| 1945
Timeline
|
|
| February
4, 1945 |
The
Allies drive German forces from Belgium. President Roosevelt, British
Prime Minister Churchill, and Soviet Premier Stalin meet at Yalta
to decide on post-war borders in Europe. |
| February
7, 1945 |
Soviet
forces move into Germany. |
| February
13-14, 1945 |
Anglo-US
bombers attack the German city of Dresden. The explosions start a
firestorm which kills 50,000 people. |
| February
19, 1945 |
US
Marines land on Iwo Jima. Japanese resistance ends after 36 days.
Officials report 5,931 Americans killed and 17,372 wounded. Almost
21,000 Japanese soldiers die. The US use the island as a refueling
station and emergency landing field for B-29 bombers. |
| March
3, 1945 |
US
forces liberated the Philippine capital of Manila after a month long
battle. Officials report deaths of 1,000 American, 16,000 Japanese,
and 100,000 Filipino soldiers. The US liberates the Philippines on
July 5. |
| March
10, 1945 |
Three
hundred US bombers hit Tokyo with napalm and kill 85,0000 Japanese.
The US continues fire raids on Nagoya, Osaka, Kobe, and Yokohama. |
| April
1, 1945 |
US
forces land on Okinawa. The fighting ends on June 22 with a US victory.
Officials report 12,520 Americans killed and 3,824 wounded. More than
107,000 Japanese and Okinawan soldiers and civilians die. The US intends
to use the island as an invasion route to Japan. |
| April
12, 1945 |
President
Roosevelt dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 63. Vice-President
Harry Truman becomes President. |
| April
13, 1945 |
Allied
forces liberate German concentration camps at Belsen and Buchenwald.
The Soviets liberate Vienna. |
| April
25, 1945 |
US
and Soviet forces meet at Torgau in Germany at the Elbe River. |
| April
28, 1945 |
Italian
partisans capture and kill Mussolini. |
| April
29, 1945 |
German
forces surrender in Italy. |
| April
30, 1945 |
Hitler
commits suicide in Berlin. |
| May
2, 1945 |
Soviet
soldiers capture the German capital of Berlin. |
| May
5, 1945 |
German
forces in Holland, Denmark, and Northern Germany surrender to the
Allies. |
| May
8, 1945 |
Germany
surrenders unconditionally to the Allies and the war ends in Europe.
The Allies call the day V-E (Victory-Europe) Day. |
| June
26, 1945 |
Fifty
nations sign the United Nations charter in San Francisco. |
| July
17, 1945 |
Allied
leaders reaffirm their demand for Japan's unconditional surrender
at the Potsdam Conference. |
| August
6, 1945 |
The
US drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. 71,379
Japanese citizens die instantly. |
| August
9, 1945 |
The
US drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. 25,600 Japanese
citizens die instantly. |
| August
15, 1945 |
Japan
surrenders to the Allies and war in the Pacific ends. The Allies call
the day V-J (Victory-Japan) Day. |
| August
20, 1945 |
The
US War Production Board ends most wartime restrictions on manufacturing. |
| September
2, 1945 |
Japanese
unconditional surrender signed in Tokyo Bay on the US battleship Missouri. |
| November
20, 1945 |
Opening
day of trials for twenty-two German officers in Nurenberg, Germany.
French, British, Russian, and American judges listened to evidence
of crimes and atrocities committed during the war. They sentence twelve
men to death by hanging. Seven serve jail terms and three go free. |
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