WWII POLITICAL

ALLIESALLIES AXISAXIS

THE BIG THREETHE BIG THREEWINSTON CHURCHILL—Great Britain

FDR---U.S.

JOSEPH STALIN---Soviet Union

BENITO MUSSOLINIADOLF HITLERHIDEKI TOJO

Date Place Participants Decisions

Dec. 1941 to

Jan. 1942

June 1942

Washington Conference

1st

2nd

FDR

Winston ChurchillBig 2

War Production, shipping, aid for China,

diversion of German strength from Eastern

Front and a North African invasion.

Jan. 1943

CasablancaConference

FDR

Winston ChurchillBig 2

Plans for invasion of Sicily and to step up Pacific

War…D-day invasion in 1944 onto French coast.

Unconditional Surrender of Germany

Nov. 1943

TeheranConference

FDRWinston Churchill

Joseph StalinBig 3

1st time “Big 3” meet. Stalin demands 2nd front

onto French coast…. Date of D-day invasion decided… General

Eisenhower appointed as commander of Allies

•4 Star, US General Dwight EisenhowerGeneral Dwight Eisenhower•Graduate of West Point

•Commanded Allied invasion on North Africa in 1942•Named Supreme Allied Commander and in charge of D-D-

Day.Day.WWII Military Leaders

•General George PattonGeneral George Patton

•Graduate of West Point

•Tank commander and commander of the 7th Army

•Germans feared Patton

•““ole blood and guts”ole blood and guts”WWII Military Leaders

LCD: landing craft devices---carried 36 men…..Higgins boat---built by individual who made boats to run on the bayou….20,000

made for the D-Day

To get through the barbed war, soldiers had to blast through with 10’ pipes filled with TNT.

Two portable harbors were built and transported across the English channel and setup on 1 of the British beaches and 1

with the Americans.

To get fuel from England to France, an underwater pipeline was laid which connected with the portable harbors to get fuel

to the front..

To fool the Germans to believing the invasion was at Calais, the Allies dropped dummy parachute soldiers…..

= Canadian= Great Britain

= United States

The Battle of the Bulge:The Battle of the Bulge:Hitler’s Last OffensiveHitler’s Last Offensive

The Battle of the Bulge:The Battle of the Bulge:Hitler’s Last OffensiveHitler’s Last Offensive

Dec. 16, 1944 to Jan. 28,

1945

Yalta: February, 1945Yalta: February, 1945Yalta: February, 1945Yalta: February, 1945 FDR wants quick Soviet entry FDR wants quick Soviet entry

into Pacific war.into Pacific war.

FDR & Churchill concede Stalin FDR & Churchill concede Stalin needs buffer needs buffer (Poland)(Poland) , FDR & , FDR & Stalin want spheres of influence Stalin want spheres of influence and a weak Germany.and a weak Germany.

Churchill wants Churchill wants strong Germany strong Germany as as bufferbufferagainst against Stalin. Stalin.

FDR arguesFDR arguesfor a for a ‘United Nations’.‘United Nations’.

Yalta

DECISIONS MADE AT YALTADECISIONS MADE AT YALTACreated a United NationsUnited Nations to promote world peace.Germany and BerlinGermany and Berlin would be divided into 4 zones

controlled by the US, British, France and Soviet UnionUS, British, France and Soviet UnionEastern European countries under Soviet control would

have ““free electionsfree elections””Stalin agreed but kept Eastern Europe under Soviet

control after WWII leading to the Cold WarCold War…..

The decisions at the Yalta Conference shaped

the post WWII world. Many agreements were

made but the lasting effect was: “You cannot You cannot

trust the words of a trust the words of a dictator”.dictator”.

FDR dies in Warm Springs,

Georgia on April 12, 1945

FDR dies in Warm Springs,

Georgia on April 12, 1945

Mussolini is executed by his own people on April 28, 1945

Mussolini is executed by his own people on April 28, 1945

Hitler realizing that Berlin was about to fall,

married his mistress, Eva Braun and both

commit suicide on April 30, 1945.

Hitler realizing that Berlin was about to fall,

married his mistress, Eva Braun and both

commit suicide on April 30, 1945.

United United NationsNations

•Allied Powers became the United United

NationsNations.

•Germans surrender to the United Nations to

end the war in Europe

United United NationsNations

•Allied Powers became the United United

NationsNations.

•Germans surrender to the United Nations to

end the war in Europe

map/japan

JAPANESE EXPANSION•Dec. 7, 1941,

Japan attacks Pearl Harbor

•US declares war on Japan.

1942•Philippines

•Bataan Death Bataan Death MarchMarch

JAPANESE EXPANSION•Dec. 7, 1941,

Japan attacks Pearl Harbor

•US declares war on Japan.

1942•Philippines

•Bataan Death Bataan Death MarchMarch•Guam

•Malaya

•New Guinea

•Threatening Australia and

Hawaii

•Guam

•Malaya

•New Guinea

•Threatening Australia and

Hawaii

Japanese Japanese KamikazeKamikaze Planes:Planes:

The Scourge of the South The Scourge of the South PacificPacific

Japanese Japanese KamikazeKamikaze Planes:Planes:

The Scourge of the South The Scourge of the South PacificPacific

Kamikaze Kamikaze PilotsPilots

The last 2 years of the war, the Japanese resorted to “suicidal bombers” or Kamikaze bombersKamikaze bombers to destroy the American Navy.Approximately 2,800 Kamikaze attackers sunk 34 Navy ships, damaged 368 others, killed 4,900 sailors, and wounded over 4,800.

Big Three

•Churchill, Truman and Stalin meet in Potsdam, Germany in July 1945.

•Truman informed of successful test of bomb.

•Demanded unconditional surrender from Japanese or a new weapon would be used.

potsdam

•Some suggest that Truman was

warning Stalin.

•If he didn’t follow through with the

decisions at YaltaYalta, it could happen to the

Soviet Union.

potsdam

Arguments for useArguments for use

• Japanese refused to surrender.

• Estimated an invasion similar to D-Day was needed to end

war.

• Estimated Japan’s empire would last 2 years.

• Estimated Allied casualties at 1 million or more men with

huge Japanese losses.

• Japanese leadership was told of the destructive power of the

bomb

• Offered a period to surrender but declined.

Arguments opposedArguments opposed

• Atomic bombs were untested and their destruction unknown

• Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not major military targets.

• Those killed in the attacks would be Japanese civilians.

• Radiation poisoning would have negative effects on the

population.

• Nuclear weapons would set a precedent that using weapons

of mass destruction was allowable in war

A joint Allied Project consisting of Canadian, British and U.S.

scientists to build an atomic bomb.

Started in 1940…..

By July 1945, 3 bombs had been built.

1 bomb = 20,000 tons of TNT

One would be set off in New Mexico successfully.

A joint Allied Project consisting of Canadian, British and U.S.

scientists to build an atomic bomb.

Started in 1940…..

By July 1945, 3 bombs had been built.

1 bomb = 20,000 tons of TNT

One would be set off in New Mexico successfully.

•My fellow Americans, the British, Chinese and United

States governments have given the Japanese people adequate warning of what is in store for

them.

•The world will note that the The world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, a military base. If on Hiroshima, a military base. If

Japan does not surrender, Japan does not surrender, bombs will have to be dropped bombs will have to be dropped

on her war industries and on her war industries and unfortunately thousands of unfortunately thousands of civilian lives will be lost.civilian lives will be lost.

•I urge Japanese civilians to leave industrial cities immediately and save

themselves.

President Harry Truman

Nagasaki – August 9, Nagasaki – August 9, 19451945

Nagasaki – August 9, Nagasaki – August 9, 19451945

40,000 killed 40,000 killed immediately immediately 60,000 injured.60,000 injured. 100,000s died 100,000s died of of radiation radiation poisoningpoisoning & cancer later. & cancer later.

Jap surrender

Japan surrenders on Aug. 14, 1945……Official surrender ceremonies were held on

Sept. 2, 1945

V-J Day response by Americans in New York City

V-J Day response by Americans in New York City