World War II
World War II was one of the bloodiest wars ever. Over 400,000 American lives were lost, and I’m not mentioning the millions of soldiers killed from other countries. More than 60 million people died in World War II. That’s 3% of the 1940 population! And if that’s not enough, before WWII even officially started, the Holocaust had already begun, and thousands, even millions of Jews were being murdered.
During the Holocaust, over 6 million Jews and gypsies were killed by the Germans. Although most people understand the nature of the Holocaust, which was because the Nazis believed that the Jews were a “low” and “evil” race, and they should be exterminated. So, …show more content…
Led by general Dwight Eisenhower, over 160,000 Allied troops invaded Western Europe from the English Channel, making it the largest amphibious invasion in history. Allied troops landed on a 50-mile front on 5 beaches, nicknamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. They were heavily fortified, but in the end, thanks to extensive planning , the Allied troops overtook the German fortifications. Less than a week later, on June 11, the beaches were fully secured and over 326,000 troops, more than 50,000 vehicles and some 100,000 tons of equipment had landed at Normandy. For their part, the Germans suffered from confusion in the ranks and the absence of the German commander Rommel, who was away for some reason. At first, Hitler, believing the invasion was a distraction designed to distract the Germans from a coming attack north of the Seine River, refused to release nearby soldiers to join the counterattack. Reinforcements had to be called from further afield, causing delays. He also hesitated in calling for armored divisions to help in the defense. Also, the Germans were hampered by Allied air support, which took out many key bridges and forced the Germans to take long detours, as well as Allied naval support, which helped protect advancing Allied …show more content…
Allied troops marched through Europe, fighting their way through the German defenses and capturing hundreds of thousands of soldiers. On May 8, 1945, The Allies accepted the surrender of Nazi Germany. Hitler had committed suicide a week earlier.
Franklin D. Roosevelt died of a massive stroke on April 12, 1945, leaving Harry S. Truman as president. He made the decision to drop two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The smaller one, nicknamed the “Little Boy” was dropped on August 6, 1945 on Hiroshima. The bigger one, the “Fat Man”, was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. More than 200,000 Japanese civilians and soldiers died, from the initial blast or radiation exposure. Japan officially surrendered on September 2, 1945, thus ending the hostilities of World War II.
Overall, World War II was a huge tragedy, but thanks to amazing leadership from the Allied leaders, strategic planning, and the bravery and dedication of the Allied soldiers, the Axis powers were defeated, and peace was once more brought to the
World War II was one of the bloodiest wars ever. Over 400,000 American lives were lost, and I’m not mentioning the millions of soldiers killed from other countries. More than 60 million people died in World War II. That’s 3% of the 1940 population! And if that’s not enough, before WWII even officially started, the Holocaust had already begun, and thousands, even millions of Jews were being murdered.
During the Holocaust, over 6 million Jews and gypsies were killed by the Germans. Although most people understand the nature of the Holocaust, which was because the Nazis believed that the Jews were a “low” and “evil” race, and they should be exterminated. So, …show more content…
Led by general Dwight Eisenhower, over 160,000 Allied troops invaded Western Europe from the English Channel, making it the largest amphibious invasion in history. Allied troops landed on a 50-mile front on 5 beaches, nicknamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. They were heavily fortified, but in the end, thanks to extensive planning , the Allied troops overtook the German fortifications. Less than a week later, on June 11, the beaches were fully secured and over 326,000 troops, more than 50,000 vehicles and some 100,000 tons of equipment had landed at Normandy. For their part, the Germans suffered from confusion in the ranks and the absence of the German commander Rommel, who was away for some reason. At first, Hitler, believing the invasion was a distraction designed to distract the Germans from a coming attack north of the Seine River, refused to release nearby soldiers to join the counterattack. Reinforcements had to be called from further afield, causing delays. He also hesitated in calling for armored divisions to help in the defense. Also, the Germans were hampered by Allied air support, which took out many key bridges and forced the Germans to take long detours, as well as Allied naval support, which helped protect advancing Allied …show more content…
Allied troops marched through Europe, fighting their way through the German defenses and capturing hundreds of thousands of soldiers. On May 8, 1945, The Allies accepted the surrender of Nazi Germany. Hitler had committed suicide a week earlier.
Franklin D. Roosevelt died of a massive stroke on April 12, 1945, leaving Harry S. Truman as president. He made the decision to drop two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The smaller one, nicknamed the “Little Boy” was dropped on August 6, 1945 on Hiroshima. The bigger one, the “Fat Man”, was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. More than 200,000 Japanese civilians and soldiers died, from the initial blast or radiation exposure. Japan officially surrendered on September 2, 1945, thus ending the hostilities of World War II.
Overall, World War II was a huge tragedy, but thanks to amazing leadership from the Allied leaders, strategic planning, and the bravery and dedication of the Allied soldiers, the Axis powers were defeated, and peace was once more brought to the