Madison+Mann

= __World War II Turning Points__ =

Time-line:
December 7, 1941 Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor December 8, 1941: US declares war on Japan March 1941: Beginning of lend lease act June 22, 1941: German invasion of Soviet Union (Operation Barbaossa) 1942: Bataan Death March February 2, 1943: Soviets win the Battle of Stalingrad June 6, 1944: D-day July 23, 1944: Auschwitz liberated 1945: Nuremberg Trials April 12, 1945: Harry S Truman in office April 30, 1945 Hitler commits suicide May 8, 1945: VE day August 6, 1945: Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima August 9, 1945: Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki August 15, 1945: VJ day (Wikipedia.com)

I. Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is the attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The Japanese saw the US entering the war as an opponent as inevitable. They believed their Navy fleet as a huge threat. In order to eliminate the threat of the US, they bombed the US base Pearl Harbor, which held many US ships. The Japanese sent unannounced dive-bombers and fighters. This surprise attack killed many US citizens.

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor not only killed many US citizens, but it left the country in a state of shock because they were not expecting the Japanese to take offense against them. This event altered the outcome of the war. The US had been neutral in the war up until the attack on Pearl Harbor. The American lives lost angered the country as a whole and many Americans wanted to avenge what had happened. In addition to fighting out of anger, America had been attacked once and did not know whether they would be again. This need to keep the people safe also forced the US to enter the war.

__//Primary Source//__: Click this [|link.] This is a letter by William Czako. Czako was a survivor of Pearl Harbor, and while he was trapped in a battle ship during the bombers he wrote a letter to his sister unsure he would himself survive. (Czako)

II. Battle of Stalingrad
The battle of Stalingrad was between Germany and the Soviet Union on the eastern front. Shortly after signing the Nazi-Soviet non aggression, Germany broke its agreement and began a invasion of the Soviet Union. This was a turning point of the war, and now Germany had to fight a two front war. The Soviets fought against the German sixth army. Although Hitler believed that he would win an easy victory, the harsh weather conditions proved otherwise. The Germans, who were especially not used to the cold, lost connections with their supply lines, and eventually captured by the Soviets.

The battle of Stalingrad had a huge impact on Germany. Many Germans were captured after loosing Stalingrad, and they were not killed by the Soviets. But, the battle impacted the minds of the Germans. Captured commanders did not want to be prisoners of the soviets, and were willing to die instead. This battle made Germany look weak, and in addition to losing battle, Germany lost many men. Many of the German soldiers that went on into captivity died from poor living conditions. They were already weak from battle, and the cold air and little food did not help. //__Primary Source__: Click this [|link.]// This is a book written by Erich Weinert the president of the Free Germany national Committee in Moscow. It is a diary written telling his own experiences, and view of Stalingrad (Weinert).

(Tucker)

III. Bombing of Hiroshima
__//Primary Source://__ Click this [|link.] This is President Truman's statement about why he decided to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. He states that it was the right thing to do, especially after the Japanese refused their ultimatum. It also is to protect the US because it is to help prevent the Japanese from being able to make war (Truman).

On July 26, 1945 President Harry S Truman gave orders to use the atomic bomb against Japan. The US dropped the bomb on the Japanese town of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, it was the first atomic bomb ever used. President Truman decided to use the bomb as means to bring an end to the war. The bomb was loaded into the Engola Gay, and given the nickname the "little boy". The bomb instantly wiped out 4 square miles of Hiroshima and killed over 70,000 people.

The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima helped bring a quick end to the war. The end of the war was not entirely due to the bombing of Hiroshima; the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki helped as well. But, in addition to ending the war these bombs killed many Japanese lives, and brought to light a new weapon. This new invention sparked the needs of other countries to want the same thing, so it could be used by them as well. Although the dropping of the bombs was not to show off American power, because others saw what America had they too wanted to have the same thing. (Rhyn)

[|Click this link for Video on the Bombing of Hiroshima.]
(Education)

Map of Europe Post World War II: (Clio)

BIBLIOGRAPHY __About.com: 20th Century History .__ 28 February 2010 .

Clio, ABC-. 27 February 2010 .

Czako, William. __Military.com.__ 7 December 1941. 28 February 2010 .

Education, Discovery. __Attack on Hiroshima.__ 26 February 2010 .

Rhyn, Mark E. Van. __ABC-Clio.__ 1 March 2010 .

Truman, Harry S. 6 August 1945. 27 February 2010 .

Tucker, Eva-Maria Stolberg and Spencer C. __ABC-Clio.__ 27 February 2010 .

Weinert, Erich. 1 March 2010 .

__Wikipedia.com.__ 28 February 2010 .