Transcript WWII-Progresses

WWII Progresses
Fall of France, Battle of Britain
France FALLS to Hitler! Troops have to make an
emergency evacuation at Dunkirk to England…a
shock and embarrassment!
Hitler bombards London for almost 40 days and
nights
“We will never, never, never give up!” –Winston
Churchill
Hitler and USSR
June 1941, Hitler invades Soviet Union and
breaks Non-Aggression Pact
Army gets tied up in Soviet winter, just like
Napoleon!
Japan’s Expansion
Japan attacked most of Southeast Asia,
including French Indochina (Vietnam), China,
Korea, the Philippines, and many islands like Iwo
Jima and Midway.
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor
Angry at US for blocking war
materials and trying to help
China
US thought an attack would
strike Philippines first—had
General Douglas MacArthur
already there!
December 7, 1941: “A date
which will live in infamy”
Pearl Harbor today: Oahu, HI
Reaction in US
US Declares war on Japan December 8, 1941
Germany and Italy declare war on US due to
Tripartite Agreement
Japanese American citizens forced to relocate to
internment camps on West Coast due to
Executive Order 9066: Our government later
issued an apology!
Stalingrad: The Turning Point in
Europe
Stalin asks for help from GB, FR, and US to take
some pressure off the Eastern Front
– They say NO—he remembers this!
Soviet troops hold the line in the USSR and
defeat Hitler at Stalingrad—turns the tide of war
in Europe!
Massive casualties from USSR
Stalingrad: A Turning Point
Northern Africa
Allied troops try to defeat
Hitler in North Africa, since
he is still to strong in France
Eisenhower leads Allies
against Erwin Rommel (the
“Desert Fox”)
Once they had control, could
invade the “soft underbelly of
Europe” (Think hedgehog!)
Allies invade North Africa 1943 and
Rome eventually falls, 1944
Italy Falls
Allies launch an offensive in Sicily July 1943
By July 25, King Victor Emmanuel III fired
Mussolini and had him arrested
New Prime Minister signed secret surrender
September 3, 1943
Germans later rescue Mussolini and put him in
control of Northern Italy
June 1944, Allies finally get back to Rome
What now?
Allies must prepare to invade Vichy France (held
by Nazis) and Hitler knew it…started building his
“Atlantic Wall”
Had to somehow plan an attack but keep it as
secret as possible
Omaha Beach at Normandy
Inflatable Army!
101st Airborne drops behind enemy
lines, but blown off course
Effects of D-Day
The cost of the Normandy campaign was high for both sides. From DDay to 21 August the Allies had landed 2,052,299 men in northern
France.[56] The Allies lost around 209,672 casualties from June 6 to the
end of August. Around 10 % of the forces landed in France. The
casualties breaks down to 36,976 killed, 153,475 wounded and 19,221
missing. Split between the Army-Groups; the Anglo-Canadian ArmyGroup suffered 16,138 killed, 58,594 wounded and 9,093 missing for a
total of 83,825 casualties. The American Army-Group suffered 20,838
killed, 94,881 wounded and 10,128 missing for a total of 125,847
casualties. To these casualties it should be added that no less then
4,101 aircraft were lost and 16,714 airmen were killed in direct
connection to Operation Overlord. Thus total Allied casualties rises to
226,386 men.[57] For Allied tank losses there are no direct number. A
fair estimate is that around 4,000 tanks were destroyed, of which 2,000
were fighting in American units.[58]
The German casualties remains unclear. [59] The estimates of the
German casualties stretches from 288,000 men to 450,000 men. Just in
the Falaise Gap the Germans lost around 50,000 men in killed and
wounded.[60] The Germans committed around 2,300 tanks and assault
guns to the battle in Normandy, and only around 100 to 120 were
brought back across the Seine.[nb 6] The overwhelming majority of the
German tanks destroyed were put out of action by the Allied airforce,
while very few of the Allied tank losses were inflicted by the
Luftwaffe.[61]
Source: Wikipedia, Operation Overlord
In the Pacific
Japan showing no signs of surrender (code of
honor/bushido)
Battle of Midway June 1942—turning point in Pacific.
US breaks Japan’s code and is ready for attack—
catches Japan off guard!
Japan could not break US code—WHY?
Guadalcanal and “island hopping”
Kamikazes used in 1943: showing Japan was far from
surrender