of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is estimated that between 60,000 and 70,000 people were killed by the bomb in Hiroshima and another 40,000 in Nagasaki. On 8 August, the USSR declared war on Japan. Japan’s position was impossible to maintain and they surrendered on 14 August 1945. That day was named VJ-Day (Victory in Japan Day). Finally, World War II was over across the globe.
Fig 14.21 The destruction caused in Hiroshima by the atomic bomb which was dropped in August 1945.
14 So how did the Allies win?
1. The sheer number of countries at war with Germany proved too much. Germany was forced to fight on the eastern and western fronts and its resources were overstretched. The size of the armies and the resources available to the USSR and the USA were massive. The populations of the USSR and the USA dwarfed the Axis populations and they also had almost 400 times more oil reserves than Germany.
2. Furthermore, Germany had to rely on its Axis allies who had inferior armies. The need to help the Italians in Greece, Yugoslavia and Africa meant that large amounts of men and supplies were diverted from the main German fronts.
3. Some of Hitler’s military decisions were very unwise. For example, his decision not to allow Paulus to retreat at Stalingrad proved to be a major mistake. Perhaps his greatest mistake of all was the invasion of the USSR. The Red Army was larger in number and ultimately had more military equipment.
RECALL
1. Who attended the conference in Tehran in 1943 and what was decided?
2. How many troops were involved in Operation Overlord?
3. Name the codenames for the beaches in France where the Allied troops landed.
4. What was the AtlanticWall? 5. When was Paris liberated by the Allies? 6. On which date did Germany surrender?
7. What was the name given to 8 May 1945 and why?
8. What did kamikaze pilots do? 9. Where were the atom bombs dropped? 10. Give three reasons why the Allies wonWorld War II.
VIEWPOINTS AND OBJECTIVITY
11. As a class, discuss: do you think that dropping the second atomic bomb was justified?