![]() By the summer of 1941, the military of Germany’s fascist dictator Adolf Hitler had conquered or subdued virtually all of Europe from Spain’s eastern border to the western border of the Soviet Union. Germany’s partner in fascism, Italy, had switched sides in 1943, though many Italians continued to fight alongside their German comrades in Italy.įor just over five years and eight months a war had been raging in Europe that began with Germany’s invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. With their power-mad Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler, dead by his own hand, German military leaders signed surrender documents at several locations in Europe on May 7, capitulating to each of their victorious foes. The sacrifices, hardships, and heroic efforts of these brave men and women must never be forgotten.V-E Day commemorates the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allied forces in 1945, ending World War II in Europe. An entire generation of Americans and our Western Allies came together to defend democracy and to defeat the forces of aggression, oppression, and tyranny in Imperial Japan, Fascist Italy, and National Socialist Germany. Some 405,000 Americans sacrificed their lives to ensure our nation’s freedom. It is a legacy of death and destruction, but also, one of hope, sacrifice, determination, and innovation. The legacy of World War II is ever-present. The act also provided federal loan guarantees to veterans buying homes or farms or starting new businesses. Over half the returning Service Members, about 7.8 million veterans, attended colleges and technical schools under the GI Bill. This act provided education and training for veterans, paid for by the federal government. Roosevelt signed the GI Bill of Rights into law. In 1944, to facilitate the transition of returning Service Members to civilian life, President Franklin D. Progress was, and, in many cases, continues to be, extremely incremental. By the end of WWII, more than 400 committees had been established to improve race relations. Despite the opportunities that had opened for women and minorities during the war, antiquated policies and archaic prejudices remained and persisted. Women enjoyed employment gains during the war, approximately 6 million women had entered the workforce for the first time, boosting the percentage of women in the total workforce to 35 percent in the manufacturing industry. By the end of the war, the United States emerged as the world’s dominant economic and military power. The war had provided an opportunity for millions of Americans. The end of World War II was a time of transition. The former hostile Axis nations Germany, Italy, and Japan, are now alliance partners with the United States. The United Nations began to function as a world body with one of its goals being the prevention of further war a goal that has yet to be achieved. Resultant from that “ideological competition,” The United States and the nations of Western Europe formed NATO as a means of enhancing collective security and defense. Unfortunately, the end of World War II marked the beginning of the Cold War rivalry between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union. The Manhattan Project and its “devastating climax,” the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan, led to the nuclear arms race that continues to this very day. ![]() ![]() World War II gave birth to the nuclear age. Total military and civilian deaths have been estimated at 70 to 85 million, which represented approximately 3% of the global population during that time. The devastation was incredibly immense and incalculable. World War II is one of the most significant and influential events of the twentieth century. ![]()
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