Election of 1944
· FDR won an unprecedented fourth term in office in 1944.
· However, in April of 1945, FDR died, forcing Vice-President Harry Truman to assume the Presidency.
· By April of 1945, American and Soviet troops were closing in on Berlin.
· Adolf Hitler committed suicide on April 30, and Germany officially surrendered on May 7.
· On May 8, the Allies celebrated V-E Day (Victory in Europe).
Island Hopping in the Pacific
· The two main goals of the U.S. in the Pacific were:
I. to regain the Philippines.
II. to invade Japan.
· The U.S. began a policy of island hopping, using islands as stepping-stones towards Japan.
· By February of 1945, the U.S. had recaptured the Philippines and captured the islands of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
· The Japanese continued to fight, oftentimes using kamikaze attacks against U.S. ships.
· The U.S. planned to invade Japan in 1945, though experts warned that the invasion could cost over a million casualties.
· Upon learning about the atomic bomb, Pres. Truman sent the Japanese the Potsdam Declaration, warning them to surrender or face “prompt and utter destruction.”
· Unaware of the atomic bombs, the Japanese ignored the Potsdam Declaration.
· On August 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, killing at least 70,000 people and destroying most of the city.
· On August 9, the U.S. dropped another atomic bomb on the city of Nagasaki, killing at least 40,000 people.
· On August 14, Japan officially surrendered ending World War II. This date became known as V-J Day (Victory over Japan).
