Europe Devastated• Most cities in Europe were

in ruins• Warsaw population in 1939

was 1.3 million (after the war 153,000)

• Some people stayed some hit the road

• Agriculture disrupted by the war

• First post war winter brought suffering

Postwar Governments

• Some countries were able to re-establish their governments

• Holland, Denmark, & Norway• Other countries look to go either

democracy or communism• France & Italy were fearful of

communism and voted against it• As France & Italy economies

recovered, communism declined

Nuremberg Trials

Nuremberg Trials• 1945-46 the trials took

place in Nuremberg, Germ.• 22 Nazi leaders were

charged with waging a war of aggression

• Charged with “crimes against humanity”

• Most of these men were found guilty (put to death)

• All bodies cremated in concentration camp

Execution at Nuremberg

Execution at Nuremberg

Postwar Japan

• Japan in ruins with 2 million lives lost, most of the country destroyed

• MacArthur took charge of Japan and established a demilitarization (disbanding of the Japanese Army)

• MacArthur brought war criminals to trial• He then brought democratization (govt. elected by the

people)• Braden land ownership in Japan and increase participation

of workers and farmers in the new democracy

Changes in Japan• The emperor of Japan (Hirohito)

would be a figurehead • Citizens elect a two house

parliament• Country led by a prime minister• September 1951, the U.S. and

other countries would sign a peace treaty with Japan

• WW2 enemies became allies after the war

• U.S. and U.S.S.R. would differ