The End of World War II

Home , Unconditional surrender, Victory in Europe Day

Name______Class______Date______World War II Lesson 7 The End of World War II

Key Terms and People United Nations (UN) World peacekeeping organization created after World War II V-E Day Victory in Europe Day, May 8, 1945 Harry S. Truman 33rd president of the United States J. Robert Oppenheimer Scientist who led the Manhattan Project Hiroshima City that was the site of the first atomic-bomb drop in Japan Nagasaki Japanese city that was the site of the second atomic-bomb drop Nuremberg Trials Tribunal that tried Nazi leaders for war crimes Gl Bill of Rights Law passed by Congress to help servicemen readjust to civilian life

Before You Read In the last lesson you learned how the United States defeated the Japanese in the Pacific. In this lesson you will learn about preparations for the postwar world, the use of the atomic bomb, challenges countries faced, and benefits of the war for Americans.

As You Read Use a chart to take notes on major World War II events at the end and after the war.

THE ALLIES LIBERATE EUROPE Germany from the east and Allied forces How did the Allies try to shape the came from the west. The Germans were postwar world? surrounded. The Battle of the Bulge left Germany Meanwhile, in February 1945 in a weakened state. Allied troops Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin, the Big marched eastward into the center of Three, met at the Yalta Conference. Germany. They were pleased over the defeat of Meanwhile, the Soviets pushed Germany, which now seemed certain. westward across Poland toward Berlin, Stalin wanted to keep Germany divided Germany. The Soviets were the first to into occupation zones, areas controlled liberate death camps and to describe the by Allied military forces, so Germany unbelievable horrors they saw there. could no longer be a threat. Churchill Americans, who later liberated Nazi disagreed and Roosevelt suggested death camps in Germany, were just as concessions to Stalin. He wanted Stalin horrified as the Soviets had been. to help in the fight to defeat Japan. And The Soviet army approached he wanted Stalin to support the United

Nations (UN), a new world peacekeeping 1945, the first atomic bomb was tested. organization. It was even more powerful than At Yalta, the Allies agreed to divide predicted. Many scientists felt it would Germany into four zones: one zone for be immoral to drop the bomb on Japan. the Americans, the British, the Soviets, Others said it would shorten the war and the French. Stalin agreed to allow and save lives. It would also give the free elections in Poland and other United States an advantage over the Eastern European countries. He also Soviets after the war. Truman decided to agreed to join in the war against Japan. use the bomb. The Yalta Conference made many On August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb decisions, but it signaled growing was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. friction between the Soviet Union and Almost every building collapsed into the other Allies. dust. But Japan did not surrender. A By April 25, 1945, the Soviets were in second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Berlin. Hitler responded to certain killing 200,000. Emperor Hirohito was defeat by shooting himself. horrified. Japan surrendered on A week later, General Eisenhower September 2, 1945. The war was over. accepted the unconditional surrender of 2. Why did Truman decide to use the Nazi Germany. On May 8, 1945, the atomic bomb? Allies proclaimed V-E Day—Victory in Europe Day. President Roosevelt never saw V-E Day because he died on April 12, 1945. Vice-President Harry S. Truman became the nation’s 33rd president. THE CHALLENGES OF VICTORY 1. How did the Yalta Conference shape How did losing the war affect the the postwar world? leaders of Germany and Japan? Japan had surrendered, but the use of the atomic bomb had brought the world into the nuclear age. Over time, the Soviet Union and other nations tried to build their own atomic weapons. But the THE ATOMIC BOMB task at hand was what to do for the ENDS THE WAR postwar world. Why did the United States use At the Yalta Conference and even the atomic bomb? before, leaders were planning for the Although the Allies had won Iwo United Nations. People hoped that the Jima and Okinawa, they knew invading United Nations would help bring a time Japan would be difficult because it still of peace. Instead, the UN became a had a huge army. President Truman place where the two superpowers, the believed that the only way to avoid an United States and the Soviet Union, invasion was to use the weapon competed and tried to influence other developed by scientists working on the nations. Manhattan Project, the atomic bomb. Even before the war ended, there were J. Robert Oppenheimer had led the tensions between the United States and research and development. On July 16, the Soviet Union. Truman met with the

Allied leaders at the Potsdam CHANGES ON THE HOME FRONT Conference in July 1945. At Yalta, How did American society change as Stalin had promised to allow free a result of the war? elections in Eastern Europe. But now Although Europe and Japan suffered Soviet troops occupied Eastern Europe, tremendous devastation, World War II and Stalin was not going to allow free brought Americans opportunities. There elections. were jobs and money to spend. In addition to democratic countries, Unemployment fell, and workers were Truman and Stalin disagreed about the able to save money. reparations from Germany to help repay Farmers also benefited. After the dust Soviet wartime losses. However, the storms of the depression years, the leaders at Potsdam were able to 1940s saw good weather for growing compromise. They divided Germany crops. Improvements in farm technology into four occupation zones as was set up also helped farmers make a profit. at the Yalta Conference. Each occupying The war had been good to women, country was able to take reparations too. More than 6 million women had from its own zone. started working. Many of these jobs The Nuremberg Trials were held to try were doing work traditionally done by remaining Nazi leaders. For the first men. time, a nation’s leaders were held legally The war also brought about one of responsible for their wartime acts. They the largest mass migrations the country were tried for crimes against humanity, ever experienced. People who had lived crimes against the peace, and war for years in a place decided to look for crimes. The result of the trials was that jobs elsewhere. People left farms and 12 of the 24 defendants were sentenced small towns. They moved to the North to death and most of the others were and the West. African Americans were sent to prison. Later trials saw 200 more among these migrants. They were found guilty of war crimes. These trials looking for new jobs and to escape established the idea that individuals are discrimination. responsible for their own actions even In 1944 Congress passed the GI Bill during a war. This principle became part of Rights, which was designed to help of international law. servicemen readjust to civilian life. This After its surrender, Japan was bill paid for veterans to get an occupied by American forces headed by education. Over half the returning General MacArthur. This occupation soldiers took advantage of this lasted for six years. First, Japanese opportunity. It also gave federal loan officials were put on trial for war crimes. guarantees to veterans buying homes or Then, the United States helped Japan set farms or starting businesses. The GI Bill up a free-market economic system and gave many people opportunities they create a new democratic constitution. otherwise would never have had. 3. How were defeated nations treated 4. How did the war benefit Americans? by the Allies?

Complete the chart about the end of World War II, postwar plans, the challenges of victory, and life on the home front.

World War II’s End and Beyond 1. How did the Soviets and Americans react to the Nazi death camps?

2. What plans did Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin make at the Yalta Conference?

3. Why was V-E Day important?

4. Why did some scientists believe that it was immoral to drop the atomic bomb on Japan?

5. What major difference between the United States and the Soviet Union was demonstrated at the Potsdam Conference?

6. What made the Nuremberg Trials so significant?

7. What were positive results that came out of the U.S. occupation of Japan?

8. Why did the war bring about one of the largest mass migrations in the United States?

9. Why was the GI Bill of Rights a necessary law?