 Germans, 400.000 British and 200.000 French lose their lives. The attack was ineffective and leads to no real change. Pétain, the French general in charge of the troops at Verdun, says about the Germans: "Ils ne passeront pas" (They will not pass.) - Battle of Verdun

• The biggest British attack is on the river Somme. Nothing is achieved and Britain loses 800.000 men in the process. - Battle of the Somme

• Jutland, in May 1916, was considered the showdown between the British and the German Navies. Both sides claimed victory. The British had lost more ships and more sailors, but Germany's plan of destroying Britain's navy had failed. For the remainder of the war, apart from brief sorties in August 1916 and April 1918, the German Fleet stayed in port. They continued to pose a threat that required the British to keep their battleships concentrated in the North Sea, but they never again contested control of the seas. Instead, the German Navy turned its efforts and resources to unrestricted submarine warfare.

• On the Austro-Italian front, the only major confrontation was the series of Battles of the Isonzo. Initially, the Italians slightly gained ground, since the Austro-Hungarian lines were poorly manned, due to the Brusilov Offensive. Towards the end of the series of battles, nothing much changed.

• The Brusilov Offensive was the greatest Russian attack during World War I. It was a major offensive against the Central Powers on the Eastern Front, launched June 1916 and lasting until early August. It took place in what today is Ukraine, and its purpose was to lift pressure off the British and the French on the Western Front. The operation succeeded in its basic purpose, as Germany had to terminate its attack on Verdun and transfer considerable forces to the East. It also broke the back of the Austro-Hungarian army which lost nearly 1.5 million men. This weakening of Austro-Hungarian power convinced Romania to enter the war on the side of the Entente. Russian casualties were about 500.000.

1917 - Changes

• The United States entered the war in April 1917, because of the Unrestricted Submarine Warfare tactic pursued by Germany, which also sunk many US ships.

• Germany sent Mexico an invitation to start a war against the US, which became known as the Zimmerman Telegram.

• In the summer, the first American troops begin landing in France and helping the British and French soldiers fighting in the Trenches.

• The Nivelle Offensive was undoubtedly the most successful French action of the war. The French began their advance after the German forces they were attacking started retreating.

1918 - Last Offensives to Armistice

• President Woodrow Wilson announced his Fourteen Points in January 1918, which would serve as a guide for reconstructing Europe after the War. They included freedom of the seas, abolishing secret treaties, disarmament, restored sovereignty of some occupied lands, and the right of national self-determination of others.

• Due to the turmoil in Russian Society, the Russian Revolution errupted in 1917, resulting in Russia pulling out of the war and signing the treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918.

• This put more pressure on the Western Front, since the Central Powers' soldiers fighting on the Eastern Front could now be dispatched to the West.

• Germany launches what proves to be the first of the final three offensives on the Western Front, the Frühjahrsoffensive (Spring Offensive). This was General Ludendorff's last chance of breaking Allied lines, as the social situation in Germany was getting worse and worse. The Frühjahrsoffensive was stopped at the Second Battle of the Marne, in July - August.

• The German people were deprived of food and basic needs for most of the war, so there is a great deal of tension in the country. This leads to the Kiel Mutiny, in which sailors refused to obey orders and the Munich Revolt, in which the city was taken over by German Communists.

• The Allies' Hundred Days Offensive begins, which ends in Kaiser Wilhelm's abidication from the Throne of Germany, on November 10th.

• On November 11th, at 11:00, the Peace Treaty between Germany and the Allies is signed, and all fighting ends.

Effects

Changes in Population Structure

• Most killed were between 18-38.

• Fall in the birth rate between 1914-1918.

• Manpower shortage during the 1930s.

Changes in Society

• Social barriers undermined because of the emphasis of national unity.

• Improvement in the status of women.

Increased Role of Governments

• Increased intervention in areas of health and education.

• Greater control over the private sector.

Belief in need for economic self-sufficiency

• Promoted idea of autarky

International Effects

• Nationalism exploded, reached it's climax.

• Spread of democractic ideals.

• Emergence of world's first Communist state.

• The US came out favourable in the war while the power of France, Germany, Russia, and England all declined tremendously. Europe begins to leave the spotlight as the center of the world.

• Development of international organizations.

• Led to the development of the League of Nations, the dream of Woodrow Wilson. The United States congress voted against US participation and Germany was originally unable to join the league.

The Treaty of Versailles

The terms of the Treaty of Versailles, which Germany had no choice but to accept, were announced on the 7th of May of 1919. Germany lost:

• 10% of its land

• All its overseas colonies (including Togo)

• 12.5% of its population

• 16% of its coalfields, and half its iron and steel industry.

Territorial Restrictions on Germany

• Alsace-Lorraine returned to France.

• No annexation of Austria allowed.

• No annexation of Czechoslovakia.

• No annexation of Poland and Danzig.

• Lost all of its overseas colonies including Togo, Cameroons, Namibia, and Tanzania.

Military Restrictions on Germany

• The Rhineland was to be declared a demilitarized zone.

• The German armed forces can be no larger than 100,000.

• No manufacturing of weapons.

• No importing or exporting weapons

• No poision gas.

• No tanks.

• Small navy, 12 destroyers, 6 battleships, and 6 cruisers.

• No Submarines

• No military aircraft.

Economic Restrictions on Germany

• These were denounced by John Mayard Keynes.

• Saar coal fields given to France.

• Compensation for all damages.

• Article 231: War Guilt Clause justifies reperations.

The Germans were outraged and horrified at the result - since Wilson's idealistic and rejected fourteen points painted the picture of a different outcome. They did not feel as though they started the war, nor did they feel as though they had lost. The German people percieved this as a peace conference and not a surrender. At first, the new government refused to ratify the agreement, and the German navy sank its own ships in protest. The German leader, Ebert, eventually agreed to the agreement on the 28th of June 1919.

The Impact of the Treaty of Versailles

• In 1919, Erbert's government was hanging on the edge of a knife. Right-wing opponents threatened revolution.

• 1922-1923: Germany falls behind in its Reparation payments.

• French and Belgian soldiers invade the Ruhr region and sack raw materials and goods in order to compensate. (Allowed under the Treaty of Versailles)

• German government orders the workers to strike. French kill 100 workers and expell 100,000 protestants from the region in retaliation. The strike aids in causing the growing inflation.

• The three powers were not satisfied with the Versailles treatment. Clemenceau did not think the treaty was harsh enough on Germany. Lloyd George viewed as a hero, but realised the long-term effects of the war. The American Congress refused to approve the treaty.

Other Treaties

• Treaty of St.Germain: 1919 with Austria.

• Treaty of Neuilly: 1919 with Bulgaria.

• Treaty of Sévres: 1920 with Turkey

• Treaty of Trianon: With defeated Hungary.

World War II

Causes

Unopposed Aggression by Japan, Italy, and Germany

Japanese Aggression

• September 1931: Japan attacks China.

• Mukden incident.

• Chinese appeal to the League of Nations. Council of the League asks both parties to withdraw their forces.

• Japanese complete their conquest of Manchuria.

• Lord Lytton Report condemns Japanese action and dubbed Manchukuo a puppet creation.

• March 1933: Japan withdraws from the league of Nations.

• The United States and the League of Nations take no action.

• July 1937: Marco Polo Bridge incident.

Italian Aggression

• December 1934: Clash between Italian troops and an Abyssinian escort at Walwal. Abyssinia appeals to the league.

• May 1935: Abysinnia appeals again to the league.

• October 3rd 1935: Mussolini launches his attack on Abyssinnia. League declares Italy to be an aggresor and imposes some limited economic sanctions.

• Britain and France propose an unacceptable deal which secures Abyssinian territory for Italy.

• May 1936: Italians capture capital of Addis Ababa.

• Sanctions eventually dropped.

German Aggression

• March 7th 1936: Hitler sends troops into the demilitarized Rhineland in opposition to the Versailles and Locarno treaties. Note: Officers carried notes to withdraw in the event of French resistance.

Practice of War

War in Europe

• “Blitzkrieg”—lightning war

• Sept. 1939, Germany and USSR divide up Poland.

• Spring 1940, after the phony war, Hitler invades Western Europe. Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway fall quickly.

• The Germans reached the French coast of the English Channel in 10 days.

• The French fall back and fall apart.

• On June 22, 1940, the French surrender.—Vichy France

• Western Europe has fallen to the Nazis.

• Dunkirk rescue.

• Winston Churchill is new prime minister.

• Starting on July 10, the Luftwaffe was sent to smash up the British defenses in preparation for Operation Sea Lion (invasion of England).

• The badly outnumberd Royal Air Force (RAF) had only 2,900 planes to fight off Germany’s 4,500. The Germans started by attacking airbases.

• However, on the night of August 25, RAF bombers in retailition are sent to bomb a munitions plant in Germany. They miss and bomb Berlin instead.

• A furious Hitler orders that London and other cities become the targets.

• With the targets shifted, the RAF regroups and attacks the German bombers and escorts.

• The Luftwaffe is defeated and ends the campaign on October 31, 1940.

• Britain is saved from invasion. Nazi aggression in the West had ended.

Invasion of Russia

• On June 22, 1941, Operation Barbarossa was the German codename for the invasion of the Soviet Union.

• It was hoped that the invasion would get the Nazis the oil fields of the Caucausus, the farmlands of Ukraine, and the industrial regions of Western Russia.

• Hitler moved 3.2 million men to the Soviet border as part of the attack.

• The Germans will push deep into Russia, however the cold will catch them off guard.

• The Germans, by the end of 1941 will be within 20 miles of Moscow.

• After 3 years, the Germans will begin to fall back and be overwhelmed by the Russian armies.

• It will be Hitler’s greatest mistake.

Lend-Lease Act

• While we do not get involved in the war quite yet, we are seen as friends of the Allies.

• In 1941, Congress passes the Lend-Lease Act.

• Initially, it would cost $7 billion but eventually be $50 billion.

• “Arsenal of Democracy”

• We would lend weapons and money to Allied countries (mostly Britain, France, China, Australia, and…later on…USSR). Britain would let use navy bases in Caribbean

Atlantic Charter

• Meeting between FDR and Churchill to discuss aims of the war.

• No territorial gains were to be sought by the United States or the United Kingdom.

• Territorial adjustments must be in accord with wishes of the peoples concerned.

• All peoples had a right to self-determination.

• Trade barriers were to be lowered.

• There was to be global economic cooperation and advancement of social welfare.

• Disarmament of aggressor nations, postwar common disarmament

• Defeat of Germany and other Axis powers .

• Would push us closer to war with Germany.

Embargo of Japan

• Meanwhile, Japan is continuing to attack China’s cities.

• As the Japanese become more and more aggressive, the United States refuses to trade several raw materials with Japan (oil, steel, etc.).

• This embargo really hurts the Japanese war efforts (we had 80% of their oil supply) and convinces them that the United States is out to get them.

• While they want to expand towards Indonesia, they feel that would bring the US into the war.

• When Tojo became prime minister, he pushes for a war with the US.

Attack at Pearl Harbor

• Planned by Isoroku Yamamoto.

• It would be a “knock out blow” designed to destroy the US fleet and force us to surrender.

• A surprise attack on the American naval base in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941.

• 8 battleships and 8 cruisers were lost along with 2,400 lives. Carriers spared.

• The attack brings the US into the war.

• The day after the attack, FDR asks Congress for a declaration of war.

• By the end of the month, Germany and Italy have declared war against the US.

• The US is firmly involved in WWII.

• Europe first policy.

• Doolittle Raid.

Further Japanese Aggression

• Soon after Pearl Harbor, the Japanese overrun the European colonies.

• The Japanese capture Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaya from the British, Dutch East Indies and French Indochina.

• Also shortly after Pearl Harbor, the Japanese made bombing runs on the Philippines.

• The Japanese prepare to invade in December of 1941 and continue their attacks until May of 1942.

• US forces are forced back onto the Bataan Peninsula and the island of Corregidor.

• American commander Douglas MacArthur escapes before the troops fall.

• The Japanese take over 100,000 POW’s and force them to walk the grueling Bataan Death March where over 10,000 die.

US Home Front

• Many people join the armed forces.

• FDR brings back the draft. 10 million drafted.

• 16 million Americans will serve in the armed services and 400,000 will be killed.

• WAAC—Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps would free up valuable manpower for the war, but they wouldn’t get equal rank or pay.

• 6 million women go to work— “Rosie the Riveter”

• Most goods are rationed for the war effort: gas, leather, meat, sugar, coffee, etc.

• People donated copper, tin, steel pots and pans as scrap metal. Rubber tires too.

• All factories converted to war effort.

• No strike pledge by unions.

• Cartoons go to war.

• Japanese Internment camps

North Africa

• Germans under Erwin Rommel drives across North Africa to get the oil fields and Suez Canal.

• Germans are stopped by the British under Bernard Montgomery at El Alamein.

• The first combat action carried by American forces in the European theater of war led by Dwight D. Eisenhower.

• “Operation Torch” Americans land in Algeria and Morocco and move east. Meanwhile, Montgomery moves his forces west from Egypt.

• The two armies link up in Tunisia and force the surrender of the Afrika Korps and 275,000 forces.

• It is the first major victory over the Axis in Europe.

Italian Campaign

• In the summer of 1943, British and American units invade and take over Sicily.

• They use the island as a base for an attack against Italy.

• During the Sicilian Campaign, the Italians rose up and overthrew Mussolini and joined the Allied side.

• Starting in September, the Allies make landings on the “shoe” part and move up.

• The battles through the mountains were rough, but a breakthrough was made at the Battle of Anzio where Americans landed near Rome.

• On June 4, 1944 the Allies captured Rome, however it would still be a tough fight as the Allies pushed the Germans out of Italy.

Normandy Invasion

• Also known as D-Day. It is the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare.

• On June 6, 1944, over 150,000 in the initial waves American, British, and Canadian men land on beaches codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Sword, and Juno on the coast of Normandy on the English Channel.

• It is the beginning of the liberation of France and Western Europe.

• Codenamed “Operation Overlord”, it will begin the drive to Berlin.

• At the end of June, over 3 million Allied forces will have landed.

• 1,500 dead and 5,200 wounded

The Russian Front

• The turning point in the Russian Front was the Battle of Stalingrad

• It is the bloodiest battle in the war and in human history. Germany and her allies lost 850,000 while the Soviets lost 1,129,619 (478,741 killed and 650,878 wounded).

• The Germans wanted to capture the city and take the oil fields to the south. The Soviets were determined to hold the city that holds the name of their leader.

• The Germans stormed into the city and captured it, inflicting many casualties on the Soviets. However, as the winter arriver, the Soviets counterattacked.

• Hitler refused to allow his men to fall back and Stalin refused to allow his men to quit the battle.

• Under Georgy Zhukov and Nikolai Vatutin, the Russians attacked the German rear and surrounded the Germans inside the city. Germans will surrender on Feb. 2, 1943.

• From this point on, the Soviets will drive relentlessly back towards Berlin.

The Push To Germany

• As the summer of 1944 wanes on, the Allies breakout of Normandy’s hedgerows.

• Led by Omar Bradley and George Patton, the American armies push towards the German border.

• Paris is liberated on August 25, 1944.

• The British advance through Belgium and Holland.

Battle of the Bulge

• A last ditch attempt by Hitler to save Germany. With the Allies approaching the Germany border, Hitler launches a massive surprise attack on the American lines.

• 500,000 US soldiers were attacked by 600,000 Germans on Dec. 16, 1944.

• As the Germans stormed through the US lines in the Ardennes forest, a bulge is formed in the lines.

• When the lines are made stable by Christmas, the Germans have run out of gas and must fall back.

• By January 25, the lines are back to where they belong.

• It is the largest battle in US history. It also helped to speed up the war.

Yalta Conference

• A meeting held in the Russia resort of Yalta February 4 to 11, 1945 between Winston Churchill, Stalin, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

• The meeting discussed the goals for the final months of the war: Unconditional surrender of Germany, Division of Germany into occupied zones, Demilitarization and Denazification of Germany, Reworking Poland’s borders, the United Nations, and getting the USSR to fight Japan.

Defeat of Germany

• American forces cross the Rhine River at Remagen in March 1945.

• Mussolini is executed by Italians.

• Russians are poised to take over Berlin.

• Allied bombers are destroying German factories and cities.

• 2.5 million Soviet troops fight 1 million Germans in urban combat for Berlin.

• The Germans, in a tough defense of the city, will lose 173,000 while killing 100,000 from April 16 to May 8.

• Berlin is captured by the Soviet forces and Germany is compelled to surrender.

• Hitler commits suicide on April 30

• V-E Day: Victory in Europe Day, May 8, 1945. It is the day that Germany surrenders.

Potsdam Conference

• A conference of allied leaders Harry S. Truman, Stalin, and Clement Attlee from July 17 to August 2, 1945.

• The conference dealt with Post-WWII issues: German territories, Division of Germany into occupied zones, War criminal trials, Reworking Poland’s borders, German reparations, and Japan.

• It also focused on free elections in Eastern Europe where the Soviet Union had liberated the nations there.

• Battle of Midway

• The major turning point in the Pacific Theater of WWII from June 4-7, 1942.

• The American fleet decodes secret Japanese communications and learn their plan of attack for the conquest of Midway Island and, eventually, Hawaii.

• The US navy sets a trap and sinks 4 Japanese carriers.

• It is a loss the Japanese can never recover.

• It is the final offensive thrust by Japan.

Island Hopping Campaign

• The strategy employed by the US of bypassing heavily fortified Japanese positions and instead concentrating on strategically important islands that were less well defended but capable of supporting the drive to the main islands of Japan.

• The Allies would “hop” over the other islands on their way to Japan.

• Guadalcanal was the first offensive move by the Americans in the Pacific.

• The US landed 16,000 men on the island in the Solomon Islands on August 7, 1942 and would fight until February 9, 1943.

• The Japanese fought for every inch of land.

• It was the first step in the “island hopping” campaign.

Return to the Philippines

• Fought from October 23-26, 1944 it was the battle that began the liberation of the Philippines from Japan.

• One of the largest naval battles in history was fought off of the islands. It would practically finish off what was left of Japan’s navy as the Japanese lost 4 carriers, 3 battleships, and 20 other ships.

• It would also be the first battle that the Kamikaze were employed.

• Douglas MacArthur led the drive that liberated the islands.

Saipan

• Island in the Northern Marianas chain that saw heavy fighting from June 15 to July 9, 1944.

• Out of a force of 31,000 men, the Japanese will lose 21,000 killed in action and 9,000 by suicide.

• Only 921 were captured.

• Hundreds of civilians also died by suicide as well.

Iwo Jima

• Fought from February 16 to March 26, 1945, it was an American victory that put Japan within bomber range.

• Only 1,083 Japanese troops out of 21,000 surrendered.

• The US lost 7,000 men in the battle.

Kamikaze

• Japanese word for “divine wind”.

• As the Americans creep closer to Japan, the Japanese become desperate.

• They begin to load their planes up with bombs and extra fuel and deliberately crash them into the American ships.

• 3,912 Japanese will sacrifice themselves for their emperor.

• 34 navy ships were lost and 368 were damaged at a cost of 4,900 dead and 4,800 wounded.

• Only 14% of the kamikazes hit their target, but the desperate efforts help led to the Manhattan Project.

Okinawa

• One of the bloodiest battles, and final battles, of the war.

• Fought from April 1 to June 21, 1945, 18,900 marines were killed with another 38,000 wounded as the Americans close in on the Japanese home islands.

• 110,000 Japanese died with only 2,300 Japanese captured.

• On this battle, the Japanese sent wave after wave of kamikaze attacks and suicidal charges against the American forces.

• The island was only about 300 miles from the Japan itself.

Operation Downfall

• Proposed 2-part invasion of Japan that would take place in Nov. 1945.

• Estimated that a 90 day Olympic campaign and Coronet took another 90 days, the combined cost would be 1,200,000 casualties, with 267,000 fatalities.

• Japan was preparing for an attack at home.

The Manhattan Project

• Code name used for development of nuclear weapons at Los Alamos, NM and Oak Ridge, TN.

• Led by J. Robert Oppenheimer and others, physicists attempt to create nuclear fission and then harness this energy for the first nuclear weapons.

• Two bombs were made: one from uranium and one from plutonium.

The Atomic Bomb

• It would help to end the war quicker.

• Japan seemed to want to fight to the death.

• Japan refused to surrender.

• Would save American lives.

• Scare Soviet Union in future.

• Prevent Soviet Union from taking over too much land in Asia.

Hiroshima

• The first time nuclear weapons were ever used in combat.

• On Aug. 6, 1945, a B-29 named Enola Gay dropped the uranium “Little Boy” on Hiroshima.

• 70-100,000 people were killed with over 90% of the city destroyed.

Nagasaki

• Three days later, Bockscar drops “Fat Man” on Nagasaki.

• Again, 80,000 die in and following the attack.

• On August 14, the Japanese agree to surrender.

End of the War

• Victory in Japan Day, Aug. 15, 1945.

• It is the day that Japan agrees to surrender and end the war.

• The formal surrender takes place on September 2, 1945 on the USS Missouri.

Effects

UN will replace the League of Nations

US will occupy Japan and help to democratize it.

Germany will be divided up.

Human Rights will become a major issue following the war.

Civil Rights Movement in America.

Cold War will begin.

No wars for conquest is tolerated.

Women work outside of the home.

Philippines become independent on July 4, 1946.

We acquire Northern Marianas chain from Japan and administer many island groups in the Pacific Ocean.