Transcript Section 1- The War in Europe and North Africa - Waverly

10th American History
Unit IV- A Champion of Democracy
Chapter 14 – Section 1
The War in Europe and Northern Africa
The War in Europe and North Africa
The Main Idea
After entering World War II, the United States focused first
on the war in Europe.
Reading Focus
• How and why did the Allies fight the Battle of the Atlantic?
• What were the key events of the war in the Soviet Union?
• What did American forces accomplish in North Africa and Italy?
• What were the events and significance of the Allies’ D-Day
invasion of France?
WWII- A World Conflict
Allied Goals1st- Defeat the Germans
2nd- U.S. to postpone the offensive in the Pacific and continue an
active defense.
How and why did the Allies fight
the Battle of the Atlantic?
Defeating the Axis Powers depended on control of the seas.
The Atlantic needed to be kept safe for shipping so that soldiers
and goods could be transported from the United States to the
other Allied nations.
Germany had a very powerful navy including with new surface
ships (including the giant Bismarck) and U-boats.
German used new tactics to increase U-boat effectiveness such
as the so-called wolf pack. U-boats sent hundreds of ships
and tons of supplies to the bottom of the sea. At the same
time, the German navy lost few of their boats.
The entry of the United States into the war would help turn the
tide in the Battle of the Atlantic.
Battle for the Atlantic
• German Wolf Packs- sinking
thousands of tons of Allied
shipping each month.
• 1942-43 critical, allies need
food and supplies.
• Radar and Sonar were
invented
• Use of Ultra (code breaking),
Convoys and Destroyers
• U.S. Producing more ships and
supplies than the Germans
could sink.
1942; The Battle of the Atlantic (01:00)
England; German U-Boats Hit British Navy; Life in Wartime England (01:37)
The Allies Fight the Battle of the Atlantic
Allied ships and aircraft
• American shipyards began producing new ships at an amazing
rate.
• The new ships were used to form larger, better-equipped
convoys, which cut down on the effectiveness of U-boat
attacks.
• Allied aircraft protected convoys from the air.
Cracking the Enigma
• The Allies broke the German code system, which was called
the Enigma.
• The Allies began to gain vital information about the locations
and plans of U-boat formations.
• Finally, the Allies had an advantage over the Germans.
The Battle of the Atlantic
• How and why did the Allies fight the Battle of the
Atlantic?
• Recall – Why was it so easy for German U-Boats to
attack British supply ships at the beginning of World
War II?
• Identify Cause and Effect – How did America’s entry
into the war help turn the tide in the Battle of the
Atlantic?
• Evaluate – Which do you think was more important in
helping the Allies protect shipping lanes, breaking the
Enigma code or use of better protected convoys?
World War II in the Soviet Union
1. Hitler broke his nonaggression pack with Stalin and invaded the
Soviet Union in 1941.
– The Soviets then joined the Allies as enemies of the Axis Powers.
– At first the Soviets seemed unable to stop the German blitzkrieg;
however, the bitterly cold Russian winter proved a great ally.
– Still, the Germans held a vast portion of the western Soviet Union
and besieged the city of Leningrad.
2. The Germans attacked Stalingrad in August 1942.
– The Soviets refused to let Stalingrad fall, and Hitler suffered a
stunning defeat in early Feb. 1943.
3. Stalingrad marked the beginning of Germany’s collapse in the Soviet
Union.
– Soviet forces pushed Germany out of Russia, but lost 12 million
soldiers and millions of civilians.
Nazi Strategy in Russia (00:26)
Operation Barbarosa.
•
•
•
•
June 22, 1941 – Hitler makes the
great blunder- he feels that all
battlefields are alike and blitzkrieg
always works. He invades Russia
Napoleon had learned a hard lesson
a hundred years before- Russia is
too big, too frozen and would cause
the downfall of his empire. Hitler
would learn the same lesson.
Germans moved quickly and went
deep into Russia, but when they got
to Moscow the worst winter in 30
years struck. Freezing temps
stopped the german advance.
Germans are stalemated at
Leningrad, Stalingrad and Moscow
September 1942; Battle at Stalingrad (01:13)
German 6th Army Surrenders - January 31, 1943 (03:09)
The War in the Soviet Union
• What were the key events of the war in the
Soviet Union?
• Describe – Why was Stalingrad a major target
for the Germans?
• Summarize – How did the Russian winter help
save the Soviet Union from falling to the
Germans?
• Develop – What might have happened if the
Germans had taken Stalingrad?
American Forces in North Africa and Italy
Why was North Africa important?
By controlling North Africa, the British could protect
shipping on the Mediterranean Sea. They needed the ability
to ship oil from the Middle East through the Suez Canal.
What was the result of fighting in North Africa?
Italy could not drive the British from Egypt. Hitler sent
troops under the direction of Erwin Rommel – nicknamed
the Desert Fox. After a back-and-forth battle for North
Africa, the Allied forces handed the Germans a major defeat
at the battle of El Alamein.
What happened in Italy?
British and American forces invaded Italy in 1943. Sicily,
code name “Husky”. The Italian people, sick of war, forced
Mussolini from power and the Italian army went home. But,
Hitler rushed into Italian mountains to stop the Allies. A
bloody standoff. D- Day would not come until Rome fell.
The Battle of North Africa (01:02)
North African Theater
 Erwin Rommel- German
1942- Tanks and Blitzkrieg
Send to Africa to help the Italians stop
the British and take British Oil Fields
“Desert Fox”- Outwitting opponentsGreatest German General
Also planned the defense of the Atlantic
Wall.
Later accused of being Anti-Hitler
conspirator- forced to take poison.
 Afrika Korps- Rommel
Battle of Tobruk and El Alamein
Treaten Oil Fields of Middle East and the
Suez Canal
North African Theater
 Bernard Montgomery- British
 El Alamein- Nov. 4, 1942
Allies defeat the Germans
Germans bottled up in Tunisia.
 U.S. Landing in “Vichy” Algeria“Operation Torch,” November 8, 1942
entailed the largest amphibious invasion in
U.S. naval history. 107,000 men.
August, 1942; Battle at El Alamein (01:13)
Casablanca Conference- Jan. 1943
Jan. 14-24, 1943, World War II meeting of U.S. President Franklin Delano
Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill at Casablanca, French
Morocco. A joint declaration pledged that the war would end only with the
unconditional surrender of the Axis states, and the U.S. to attack Germany 1st.
Italy
• The Allied invasion of Sicily began
on the night of the July 9-10, 1943,
and ended August 17 in an Allied
victory. The invasion of the island
was codenamed Operation Husky
and it launched the Italian
Campaign.
• The Italian Campaign of World
War II was the name of Allied
operations in and around Italy, from
1943 to the end of the war. It is
estimated that between September
1943 and April 1945 some 90,000
Allied and 110,000 German soldiers
died in Italy.
First Films! Invasion of Italy! (03:37)
American Forces in North Africa
and Italy
• What did American forces accomplish in North
Africa and Italy?
• Explain – Why was Erwin Rommel sent to
North Africa?
• Make Inferences – Why did the Italians and
Germans want to drive the British out of North
Africa?
• Make Judgements – Why do you think French
soldiers in North Africa joined Allied forces in
North Africa?
On To Italy
• Recall – How did the Italian people
respond to the Allied Invasion?
• Draw Conclusions – Why are the
Tuskegee Airmen remembered.?
• Develop – Why is Anzio a significant
victory for Allied forces?
D-Day: The Invasion of France
To end the war as quickly as possible, the Allies planned
Operation Overlord—a large invasion of mainland
France.
The Allies landed at Normandy on June 6, 1944—called
D-Day—and began to march on France.
The Battle of the Bulge became a symbol of American
strength and determination.
June 6, 1944: D-Day and Its Aftermath (02:30
)
Amphibious Tanks
(DD Tanks)
These so-called Duplex Drive tanks of the 741st
Armoured Battalion were launched from landing craft
four kilometres from the beach. Fitted with large
canvas skirts round the upper portion of the vehicle,
the DD tanks were designed to float low in the water appearing to the enemy as nothing more menacing
than a rubber boat.
The entry of this first group into the rough seas proved
disastrous. The tanks were intended to operate in seas
with a one-foot swell, yet on D-Day the waves rose six
feet.
High waves
The heavy seas swamped 27 DDs, sending them to the
sea floor.
D-Day: The Invasion of France
Operation Overlord
• Planned invasion of
France from the
beaches of
Normandy
• General Omar
Bradley led the
American troops.
• Good planning and
speed were vital.
• Americans were
concerned about
the V1 flying bomb
and the V2 rocket.
D-Day
• June 6, 1944
• Allied force of 3.5
million soldiers
• Germans were
slow to respond
• Estimated 10,000
Allied casualties,
including 6,600
Americans
• The Allies landed
almost 1 million
soldiers and
180,000 vehicles.
Battle of the Bulge
• Surprise offensive
by Germans
• Key moment came
at the Belgium city
of Bastogne.
• Lieutenant General
George S. Patton
provided relief for
the soldiers at
Bastogne.
• Symbol of
American strength
and determination
D-Day” The Invasion of France
• What were the events and significance of
the Allies’ D-Day invasion of France?
• Explain – Why were the Germans so slow
to respond to the invasion of Normandy?
• Evaluate – Why do you think the
northern coast of France was selected for
D-Day?
The Battle of the Bulge and the Fall of the Third Reich (01:23)
The Battle of the Bulge
• Explain – How did the Battle of the Bulge
get its name?
• Rank – Which do you think was more
important to the Allied victory in Europe
D-Day or the Battle of the Bulge