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The Final Stages of WWII. Liberation of Europe. - With Allied forces landing and advancing from Normandy, Russia and Italy, the final stages of the war began - Fighting continued for 11 more months after D-Day as Allied forces cleared port towns and major cities and pushed toward Berlin.
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Liberation of Europe - With Allied forces landing and advancing from Normandy, Russia and Italy, the final stages of the war began - Fighting continued for 11 more months after D-Day as Allied forces cleared port towns and major cities and pushed toward Berlin
Liberation of Europe - Canadian forces suffered 11,000 casualties throughout the 11-month liberation, but managed to defeat a number of German occupation forces (including at Dieppe) - As the Germans retreated from the Netherlands, they intentionally flooded the region. Canadians liberated the Dutch country, creating a very strong, enduring connection between their country and ours
Liberation of Europe - The German forces grew desperate, launching their newly-invented V-1 flying bombs and V-2 Rockets at British towns - Hitler began pulling back his forces to defend Germany, concentrating his resources on the Western front (much like the Germans did during their final push in WWI) - The Allies were able to overcome this final effort and were able to move on to Berlin. A race began to emerge between the Allies and the Russians, who were approaching from the East. - The British, Canadian and U.S. Forces understood that, if the Russians arrived first, chaos would ensue
Liberation of Europe - By April, 1945, the Russians arrived in Berlin and began destroying the city - On April 30th, in order to avoid the fate that Mussolini endured at the hands of his people, Hitler opted to shoot himself in his secret command bunker underneath the Reichstag. His remains were immediately cremated - Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) happened on May 7th, 1945, when the German army formally surrendered
Victory in the Pacific - President Roosevelt’s health deteriorated throughout the 1940s, and he died of a stroke in April, 1945 - The American population was shocked. Few had been aware of his health issues. He was seen as a hero who had rescued the U.S. from the Great Depression and had accomplished great political victories throughout his terms - FDR is regularly included in lists of the top three U.S. Presidents, along with Washington and Lincoln
Victory in the Pacific - FDR was succeeded by his Vice President, Harry S. Truman - Truman saw out the final stages of the War in the Pacific within his first few months in office. He issued a warning to the Japanese to surrender or risk being completely destroyed - The Japanese still did not believe that it was possible for them to lose a war and refused
Victory in the Pacific - On August 6th, 1945, the Americans sent the Bomber Enola Gay to drop a single atomic bomb on the port city of Hiroshima - The bomb, called “Little Boy” was ten feet long and weighed 9,700 pounds. It was capable of exploding with the power of 16 kilotons of TNT - For reference: The Halifax explosion was 3 kilotons of TNT
Victory in the Pacific - 60% of the city was completely flattened or evaporated within seconds of detonation- 71,000 people were killed, with a further 68,000 injured - The Japanese still did not surrender. Three days later, the Americans dropped a second atomic bomb on the city of Nagasaki, killing another 35,000 people and injuring 60,000 - On September 2nd, 1945, the Japanese finally surrendered to the Americans. This marked the official end of World War II.
