day 4

• Iwo Jima: an island 100 miles from Japan. Controlled by Japan. after 4 days the allies took the island.
• a famous picture was taken on the island of Iwo Jima. US soldiers planted the flag at Mount Suribach (the highest point on the island.) The Pictures become the symbol for WW2. 6k died on the island.
• WC (churchill) predicted that if allies

  invaded Japan, the US would lose 1 million soldiers.
• Yalta Conference: Jan 1945. the big 3 met to decide what to do with Germany once their defeated. Stalin proposed to divide germany into 4 zones. The US, Britain, France + the USSR would each control a portion. USSR would get the largest zone because they lost the most.
• Churchill didn't like the plan for germany’s division but FDR convinced WC to accept it for two reasons: we needed Soviets to defeat Japan + the allies wanted the Soviets to join the UN. (United Nations). A deal was reached
• On April 29,1945 Hitter married Eva Braun (long time companion) the next day they committed suicide by soaking in gasoline + burning.

  They were buried in shallow graves outside of Berlin
• • May 8 Germans surrendered + called it “VE Day” (victory in Europe Day)
• FDR never witnessed VE Day. On April 12. 1945 in Warmspring Georgia he died from a stroke. That night Harry Truman became our 33rd president
• After Truman became aware of the Manhattan Project. He met with Oppenheimer who led the project as a scientist. The bomb was tested in a Desert in New Mexico which was successful .
• Truman met the US Secretary of Defense Henry Stimson + Stimson strongly supported using the bomb but, scientist + military leaders disagree. because it crossed a moral line + the military leaders were gonna a start an arms race. BUT Truman believed using the bomb was his only options
• August 6, 1945 a B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped the bomb over Hiroshima, it was called" little bay"

  • The bomb did massive damage but Japan didn’t surerder
• August 9, 1945 we dropped another bomb called "Fat man“ over

  Nagasaki. It killed 200K
• September 2 Japan surrendered aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
• Our actions lead to an arms race. the UN was formed and 50 nations including (US+ USSR) signed. UN was organized to promote peace
• Nuremberg Trials: 24 Nazi leaders were brought to trial for committing war crimes. 12 were killed. Others went to prison
• Positives of the War:

  1. The US made progress with civil rights
  2. Brought us out of the Depression

  3. Our soldiers were rewarded with free college, a years pay, and no interest loans. this was provided by the GI bill