executives and leadership styles. visit our website, c-span.org/thepresidents to learn more about each presidents and order your copy today, wherever books and e-books arst -- are sold. ♪ narrator: may day in moscow's vast red square, the first mayday parade in four years of total war. military attaches of allies, american, british and french, are guests of honor. marshal stalin with other high soviet officials mount the viewing stands of the soviet fighting men. ♪

at 10:00 a.m. the gigantic parade starts. as soviet russia hails the dawn of victory. ♪ ♪

japanese military observers see the mighty display of russian armed power. ♪ russian rocket launchers on american lend lease trucks.

the soviet union celebrates a holiday and salutes the great victories in europe. ♪ into a police court in oslo, norway, comes this meant to plead for his life. one of the war's most notorious traitors faces retribution for his crimes. as the judge enters, at first -- and the first preliminary trial for a major war criminal begins. ♪ quisling, who made his name synonymous with trader in his betrayal of norway to the nazis, here's -- hears the case against him. once arrogant and rude he shows signs of fear in a world free from nazism. there is no place for quisling.

from alliance headquarters in north germany, orders go out for the arrest of the last top nazis. german sailors, marines, and soldiers who guarded these secrets are made captive. and the high commanders of this curious organization, which had served as a surrendering authority for defeated germany , are put under arrest. ♪ in this castle at plains berg, general freedom berg lies dead. he participated in germany's unconditional surrender. arrested, he took poison. alford yodel, chief of staff, leaves the headquarters for internment. yodel signed the german surrender to eisenhower.

berg's done never saw action. now the grand admiral comes out under arrest. with yodel, he walks through a tunnel in the compound to imprisonment. he was the commander of germany's unrestricted submarine warfare. ♪ with the arrest of yodel, the third reich is ended forever. ♪ lunenburg, lies the body of the most hated man in europe, heinrich himmler, chief of the savage ss troops. captured while posing as a civilian, he was carrying tiny vials of poison. under examination, he bit into one concealed under his tongue. propped up for official

photographs, this nazi has met in violent death his proper end. ♪ this is belson, notorious german death camp. the last of the living dead are treated by medical troops before being transferred to field hospitals. insecticide is applied to liberated prisoners. of the 29,000 who survived the 500lling disease of belson, our children. former enemies of the reich will receive human care and medical attention. joseph kramer, murderer of countless thousands, is now a prisoner.

british flame tanks fire the flimsy building. it is erased from the earth. buchenwald, dachau, north house, names of shame that free men must not forget. ♪ president harry s truman delivers a warning of the blows that are yet to fall upon japan. >> the japanese now know that their dreams of conquest are shattered. they no longer boast of dictating peace terms in washington. this does not mean, however, that the japanese have given up hope. they are depending on america tiring of this war. becoming weary of the sacrifices it demands. they hope that our desire to see soldiers and sailors home again

, and the temptation to return and profits of peace, well force us to for compromise short of unconditional surrender. they should know better. they should realize this nation, now at the peak of its military strength, will not relax, will not weaken in its purpose. we have the men, the material, the skill, the leadership, and the fortitude to achieve total victory. we have allies who will help us achieve it. we are resolute in our determination. we will see the fight through to a complete and victorious finish. to that end, with the help of god, we shall use every ounce of our energy and strength.

♪ narrator: near naha, capital of okinawa, in the american advance on the emory -- the enemy, a marine tank strikes. the 34 ton vehicle is overturned and lies burning with four of her crew trapped inside. one group member thrown clear by the explosion, staggering with shock, comes in as marines fight to rescue the four men inside. but the flames reached the ammunition. and all hope of rescue is gone. in the same sector, flame-throwing tanks attack japanese soldiers' ammunition.

[explosions] destruction is total. these actions accompanied the 10th army's bitter fight for the southern tip of okinawa. one after another, japanese positions are burned down. the japanese have already conceded the tactical loss of okinawa. a costly but indispensable gain in the war against japan. ♪ >> you are watching american history tv, all weekend, every weekend on c-span three. announcer: to mark patriots' day, a massachusetts state holiday commemorating the battles of lexington, concord, and menotomy in april of 1775, monticello hosts a conversation with president thomas jefferson, portrayed by bill barker. he recounts the events from the time of the battles to july, 1776, events that led to the decision by the 13 colonies to break with great britain. he then explains how he was

involved in creating the declaration of independence and what he hopes americans might learn from it. this video is courtesy of thomas jefferson's monticello in charlottesville, virginia. thomas jefferson: oh, my, well, i have finished. and good afternoon indeed, mr. light, and to all of our friends, welcome once again here to our house, to monticello. mr. light, as you refer of course to patriots' day, so we have heard it now referred to ourselves in virginia, nothing could please us more in virginia to be reminded, if you will, about our initial associations with massachusetts. yes, patriots' day is something that we are happy to be reminded of, as i know all of our friends in massachusetts continue to be reminded of that occasion in which the citizen body there