Praxis II Citizenship

Answer: D - The bombing of Hiroshima took place on August 6, 1945, just days after the release of the Potsdam Declaration, which demanded the Japanese Empire’s surrender to end World War II. The war in the European Theatre began winding down after June 1944 when Operation Overlord resulted in the successful Allied Invasion of Nazi-occupied France. In February 1945 the “Big Three” (the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union) held the Yalta Conference, their second of three such summits toward the end of the war and the last summit to involve President Franklin Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and General Secretary Joseph Stalin. (Roosevelt died before the third summit.) On May 8, 1945, the Allies celebrated Victory in Europe (V-E) Day when Germany surrendered unconditionally. In July, the Big Three, along with Chiang Kai-shek of China, released the Potsdam Declaration, threatening Japan’s “prompt and utter destruction” if they did not comply. Japan refused. Hiroshima was bombed on August 6 and Nagasaki was bombed on August 9. Emperor Hirohito announced Japan’s surrender on August 15-V-J Day.