1945
- 17 January: Soviets push west and take Warsaw
- 26 January: Soviets liberate Auschwitz
- 4-14 February: Yalta Conference
- 13-14 February: Dresden firebombing/firestorm
- 7 March: Allies take Cologne
- April: Allies find stolen art in salt mines
- 12 April: President Roosevelt dies in office; Truman becomes President of the US
- 16 April: Battle of Berlin begins; Americans enter Nuremberg
- 28 April: Mussolini captured and hanged by Italian bipartisans
- 30 April: Hitler commits suicide
- 2 May: German troops in Italy surrender
- 7 May: unconditional German surrender
- 8 May: VE (Victory in Europe) Day
- 5 June: Allies divide Germany and Berlin
- 16 July: atomic bomb test; Potsdam Conference
- 6 August: atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
- 8 August: Soviet invasion of Manchuria and declaration of war against Japan
- 9 August: atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki
- 14 August: unconditional Japanese surrender
- 2 September: VJ (Victory over Japan) Day
Other dates:
- 5 March 1946: Iron Curtain
- 13 August 1961 to 9 November 1989: The Berlin Wall
Timeline: Cities at War- Berlin -- We watched minutes 41:10 to 48:45. This clip shows the battle of Berlin and the civilian population versus the Soviets. The battles of the Eastern Front were markedly more violent than those of the Western Front, as the two cultures, ideologies, and politics were a stark contrast. Also the Soviets firmly put forth the "turn about fair play" concept-- what Nazi Germany did to the Soviets would be equalled if not worse.
Modern day Berlin still shows the leftover scars of street battles.
The end of the war came-- 8 May 1945-- but then what? The beginning of a new power struggle and the continuing war of ideologies. The Cold War.
It seems apropos to end two semesters of Modern European History with links from Indie Neidell, who brought us many of the concepts I used.
Zero Hour: Origins of the Cold War
The Reichstag was left in ruins following the war and fell into disuse. Restorations were made after the reunification in 1990, and the cupola was an addition that is modern in concept. As you walk up the inside of the glass cupola, the idea is that the German government is transparent and the people are above the government; you can look down into Parliament from above.
And we go out with a bang-- if only Monty Python was born decades earlier we could have avoided this mess. Monty Python's Funniest Joke in the World
Additional links:
Footage of pictures taken during WW2 and superimposed on current photos-- I've found these to be fascinating; to see the greatness and the tragedy of war over the life that is today. Then and Now- WW2 Edition.
I briefly mentioned in the time line the stolen art that was found in the salt mines. I highly recommend the movie Monuments Men, a film that depicts the story of the Allied unit of men send out to find and make safe the art of the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment