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German U-Boats began sinking unprotected U.S. and Allie's merchant ships, which caused the Allies to use convoys to protect them, aong with a sonar system, which enabled them to detect the same German U-Boats which were sinking them. In the beginning the Germans were very successful, but by mid 1943, the Allies had the upper hand.
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Japan was cut off from all trade shipments sent from the US to make sure Japan wouldn't expand their empire throughout the Pacific, and in retaliation, Japan plotted an attack on the US. The U.S. was able to intercept and break Japan's secret codes, but not the dates nor whereabouts of the attack. 2 full blown attacks then took place on Pearl Harbor.
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U.S. Declares war on Japan.
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Germany and Italy declare war on the U.S.
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Prior to this battle, the Japanese were winning every battle and taking over the Pacific!
May 1942 - U.S. and Australia stopped Japan from invading
Japan won the actual battle, but the allies were able to stop Japan invasion for the first time
U.S. was beginning to use the Island Hopping technique to weaken Japan’s forces -
June 4-7, 1942
Admiral Chester Nimitz figured out the Japanese code
U.S. launched surprise attack on Japan at Pacific island called Midway
U.S. was successful in the Battle of Midway, woo! -
Germans violated nonaggression pact with Soviet Union and attacked them.
Hitler hoped to capture Soviet oil fields but failed
Germans nearly won (controlled 9/10 of city)
Winter of 1943 hit -
Soviet Union was pushing into Poland and Allies were pushing North into Italy
Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower and George Patton influential in leading attack
150,000 Allied troops invaded them -
German tanks broke through American lines
Fought in Belgium - Germany was trying to capture Antwerp
Very brutal war - one of the most extensive of U.S. military (120 American GIs captured and mowed down by SS machine guns and pistols, very gory and violent, oh no!) -
Similar trials held for Japanese war criminals
7 out of 28 leaders were found guilty and sentenced to death (including Tojo)
U.S. occupied Japan for 6 years under the direction of General Douglas MacArthur -
Took place February before WWII was over
Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill met in Yalta in the Soviet Union to discuss post WWII
Set up United Nations -
Island in the Pacific that was critical for U.S. win
27,000 Japanese held Iwo Jima
U.S. won
26,800 Japanese troops died
6,000 U.S. Marines died -
April 1-June 22, 1945
Japan’s last defensive stronghold
Japan used 1,900 Kamikaze attacks
110,000 Japanese troops died
7,600 - 12,500 U.S U.S. troops died
U.S. won -
At the beginning of his 4th Term, President Franklin D. Roosevelt passes away
The U.S. went through a major grieving period
Harry S. Truman, as Vice-President, takes the role as President -
April 30, 1945 Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide (gun shot and cyanide)
Bodies burned
Cover of Time magazine (release date May 7, 1945) -
General Eisenhower accepted a surrender by the Third Reich
V-E day = Victory in Europe day
1st part of War was over -
July – August 1945
Truman, (Churchill and then Clement Atlee) and Stalin met in Potsdam, Germany
Drew up a blueprint to disarm Germany and eliminate the Nazi regime -
200,000 Japanese died due to the Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Hiroshima:
August 6, 1945
“Little Boy”
In 43 seconds, the city collapsed to dust and rubble Nagasaki:
August 9, 1945
“Fat Man”
Leveled half of the city -
August 15, 1945: Japan offers unconditional surrender
September 2, 1945: V-J Day = Victory in Japan Day (Formal surrender -
International tribunal court tried Nazi officials
Over 23 nations tried Nazi war criminals in Nuremberg, Germany
12 of the 22 defendants were sentenced to death
200 other officials were found guilty, but given lesser sentences