19141945:WorldatWar

People
WoodrowWilson
AdolfHitler
JosephStalin
BenitoMussolini
WinstonChurchill
FranklinD.Roosevelt
EmperorHirohito
HidekoTojo
AdolphHitler
HarryTruman
DouglasMacArthur
DwightEisenhower
MaoZedong

TermsandPrimaryDocuments
NationalismandAlliances
TheGreatWar
RussianRevolution
FourteenPoints
GreatDepression
Totalitarianism
Fascism
Propaganda
HitlerStalinPactof1939
AxisPowers
AlliedPowers
Blitzkrieg
Dunkirk
BattleofBritain
Stalingrad
Normandy
Midway
BattleofBulge
IwoJima
IslandHopping
Holocaust
AtlanticConference
Yalta
PotsdamConference
UnitedNations
MarshallPlan
NATO
CreationofStateofIsrael
WarsawPact
ChineseCivilWar
ZimmermanTelegram
AllQuietonWesternFront
TheSunAlsoRises
MeinKampf
TheNuremburgLaws
ArsenalofDemocracy
FightontheBeachesSpeech
Hiroshima

22.
the20thCentury
th
Perhapsthebiggestchangeofthe20
centurywaschangeitself.Intheyear1900,therewereno
airplanes,televisions,orcomputers.Therewereonly50nationsintheworld,andonlyahandfulwere
democracies.Acenturylater,populationhadtripled.Humanswereexploringouterspaceandsurfing
theInternet.Empireshaddissolved,theworldhad180nations,andmostclaimedtobedemocracies.

th
Itsbeensaidthatmorechangeoccurredduringthe20
centurythanintheprevious19centuries
combined.
th
Atthebeginningofthe20
century,Europewasattheheightofitspower,controllingmostofthe
landsurfaceoftheearth.TheFrenchhadbuilttheSuezCanalinEgyptlinkingEuropetoAsia,and
Europespowerfulnaviespatrolledtheoceans.EuropeansbelievedinsocialDarwinismandthe
superiorityofthewhiterace.Theyconsideredtheirsocietytobethegreatestachievementof
th
civilizationandamodelforallotherpeoplestofollow.Amajorchapterinthestoryofthe20
century
ishowEuropedestroyeditsowndominanceofthemodernworld.ThisgloomytalebeginswithWorld
WarI.
23.
WorldWarI
th
Atthedawnofthe20
century,Europescompetingnationswereasquarrelsomeasever.
NationalismandimperialismincreasedtensionsandconflictamongtheGreatPowersofEuropeasthey
competedformilitarypowerandcolonialpossessions.Europeancountriesstrengthenedtheirarmies
andnaviesandformedalliancessotheywouldhavefriendsincaseofwar.These
entanglingalliances
meantthataquarrelbetweenanytwonationscoulddragmorecountriesintotheconflict.Europewasa
powderkegwaitingtoexplode.
ThesparkthatignitedWorldWarIcamefromthe
Balkans
,aregionofmanyculturesandethnic
groupsnorthofGreecethatincludedthenationofSerbia.InAugust1914,ayoungSerbiannationalist,
hopingtotriggeranuprisingofSerbslivinginAustria,assassinatedArchdukeFrancisFerdinand,the
heirtothethroneofAustriaHungary.AustriablamedSerbiafortheattackanddeclaredwaronSerbia.
SerbiasfriendRussiadeclaredwaronAustria,andthesystemofentanglingallianceskickedin
trappingEuropeinanunstoppablechainofevents.Sixweeksaftertheassassination,muchofEurope
wasatwar.TheallianceledbyRussia,France,andBritain,wasknownasthe
Allies
theallianceof
AustriaHungary,GermanyandtheTurkishOttomanEmpirewascalledthe
CentralPowers
.With
enemiesonbothsides,theCentralPowershadtofightawarontwofronts.ThefightinginBelgium
andFrancewastheWesternFrontthewarinRussiawastheEasternFront.Patrioticyoungmenfrom
bothsideseagerlyenlistedforthefight.TheyexpectedittobealloverbyChristmas.
24.
trenchwarfare
Warhadalwaysbeenabattleofmen.TheIndustrialRevolutionturnedwarintoabattleof
machines.Fivenewtechnologieschangedthenatureofwarfare:theairplane,thetank,thesubmarine,
poisongas,andthemachinegun.Ofthese,themachinegunwasthemostdevastating.Atthe
beginningofthewar,generalsfamiliarwithanearlierstyleofcombathurledheroiccavalryand
infantrychargesagainsttheenemy,buthorsesandhumanbodiesofferedlittleresistancetomachine
gunbullets.
Asthefirstwinterofthewarapproached,soldiersontheWesternFrontbegandigginghundreds
ofmilesofmuddy,ratinfestedtrencheswheretheytriedtohidefrommachinegunsandexploding
artilleryshells.Betweenthetrencheslaya
nomansland
ofbarbedwire,shatteredtrees,shell
craters,androttingcorpses.Whenorderedtoattack,soldiersclimbedoutoftheirtrenches,ranacross
nomanslandtowardtheenemytrenches,andweremoweddownlikefieldsofwheatbymachinegun,
rifle,andartilleryfire.Injustoneengagement,theBattleoftheSommeinnorthernFrance,1,100,000
soldiersdied.Youngmenwerebeingslaughteredbythehundredsofthousands,andneithersidewas
gainingground.
25.
theLusitania
President
WoodrowWilson
triedtokeeptheUnitedStatesoutofthewar,butitbecame
increasinglydifficult.In1915,aGermansubmarinesanktheBritishpassengerliner
Lusitania
,which
wascarryingweapons,aswellaspassengers,fromtheUnitedStatestoEngland.Ofthe1200people
killedintheattack,128wereAmericans,mostlywomenandchildren.ThesinkingturnedAmerican

publicopinionagainstGermany.EconomicinterestsalsopushedAmericatowardwar.American
bankshadmadelargeloanstotheAllies,andiftheAllieslostthewar,theseloansmightneverbe
repaid.WhenitlookedliketheAlliesmightbedefeated,PresidentWilsontooktheUnitedStatesto
war.
TheUnitedStatesdeclaredwarin1917tomaketheworldsafefordemocracyinthewords
ofPresidentWilson.WithamillionfreshAmericantroopsarrivinginFrance,theAlliessoondefeated
th
th
theCentralPowers.Whenthefightingstoppedat11:00oclockonthe11
dayofthe11
month,
soldiersfrombothsidescameoutoftheirtrenchesandcheered.November11thisnowobservedas
VeteransDayintheU.S.
26.
TreatyofVersailles
The
GreatWar,
asitwascalled,changedthepoliticallandscapeofEurope.Gonewerethe
AustroHungarianEmpireandthelongdecayingTurkishOttomanEmpire.Theirlandswerebroken
upintosmallernations.Russialostitstsar,andGermanysKaiserwasreplacedbyanewGerman
republic.ThewarnearlywipedoutanentiregenerationofyoungmeninEurope.Almost30million
peoplewerekilledorwoundedduringtheGreatWar,andoveramillionciviliansdiedasaresultofthe
fighting.
ThepeacetreatyendingthewarbetweentheAlliesandGermanywassignedatthepalaceof
VersaillesinJuneof1919.AgainstthewishesofPresidentWilson,thetreatypunishedGermanyfor
thewarbytakingawayitsoverseaspossessionsandstrictlylimitingGermanysarmyandnavy.Worse
fortheGermans,theywereforcedtomakelargepayments,or
reparations
,totheAlliesforwar
damages.
Thetreatyalsoestablishedthe
LeagueofNations
,anassemblyofsixtycountriesthatagreedto
worktogetherforworldpeace.TheLeaguewastheideaofPresidentWilsonwhohopedtheGreatWar
wouldbethewartoendallwars.TheUnitedStatesSenate,however,refusedtoapprovethetreaty
largelybecausemanyinAmericawantednomoreforeignentanglements,anattitudecalled
isolationism
.
27.
CommunismandRussianRevolution
TheGermanphilosopher
KarlMarx
inventedmodernsocialisminthe1800sasareactiontothe
workingclasspovertyoftheIndustrialRevolution.Hissloganwas,Workersoftheworldunite!
Marxpredictedthatworkersintheindustrializednationswouldonedayriseupandoverthrow
capitalism.
Intheearly1900s,Russiawasnotyetanindustrialnationmostofitspeoplewerepoorpeasants
workingtheland.Nonetheless,agroupofRussiansocialistsledbyVladimir
Lenin
thoughtRussia
wasreadyforasocialistrevolution.TheirchancecamewithWorldWarI.Thewardidntgowellfor
Russia.Thearmywaspoorlyled,poorlyfed,andpoorlyequipped,andeventuallyitfellapart.When
soldierswereorderedtoshootwomentextileworkersriotingforfood,thesoldiersopenedfireontheir
ownofficersinstead.AsriotingspreadinRussia,NicholasIIwasforcedtostepdownastsarin1917.
IntothispowervacuumsteppedLeninswellorganizedpoliticalparty,the
Bolsheviks
.
Promisingpeaceforsoldiers,landforpeasants,andbetterconditionsforworkers,theBolshevikstook
controlofRussiainOctober1917andremovedRussiafromthewar.Thetermcommunismhas
cometomeananextremeformofsocialismthatblendsMarxseconomicphilosophywithLenins
ideasaboutsocialistrevolution.
StrugglingtoholdtheBolshevik(orRussian)Revolutiontogether,Leninexecutedthousandsof
Russianssuspectedofopposingcommunism.Amongthosekilledwerethetsarandhisfamily.The
communistsbannedotherpoliticalparties,tookoverbanksandindustries,andsetupasecretpolice.
TheRussianEmpirewasrenamedtheUnionofSovietSocialistRepublics,orthe
SovietUnion
for
short.

28.
theGreatDepression
Thesituationforworkersworsenedagaininthe1930sduetoaworldwideeconomicdownturn
calledtheGreatDepression.SeveralfactorsledtotheDepressionincludingdamagedonetoEuropean
economiesbyWorldWarIandtheU.S.stockmarketcrashof1929.Businessesclosed,farmsstopped
producing,andbanksfailed.Peoplelosttheirjobsandtheirlifesavings,andtheywenthungry.
TheGreatDepressioncontributedtothepostwarcrisisofmeaning.Millionsofmenhaddied
inthetrenchesofasenselesswar,andnowitmadenosensethatmillionsofstrong,healthymen
couldntfindjobstofeedtheirfamilies.Theoldcapitalistsystemdidntseemtobeworkinganymore
somethoughtitwasabouttocollapse.Manypeople,Americansincluded,lookedforanewerapproach
thatwouldgiveworkersabetterbreak.SomelookedtotheSovietUnionwherecommunismpromised
amoreequalsociety.OtherslookedtoItalyandGermanywherestrong,nationalisticleaderspromised
abetterfuture.
29.
fascism
InItaly,apowerfulpoliticalleaderemergedwhopledgedtoendItalyseconomicproblemsand
restoreItalytogreatness.HewasBenito
Mussolini
,leaderofthefascists,apoliticalmovementthat
opposedcommunismanddemocracy,butfavoredviolenceandwarandpromotednationalismand
obediencetothestate.Aftertakingpower,MussolinimodernizedItalianagricultureandimprovedthe
economy.TostrengthenhiscontroloverItaly,hemadehimselfdictator,tookoverthenewsmedia,
andsetupasecretpolice.
Germanytoowaslookingforastrongleadertoenditseconomicproblems.Halfofthecountrys
laborforcewasoutofwork,and
inflation
gotsobadatonepointthatittookbagsofmoneytobuya
loafofbread.AninspiringpublicspeakernamedAdolf
Hitler
rosetotheleadershipofafascist
politicalpartycalledthe
Nazis
.HitlertoldGermanstheymustreclaimtheirlostterritoriesandbuilda
newempireinEurope.HisnationalistideastookholdinaGermanythatfelthumiliatedbytheTreaty
ofVersailles.WithcrowdswildlycheeringHitlerinhugeparadesandrallies,theNazipartygrewin
popularityuntilitwonenoughvotesinnationalelectionstomakeHitlerthenewGermanleader.
HitlerquicklymovedtorevivetheGermanyeconomy.Injustfiveyears,unemploymentfellfrom
sixmilliontoalmostnothing,andtheGermanstandardoflivingrose.Encouragedbyanticommunist
businessmen,theGermanparliamentvotedtoturnoverabsolutepowertoHitler.Thus,Hitlerused
GermanysdemocracytoendGermanysdemocracy.Hitlerusedhisabsolutepowertobanallpolitical
partiesexcepttheNazisandtosetupasecretpolice.Hisenemieswerekilled,tortured,orimprisoned.
30.
massculture
Beforetheindustrialera,peopleusuallyexperiencedtheirculturealoneorinsmallgatherings.
Theymightreadabookorplaymusicwithfriends.ThischangedwhentheIndustrialRevolution
begantomanufacturecultureaswellasgoods.Bythelate1800s,massproducednewspaperswerea
majorculturalforceasthousandsofpeoplereadthesamestoriesatthesametime.Massculture
th
swelledintheearly20
centuryasthepublicflockedtobuymovietickets,radios,andmusic
recordings.Sportsteamsformedleaguesthatcompetednationally.Suchsharedexperienceshelpedto
createmassnationalcultures.
Somecriticswereconcernedthatpeoplewerebecomingspectatorsratherthanparticipantsby
purchasingculturalexperiencesinsteadofmakingtheirown.Othercriticswarnedthatmassculture
couldbeusedtocontrolthepublicbyappealingtoemotionratherthanreason.Thisfearwasrealized
inNaziGermanywherethestatetookcontrolofradiostationsandthefilmindustry,andthe
governmentlearnedtoskillfullyuse
propaganda
tomanipulatethepublicthroughemotionalappeals
tonationalismandracism.(Propagandaisasystematiceffort,usuallybygovernment,tospreadideas
orbeliefs.)InNaziGermany,individualthoughtwasoverwhelmedbypropagandaandmasspublic
opinion.

31.
totalitariangovernment
Forthefirsttime,massculturemadeitpossibletoreacheveryonewiththesamemessageand
torallyentirenationsbehindacause.HitlerandMussoliniralliedthemassesofGermanyandItaly
behindfascistnationalism.TheSovietUnionmobilizeditsmassestosupporttheworkers
revolution.
AfterLenindiedin1924,
JosephStalin
tookcontroloftheSovietUnion.HeconvincedRussians
itwastheirdutytoindustrializequickly.Stalinalsoconfiscatedpeasantsfarmsandcombinedthem
intolargestateruncollectivefarms.Intheprocess,sometenmillionpeasantsdiedorwenttoprison
camps.
Althoughcommunistsandfascistshaddifferentpoliticalphilosophies,theyusedsimilarmethods.
Bothsystemswereledbystrong,godlikedictatorswhosymbolizedthestate.Citizenswereexpected
tosacrificetheirindividualitytothewillofthestate,andmanypeoplewerehappytogiveuppersonal
freedomforasenseofbelongingtoagreatcause.Bothsystemseliminateddissentanyonedisagreeing
withthegovernmentcouldexpectaterrifyingvisitfromthesecretpolice.Becausethesesocietiestook
nearlytotalcontroloverpeopleslives,theyaretermedtotalitarian.Unlikeliberaldemocracies
wherethestateisseenastheservantofthepeople,thepeopleintotalitariansocietiesareseenas
servantsofthestate.
Authoritarian
statesaresimilar,butthetermimpliessomewhatlesscontrolby
government.

32.
theNankingMassacre
Backinthemid1800s,theU.S.NavyforcedJapantoopenitsdoorstoforeigntrade.Shortly
thereafter,AmericawasdistractedbyitsCivilWar,andtheU.S.leftJapanaloneforseveralyears.
ThisgavetheMeijigovernmenttimetofigureouthowtorespondtothethreatofWesternpower.
Japanhadalongtraditionofborrowingfromothercultures,especiallyChina,soitisnotsurprisingthat
JapanchosetoborrowindustrialismfromtheWest.Withaneducatedurbanworkforce,Japans
industrialrevolutionproceededrapidly.Bytheearly1900s,Japanhadamodernindustrialeconomy.
In1905,JapanbecamethefirstAsiancountrytodefeataEuropeanpowerwhenitovercame
RussiaintheRussoJapaneseWar.VictorygaveJapaneconomiccontrolinpartsofKoreaandthe
ManchuriaregionofChinaJapanwasnowbecominganimperialistpower,andtheU.S.begantosee
JapanasapossiblerivalinthePacific.ExtremenationalistscametopowerinJapansayingthatforeign
conquestwastheonlywayJapancouldgettheresourcesitneeded.JapaninvadedManchuriaand
SoutheastAsia,claimingtobeliberatingAsiafromWesternimperialism.WhenJapanesearmiestook
theChinesecapitalofNankingin1937,theyburnedthecityandmassacredbetween100,000and
300,000Chinese.InwhatcametobecalledTheRapeofNanking,Japanesesoldiersbrutallyraped
some20,000Chinesewomen,thenkilledthemorleftthemtodie.
33.
appeasement
MeanwhileinEurope,HitlerpromisedGermanshewoulddestroytheTreatyofVersailles,and
hebeganbyrebuildingtheGermanarmyinviolationofthetreaty.BritainandFrancecomplainedbut
didnothingtostophim.In1936,inviolationofthetreaty,HitlersenttroopsintotheRhinelandregion
ontheGermanFrenchborder.Itwasariskymove,butHitlercalculatedthatnobodywouldstophim,
andhewasright.HitlerthenbroughtGermanyandAustriatogetherinaunionalsoforbiddenbythe
treaty.
EnglandandFrancewerefollowingapolicyofappeasement,whichmeanstheyweregivingin
toHitlersdemandstoavoidconflictandthepossibilityofanotherterriblewar.Astheworldwatched,
Hitlersarmygrewstronger,andeachsuccessmadeHitlerbolder.Next,hetooktheGermanspeaking
SudetenlandregioninCzechoslovakia,andsixmonthslaterheconqueredthewholecountry.

In1939,whenHitlersarmiesinvadedPoland,FranceandEnglandfinallydeclaredwaron
Germany,andWorldWarIIwasunderwayinEurope.TheallianceofFranceandEngland(later
joinedbyRussiaandtheU.S.)wascalledthe
Allies
.Germany,Italy(andlaterJapan)werethe
Axis
powers.ManyhistoriansconsiderWorldWarIItobeacontinuationofWorldWarIbecausethetwo
sidesweresimilarinbothwars,andGermanresentmentoftheTreatyofVersaillessetthestageforthe
riseofHitler.
34.
blitzkrieg
Toovercomethestalemateoftrenchwarfare,Hitlersmilitaryplannersdevelopedanewbattle
tacticcalledblitzkriegorlightningwar.Blitzkriegmeantattackingquicklywithastrongforceof
concentratedtroopssupportedbyartillery,tanks,andairpower.HitlerspowerfulGermanmilitary
usedtheblitzkriegtoquicklyoverrunPolandandfivemoreEuropeancountries.IttooktheGermans
onlysevenweekstocirclearoundaFrenchdefensivebarrierandconquerthestrongnationofFrance.
WithFrancedefeated,HitlerorderedmassivebombingattacksagainsttargetsinEnglandin
preparationforaplannedinvasion.GermanbombspoundedLondonfor57straightnights.These
weredarkdaysfortheBritishpeoplePrimeMinister
WinstonChurchill
toldhiscountry,Ihave
nothingtoofferbutblood,toil,tears,andsweat.BritishfighterpilotsbattledtheLuftwaffeinthe
skiesoverEngland,aidedbyradarthatcouldspotenemyplanesapproachingtheEnglishcoast.The
LuftwaffedestroyedlargeareasofBritishcities,butGermanaircraftlossesbecamesogreatthatHitler
hadtoabandonhisplantoinvadeEngland.ChurchillpraisedBritishairmenbysaying,Neverinthe
fieldofhumanconflictwassomuchowedbysomanytosofew.Inwinningthe
BattleofBritain
,
theBritishdealtHitlerhisfirstmajordefeatofthewar.
35.
WorldWarII
TheUnitedStateswasstillatpeace.AlthoughAmericawasofficiallyneutralinthewar,the
U.S.sentsomuchwarmaterialtotheEuropeanAlliesthatwarproductionhelpedpullAmericaoutof
theDepression.InthePacific,onlyonebarrierstoodinthewayofcompleteJapanesecontrolofAsia:
theU.S.NavysPacificfleetbasedat
PearlHarbor
,Hawaii.TheUnitedStatesinsistedthatJapan
withdrawfromtheterritoriesitconqueredinChinaandSoutheastAsia,andtheU.S.imposedan
embargo
thatstoppedtheshipmentofkeyresourcestoJapan,amovetheJapaneseconsideredvirtually
anactofwar.
OnDecember7,1941,thequietofaSundaymorningatPearlHarborwasshatteredwhen
carrierbasedJapanesewarplaneslaunchedasurpriseattackontheU.S.fleet.Injust30minutes,
AmericannavalpowerinthePacificwascrippled.Despitethesuccessfulattack,theJapanese
commanderwarned,Ifearwehaveawakenedasleepinggiant.Thenextday,President
Franklin
Roosevelt
wentbeforeCongressanddeclared,December7thisadatewhichwillliveininfamy.
TheU.S.andBritaindeclaredwaronJapan.GermanyandItalydeclaredwarontheU.S.Nowthewar
inEuropewaslinkedtothewarinthePacificcreatingatrulyglobalworldwar.Americaimmediately
switchedtoawarfooting.
Factoriesbeganoperating24hoursaday,sevendaysaweek.Chryslerstoppedmakingcarsand
startedmakingtanks.AsAmericanmenwerecalledawaytofight,Americanwomenwenttoworkin
warplantsmakingeverythingfromsockstoships.U.S.warproductionsoonequaledthatofJapan,
Italy,andGermanycombined.ThePacificFleetrecoveredsufficientlyfromtheattackatPearlHarbor
todefeattheJapaneseNavyincarrierseabattlesintheCoralSeaandatMidway.Thesevictoriesgave
theUnitedStatesnavalsupremacyinthePacificfortheremainderofthewar.Thegiantwasawake.

36.
theHolocaust
HitlersempireinEuropestretchedfromScandinaviatoNorthAfrica,fromtheAtlanticOceanto
Russia.PeopleinlandsconqueredbytheNaziswereexpectedtoservetheGermanmasterrace.

InferiorpeoplesuchasRussiansandGypsiesweretobeenslavedoreliminated.Manyteachersand
othereducatedpeopledisappeared.ButtheNazisreservedtheirharshesttreatmentfortheJews.
HitlersplanfortheJewswascalledtheFinalSolution,whichmeantcompleteexterminationof
theJewishpeople.AlloverEuropeJewswerearrestedandsenttoconcentrationcampswherethey
wereforcedtoworkorweresystematicallyexecuted.Hitlerdivertedsomanyresourcesfromfighting
thewartokillingJewsthathismassmurderoperationeventuallycontributedtoGermanysdefeat.Of
EuropeseightmillionJews,theNazissucceededinkillingsixmillion,aneventthatcametobeknown
astheHolocaust.WhentheworldlearnedaboutthefullextentofHitlershomicidalmadness,the
word
genocide
wasinventedtodescribetheintentionalandsystematicdestructionofanentireracialor
culturalgroup.
37.
HitlersinvasionofRussia
Hitlerwasabouttomakehisbiggestmistakeofthewar,thesamemistakemadebyNapoleon
overacenturyearlier.WhenHitlercouldntconquerEngland,heinvadedRussia,whichbroughtthe
SovietUnionintothewaronthesideoftheAllies.AstheRussiansretreated,theyadoptedthesame
scorchedearthpolicyusedbythetsarssoldiersagainstNapoleon.TheturningpointintheRussian
fighting,andinWorldWarII,camein1943atthe
BattleofStalingrad,
wheretheSovietscapturedan
entireGermanarmy.TheSovietsbegantopushtheGermansback,andfromthenonGermanystarted
losingthewar.TheRussians,however,paidaterriblepriceinWorldWarII,sufferinganincredible23
milliondead.
FromairfieldsinEngland,BritishandAmericanbomberspoundedGermany,wipingoutentire
citesandkillinghundredsofthousandsofGermancivilians.In1944,theAllieslaunchedthemassive
NormandyInvasion
ofFrance,trappingtheNazisbetweenAlliedforcesapproachingfromthewest
andRussiansoldiersclosinginfromtheeast.WithRussiantroopsonlyafewblocksfromhis
undergroundbunkerinBerlin,AdolfHitlercommittedsuicideinApril1945.Germanysurrendered
oneweeklater.
38.
Hiroshima
FiercefightingcontinuedinthePacific.Americantroopsfoughtandwonsavagebattlesagainst
determinedJapaneseforcestryingdesperatelytoholdstrategicislands.Americanbombersbeganto
strikeinsideJapan,pulverizingJapanesecities.Japanwasonthevergeofcollapse,butitrefusedto
surrender.
Meanwhile,Americanscientistshadperfectedtheatomicbomb.Hopingtoavoidacostly
invasionoftheJapanesehomeislands,President
HarryTruman
orderedtheatomicbombused
againstJapan.ThefirstbombdestroyedthecityofHiroshimawhere200,000peopledied.Threedays
later,asecondbombproducedsimilarresultsinNagasaki.Thenextday,Japanaskedtoendthewar.
ControversystillsurroundstheuseofatomicweaponsagainstJapan.Criticssayademonstrationofthe
awesomepowerofthebombmighthaveconvincedJapantosurrenderwithoutusingthisterriblenew
weaponagainstpeople.
Again,thenatureofwarfarehadchanged.Genocideandmassiveaerialbombingraidshad
madecivilians,notsoldiers,theprimarytargetsofwar.Ofthe50millionpeoplekilledinWorldWar
II,anestimatedtwothirdswerecivilians.Theatomicbombmeantthatafutureworldwarmightkill
everyone.