previous year1939
1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
1950next year

Major Events of April 1945: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from April 1945 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

history

Major Events of April 1945: Key Historical Moments from the Month

  • 01 Apr 1945 US Invasion of Okinawa Begins: The United States launched a massive invasion of Okinawa, with an initial landing of 60,000 soldiers and marines. This battle would become the last major engagement of World War II and the largest battle in the Pacific Theater.
  • 02 Apr 1945 Multiple Military Operations in Europe: Two significant military operations occurred: Operation Roast concluded with a British victory in Italy, and the Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front launched the Vienna Offensive to capture Vienna, demonstrating the complex military movements in the final stages of World War II.
  • 03 Apr 1945 Canadian 1st Army Crosses Rhine River: The Canadian 1st Army successfully crossed the Rhine River into Germany, capturing the strategic town of Zevenaar, marking a crucial advance into German territory during the final months of World War II.
  • 04 Apr 1945 US Army Liberates Ohrdruf Forced Labor Camp: United States Army troops liberated the Ohrdruf forced labor camp, revealing the horrific conditions of Nazi concentration camps and providing crucial evidence of the Holocaust's atrocities. This liberation was a pivotal moment in understanding the extent of Nazi war crimes.
  • 05 Apr 1945 Cold War Diplomatic Agreement between Yugoslavia and Soviet Union: Yugoslav leader Josip 'Tito' Broz signs a strategic agreement with the Soviet Union, allowing temporary entry of Soviet troops into Yugoslav territory, which sets the stage for future Cold War dynamics.
  • 06 Apr 1945 Yamato's Final Voyage: The Japanese giant battleship Yamato, the largest battleship in history, sets sail towards Okinawa on a desperate suicide mission, symbolizing Japan's last-ditch efforts in World War II.
  • 07 Apr 1945 Sinking of the Japanese Battleship Yamato: During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Navy battleship Yamato, one of the two largest battleships ever constructed, was sunk by United States Navy aircraft during Operation Ten-Go. The massive vessel was destroyed approximately 200 miles north of Okinawa while on a suicide mission.
  • 08 Apr 1945 Nazi Train Massacre: During World War II, a tragic incident occurred near Prussian Hanover where an accidental air raid destroyed a train carrying approximately 4,000 Nazi concentration camp internees. Following the initial destruction, the surviving prisoners were systematically massacred by Nazi forces.
  • 09 Apr 1945 Nazi Execution of Resistance Leaders: On this day, the Nazi regime executed several prominent resistance members at Flossenbürg concentration camp, including Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, Hans von Dohnanyi, and General Hans Oster. These individuals were key members of the internal German resistance against Hitler's regime.
  • 10 Apr 1945 Liberation of Buchenwald Concentration Camp: Allied forces liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp, revealing the horrific conditions and atrocities committed by Nazi Germany during World War II. This marked a significant moment in exposing the Holocaust and bringing an end to the systematic persecution of millions.
  • 11 Apr 1945 Liberation of Buchenwald Concentration Camp: United States forces liberated the Buchenwald concentration camp, revealing the horrific conditions and atrocities committed by Nazi forces during World War II. This significant moment marked a critical point in the Allied efforts to end the Holocaust and expose the systematic human rights violations of the Nazi regime.
  • 12 Apr 1945 Death and Succession of President Franklin D. Roosevelt: President Franklin D. Roosevelt died unexpectedly from an intracerebral hemorrhage while sitting for a portrait at the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia. Vice President Harry S. Truman was immediately inaugurated as the 33rd President of the United States in the White House Cabinet Room, marking a significant leadership transition during the critical final months of World War II.
  • 13 Apr 1945 Gardelegen Massacre: German troops commit a horrific war crime by massacring over 1,000 political and military prisoners in Gardelegen, Germany. The atrocity was discovered two days later by advancing American forces, revealing the brutal nature of Nazi actions in the war's final days.
  • 14 Apr 1945 American Bombing of Tokyo: American planes conducted a bombing raid on Tokyo, causing damage to the Imperial Palace during the final stages of the Pacific War.
  • 15 Apr 1945 Liberation of Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp: The British Army liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, revealing the horrific conditions and massive human suffering caused by Nazi atrocities during World War II. Approximately 38,000 prisoners were found alive, with thousands of corpses scattered throughout the camp. The total number of victims murdered at Bergen-Belsen is estimated to be around 50,000.
  • 16 Apr 1945 Soviet Forces Launch Major Offensive on Berlin: Soviet forces initiate a massive attack on Berlin, Germany, from a strategic bridgehead west of Kuestrin. Approximately 2.5 million troops from the 1st and 2nd Belorussian Front and 1st Ukrainian Front participate in this critical World War II operation.
  • 17 Apr 1945 Uranium Seizure to Prevent Soviet Atomic Ambitions: U.S. Lieutenant Colonel Boris T. Pash strategically intercepts approximately half a ton of uranium in Strassfurt, Germany, in a critical mission to prevent the Soviet Union from advancing its atomic weapons program.
  • 18 Apr 1945 Walter Model's Mass Surrender: German Field Marshal Walter Model leads his remaining 225,000 troops in a mass surrender to the Allies in the encircled Ruhr region, symbolizing the imminent collapse of Nazi military resistance.
  • 19 Apr 1945 Hitler's Final Defeat in Berlin Bunker: In a pivotal moment of World War II, Adolf Hitler conceded defeat in his underground Berlin bunker after learning that Felix Steiner could not mobilize sufficient troops to launch a counterattack against the advancing Soviet forces who had just broken through German defenses.
  • 20 Apr 1945 Soviet Troops Enter Berlin: Soviet troops launch their final assault and enter Berlin, marking a critical turning point in World War II and signaling the imminent defeat of Nazi Germany.
  • 21 Apr 1945 Soviet Army Approaches Berlin: The Soviet Red Army reached the outskirts of Berlin, marking a critical moment in the final stages of World War II and signaling the imminent fall of Nazi Germany's capital city.
  • 22 Apr 1945 Hitler's Final Breakdown in the Führerbunker: In a pivotal moment of World War II, Adolf Hitler held a conference in the Führerbunker where he confronted the imminent collapse of Nazi Germany. Upon learning that the Steiner attack had failed and Soviet forces were entering Berlin's northern suburbs, Hitler erupted in rage. He denounced his generals, called them cowards, and declared that 'everything is lost'. Despite protests, he resolved to remain in Berlin and commit suicide rather than flee.
  • 23 Apr 1945 Soviet Assault on Berlin: Intense street-to-street fighting erupted in Berlin as Soviet forces stormed the German capital, signaling the imminent collapse of Nazi Germany and the approaching end of World War II in Europe.
  • 24 Apr 1945 Elbe Day: US and Soviet Troops Meet: United States and Soviet troops link up at the Elbe River, symbolically cutting Nazi Germany in two and signaling the imminent end of World War II in Europe.
  • 25 Apr 1945 Elbe Day: US and Soviet Troops Meet: A pivotal moment in World War II occurs when United States and Soviet troops meet in Torgau along the River Elbe, effectively cutting the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany in two. This historic encounter symbolizes the approaching end of World War II in Europe.
  • 26 Apr 1945 Dachau Concentration Camp Death March: A tragic death march begins for inmates of Dachau concentration camp, representing one of the final, horrific acts of Nazi persecution as the war draws to a close. These forced marches resulted in numerous deaths and represent a dark chapter of human suffering during World War II.
  • 27 Apr 1945 Capture of Benito Mussolini: Italian partisans dramatically captured Benito Mussolini on April 27, 1945, while he was attempting to escape disguised as a German soldier. This pivotal moment signaled the imminent collapse of the Italian Fascist regime and marked a crucial turning point in the final days of World War II in Europe.
  • 28 Apr 1945 Holocaust Atrocity at Mauthausen: Nazi Germany carried out its final use of gas chambers to execute 33 Upper Austrian socialist and communist leaders in Mauthausen concentration camp, marking a brutal culmination of the Nazi regime's systematic political persecution.
  • 29 Apr 1945 Liberation of Dachau Concentration Camp: United States troops liberate the Dachau concentration camp, revealing the horrific conditions and human rights atrocities committed by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust.
  • 30 Apr 1945 Adolf Hitler's Suicide in Berlin Bunker: At 3:30 PM in his Berlin bunker, Adolf Hitler commits suicide by shooting himself in the mouth as Soviet troops approach within 500 meters of his location, marking the imminent collapse of the Nazi regime.