U.S. Propaganda from World War II, Depicting Hitler as foolish. From Wikipedia.com A series of American propaganda posters during World War II appealed to servicemen's patriotism to protect themselves from venereal disease. The text at the bottom of the poster reads, "You can't beat the Axis if you get VD". US Office for War Information, propaganda message: working less helps our enemies. • • • • • • • • • Defeating the Axis Powers D-Day (June 6, 1944) Battle of the Bulge (December, 1944) FDR’s Death (April 12, 1945) V-E Day (May 8, 1945) Potsdam Ultimatum— “Japan: surrender, or else!” August 6, 1945—Hiroshima August 9, 1945—Nagasaki V-J Day (September 2, 1945) Nuremburg War Crimes Trials U.S. World War II Production • • • • • • Planes = 300,000 Tanks = 61,000 Trucks = 87,000 Firearms = 17,900,000 Heavy artillery = 2,400,000 Shells, bombs, etc. = millions of tons Profile of U.S. Servicemen • 39% were volunteers • 61% were draftees • Combat survivability: (out of 1,000) 8.6 were killed in action, 3 died from other causes, and 17.7 received non-mortal combat wounds. • Average base pay: enlisted, $71.33 per month; officers, $203.50 per month • Total number in all military branches: 4 million • Number of World War II veterans dying per day since 2002—one thousand WWII Info Defeating the Axis Powers Japanese Kamikaze Pilots.asf Island Hopping US Pacific Campaign Strategy Kamikaze attack on USS St. Louis The_Manhattan_Project_and_the_Atomic_Bomb_Attacks_on_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki.asf Truman_Drops_A_Bomb_Japan_Surrenders.asf 10. Hiroshima – August 6, 1945 ~ killed 80,000 people & level 42 square miles Nagasaki – August 9, 1945 ~ killed 40,000 Three Options to End War (1) Use Nuclear Bomb (2) Invade Mainland Japan (3) Blockade Japan Cold War Positioning End war before Soviets invade Minimize Soviet influence in peace treaty Enola Gay landing after bombing of Hiroshima. (Smithsonian Institution) Lasting effects of WWII • The Yalta Conference • The Big 3 – Stalin – Churchill – Roosevelt • The Cold War • Who is left???