Transcript Major Battles of WWII (Condensed Version)

Major Battles of WWII
Invasion of Pearl Harbor
Battle of the Bulge
D-Day (Normandy)
Iwo Jima
Atomic Bombings of Japan
Eisenhower
• November 1943
– FDR and Winston
Churchill want to take
back Europe from Hitler
– US General Dwight D.
Eisenhower becomes
Supreme Commander of
Allied Troops
• Total Control over all
troops in Europe
Invasion of Pearl Harbor
• Dec. 7, 1941: Franklin Roosevelt deemed the
day, “a date that will live in infamy.”
• The Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii, destroyed almost the entire U.S. Navy’s
Pacific fleet (5 of 8 battleships completely
destroyed) which had been placed in Hawaii as
a threat against Japan’s desire to expand into
the South Pacific.
• The attack at Pearl Harbor caused the United
States to enter WWII the next day on Dec. 8,
1941.
U.S. Fleet on Day of Pearl Harbor Attack
Attack on Pearl Harbor
USS Arizona Memorial
• Memorial is the final resting
place of 1,177 men who died
on the USS Arizona.
• Sloped middle of viewing plaza
represents Pearl Harbor as a
low point in U.S. history; ends
of building stand tall to
represent the U.S.’s ultimate
victory in the war.
• U.S. Navy operates the
memorial with many veterans
serving as guides.
USS Arizona Memorial
USS Arizona Memorial
USS Arizona Memorial
USS Arizona Memorial
Battle of Normandy (D-Day)
• Blitzkrieg War planned by the Americans
against Hitler in occupied France.
• Invade France using:
– 6,900 ships loaded with troops
– 4,100 battleships
– 12,000 aircraft
– 10,000 TONS of bombs
• Operation Bodyguard (fake war)
• Attack the Atlantic
Wall
– Nazi barricade
along Atlantic
Coast
Battle of Normandy
• Eisenhower schedules battle for June 5th,
but due to bad weather on the 4th, he
pushes it back a day
• June 6, 1944
• Largest military attack of all time
– Omaha and Utah Beaches – America
– Gold and Sword Beaches – British
– Juno Beach - Canadians
Battle of Normandy
• Fighting ended at Midnight 24/25 July, 1944
• By far, the biggest German defeats of the War
• 218,000 Dead/Wounded (Allies); 200,000
Dead/Wounded (Axis) + 200,000 captured (Axis)
Saving Private Ryan (Rated R)
- Most realistic depiction of war, very disturbing
The Longest Day
- Old movie with John Wayne
Battle of the Bulge
• After Battle of Normandy, the allies were
advancing faster than anticipated
• Germans wanted to trap the Americans
• Americans had few troops on the
German/Belgium border (Ardennes
Mountains)…good place to attack
• December 16, 1944
• Coldest, snowiest days
Battle of the Bulge
• Although the attack was a total surprise,
the Americans held the line until
reinforcements arrived
• Germans defeated
• January 25
• Only created a “bulge” in the line of
American troops
• Many solders from both sides were killed
from the weather
Battle of the Bulge
• American: 89,987 casualties
(19,276 dead, 23,554 captured or missing,
47,493 wounded)
• British: 200 dead, 1400 wounded and
missing
• German: 84,834 casualties
(15,652 dead, 27,582 captured or missing,
41,600 wounded)
Battle of the Bulge
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Band of Brothers (Bastogne)
Patton
Battle of the Bulge (PBS Documentary)
A Midnight Clear (Rated R)
Hitler’s Death
• Allies destroy Germany army in
Europe
– VE Day May 7/8, 1945
• Eventually Hitler commits suicide
(April 30, 1945)
– Shoots himself
– Cyanide poisoning
• Battle in Europe is over
• War in Japan continues
• Gen Douglas MacArthur becomes
Supreme Allied Commander in the
Pacific
Battle of Iwo Jima
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Even after the War in Europe
Island off the coast of Japan
Eight square miles
Mt. Suribachi (high ground)
US Marines faced heavy fire
from Japanese who had dug
tunnels underground.
• Rough conditions
• Battle 2/19-3/26 1945
Battle of Iwo Jima
• The climb up Mt. Suribachi was fought by the
yard. Every inch counted!
• Gunfire was almost ineffective against the
Japanese soldiers.
• Flame throwers and grenades used
• On Feb 23, 1945 the top of the mountain was
secured by the Americans.
• An American flag was raised by the troops,
signaling the end of the battle
– One of the most famous photographs of all time
Battle of Iwo Jima
• Over a quarter of the
Congressional
Medals of Honor
awarded to the
Marines were given to
veterans of the Battle
of Iwo Jima
Ira Hayes
• From Sacaton, Arizona
• Native American (Gila
River)
• In famous “flag raising”
picture
• Became a national hero
• Died of alcohol poisoning
President Roosevelt’s 4th Term
• In 1944, Roosevelt wins a
fourth term in office
• Meets Winston Churchill
(England) and Joseph
Stalin (USSR) for a
conference in Yalta
(Ukraine)
– Chain smoking, paralysis,
stress, high blood pressure,
heart disease
• Declining health
• Returned visibly aged,
people shocked
FDR Dies
• On the morning of April 12th,
FDR complains of a headache
• Dies of a cerebral hemorrhage
• Roosevelt’s mistress was with
him
– Wife, Eleanor was naturally
upset
• Public not aware of his health
issues
• Incredible shock across the
country
• Served 12 years as president
(Great Depression through
defeat of Germany)
Harry S Truman
• Vice President Harry S
Truman becomes president
• Middle name is the letter S
• Little known senator from
Missouri
– Second “Missouri
Compromise”
– VP for only 82 days
• Had little information about what
was going on
Manhattan Project
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United States secretly developing
atomic warfare
– Enriched uranium bomb, nuclear
fission
– Robert Oppenheimer – Director of
Manhattan Project
– Albert Einstein’s physics
equations used in development of
bomb, though Einstein was
opposed.
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Los Alamos, New Mexico
Three bombs created
– One test bomb, Fat Man and Little
Boy
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Kept secret from Truman until just
before its use.
Fear that Nazi Germany was
working on the same technology
Atomic bombs originally intended
for Germany but never used
Manhattan Project
• Trinity test (July 16, 1945)
• White Sands Missle Range
– Near Alamogordo, NM
• 5:29 AM detonated
• Left a crater 10 feet deep. 1,100
feet wide
– Melted sand; left radioactive glass
in its place (Trinite)
– Vaporized everything in its path
• Illuminated mountains brighter than
daylight for several seconds
• Could be felt/seen over 150 miles
away
• Beginning of the “Atomic Age”
Hiroshima
• President Truman wanted
to bring a quick end to
the war.
• Called for unconditional
surrender of Japan or
face “prompt and utter
destruction” (Potsdam
Declaration)
• Japanese thought it was
a bluff; rejected
declaration
• City of Hiroshima was the
first target of bombing.
“Little Boy”
Hiroshima
• August 6, 1945
Hiroshima bombed
• Enola Gay (airplane)
• Over 90,000 people
killed instantly
• Total destruction of
city with the exception
of a few buildings.
Nagasaki
• After the Hiroshima bombing,
President Truman
announced, "If they do not
now accept our terms, they
may expect a rain of ruin from
the air the likes of which has
never been seen on this
earth."
• Japan did not respond quickly
enough, considering terms of
a surrender
• Truman orders Nagasaki to
be bombed.
“Fat Man”
Nagasaki
• August 9, 1949
• 70,000 people killed
instantly
• United States planned
more atomic bombs
for Japan
• Japan surrenders
August 15, 1945
– VJ Day
VJ Day
• Huge celebrations
across the country
• Famous photographs
from Times Square in
New York City