World War II

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“Boom...”, the atomic bombs hit the ground. People cried, ran, bellowed for help, but they could not escape from being vaporized by the massive power of this nuclear weapon. Casualties are inevitable in wars, but casualties can be reduced. Throughout the history, one of the most massive destructive actions was when the United States dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.

World War Two started in 1939 and lasted until 1945. It was triggered when Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Germany at that time, took over Poland, a country that was supported by French and British who warned him not to. France and Great Britain then declared war with Germany and its allies on September 3, 1939 (Perry 688). At that time, the Axis powers were Germany, Italy, and Japan while the Allied powers were France, Great Britain, the United States, China, and the Soviet Union (CNN Library). Countries fought against each other and between the US and Japan, the US put restrictions on Japan’s trading opportunities because of Japan’s constant colonization of other countries. Japan wanted to take over the whole of Southeast Asia without the possible intervention of the US. In order to ensure that, Japan delivered an attack on US ships in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941 (Perry 698). This attack, which FDR called a day that would live in infamy resulted in the death of 3500 Americans and had gotten US involved in the war (Pearl Harbor). But, war in Europe ended on May 8, 1945 followed by Hitler’s death. Nevertheless, the Japanese still did not want to give up. Harry Truman, who became president after Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s death, used the massive nuclear energy and dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, officially calling an...

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...e Cold War." for Kids: Cuban Missile Crisis.Web. 15 Dec. 2013. .

"The Cold War." for Kids: Bay of Pigs. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. .

"The United States' Nuclear Testing Programme." : CTBTO Preparatory Commission. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. .

"Welcome to the Official Site of the Attack on Pearl Harbor." Pearl Harbor History: Why Did Japan Attack? Eyewitness Accounts, Casualty List, Background. Web. 14 Dec. 2013. .

"World War II Fast Facts." CNN. Cable News Network, 1 Jan. 1970. Web. 13 Dec. 2013. .

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