Transcript America in World War II 1941-1945

Bellringer
If you witnessed an unprovoked attack
on your neighbor, who is obviously
weaker than their assailant, what
would you do? What would you do if
they asked for your help?
Cornell Notes: Three Questions
Today, I will learn . . .
– Describe the goals of the two major offensives
the Allies launched in Europe in 1943.
I will learn it by . . .
– Take notes using Cornell Notes Strategy;
listening skills, write questions in side
margins, summarize notes.
I have learned it when I can . . .
– Create a database of World War II battles.
Essential Question:
What were the major battles of WWII
in Europe?
The United States in
World War II
1941-1945
PowerPoint by Mr. Hataway
Created February 1, 2004
Revised February 7, 2007
Enhanced February 1, 2011
The United States in World War II
THE EUROPEAN FRONT
continued
on next slide
The European Front
Theme: In terms of lives lost and
material destruction, World War II was
the most devastating war in human
history. It began in 1939 as a European
conflict between Germany and an
Anglo-French coalition but eventually
widened to include most of the nations
of the world. It ended in 1945, leaving a
new world order dominated by the
United States and the USSR.
War in Europe and North Africa
• Allied Strategy
• Japan’s conquests were in remote and
relatively unimportant region.
• If Soviets surrender, Hitler could invade
Britain.
• Defeat Italy and Germany First.
• Pacific War one of “active defense.”
• North Africa
• Invasion of Europe
• Bombing of Germany
• Eastern European Front
War in Europe and North Africa
• North Africa, 1942
• Battle of El Alamein (Egypt)
• British Eighth Army under Gen.
Bernard Montgomery.
• German Afrika Korps under Gen.
Erwin “Desert Fox” Rommel.
• Marked turning point in the war in
North Africa.
Battle of El Alamein (in Egypt)
War in Europe and North Africa
• North Africa, 1942
• Invasion of Morocco & Algeria
(Nov. 8th)
• American and British troops
fought.
• Gen. George Patton’s 7th Army in
North Africa.
• Nazi Gen. Rommel recalled by
Hitler. His troops surrender.
• 16 Nazi Gen. Taken prisoner along
with 250,000.
War in Europe and North Africa
• Invasion of Italy, 1943
• 250,000 American and
British troops invaded
Sicily and Salerno.
• Italians overthrew
Mussolini prior to
invasion; German
soldiers continue fight.
War in Europe and North Africa
• Invasion of Italy (1943)
• Jailed, Mussolini was rescued by Hitler’s SS
troops. (note: In April 1945, Mussolini was
caught and killed Italian partisans.)
• Rome not liberated until June 1944.
War in Europe and North Africa
• Bombing of Germany
• B-17 Flying Fortress, “the mightiest bomber
ever built,” bomb Germany’s infrastructure
• Germany moves factories to countryside and
civilian areas.
Tuskegee Airmen
flying escort in
P-51 Mustang
War in Europe and North Africa
• Bombing of Germany
• In 1943, Allies redirect bombing to civilian
populations
• Hamburg: 60-100,000 killed; 300,000 buildings
burned
• Dresden: 135,000 killed; 8 square miles
destroyed
War in Europe and North Africa
War in Europe and North Africa
• Eastern European Front
• Russian deaths exceeded 20 million
• Battle of Stalingrad (1943) – Germans
took the city then was trapped there by
the harsh winter weather.
War in Europe and North Africa
War in Europe and North Africa
• Eastern European Front
• Battle of Leningrad (1941-44) – broken
after 1,000 day siege; starvation took
thousands of lives.
• Soviet finally begin march toward
Germany in summer of 1944.
Stop Here!
Bellringer
If you had the ability to travel back in
time and kill Hitler, would you do it?
Why or why not?
Cornell Notes: Three Questions
Today, I will learn . . .
– Describe the goals of the two major offensives
the Allies launched in Europe in 1943.
I will learn it by . . .
– Take notes using Cornell Notes Strategy;
listening skills, write questions in side
margins, summarize notes.
I have learned it when I can . . .
– Create a database of World War II battles.
Essential Question
How was “Operation Overlord”
important to the overall success of the
Allies?
• D-Day: The Normandy Invasion
• Battle of the Bulge
• Liberation of the Death Camps
War in Europe and North Africa
• D-Day: The Normandy Invasion
• June 6, 1944
• Code Named “Operation Overlord”
• General Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Supreme Allied Commander in Europe
• in charge of operation
• Gen. George S. Patton
• commanded 3rd Armored Division.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Supreme Allied Commander in Europe
War in Europe and North Africa
M4 Sherman Tank
General George Patton
War in Europe and North Africa
• D-Day: The Normandy Invasion
• Cross English Channel
• Placed 3 million men ashore.
• Beachheads established by end of the first
day.
• Free French Troops
• Liberated Paris on Aug. 25, 1944
War in Europe and North Africa
• Battle of the Bulge (Dec. 1944 – Jan. 1945)
• “Hitler’s Last Gamble”
• Hoped to break Allied lines; divide force in
half and cut off Allied supplies.
• Germans lost 120,000 of best trained troops.
• American and Allied troops continue advance
on Germany.
Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
War in Europe and North Africa
• Liberation of Nazi Death Camps, 1945
• Soviets liberated Auschwitz (Jan. 1945)
• Americans liberated Buchenwald (Apr. 1945)
• Eisenhower orders all troops to tour the
camps
• “be eye-witnesses to the existence of the
homicidal gas chamber”
War in Europe and North Africa
War in Europe and North Africa
War in Europe and North Africa
• Fall of Berlin
• Caught between British-American forces on
one side and Soviet forces on the other, Nazi
resistance quickly collapses.
• In April, American and Soviet forces, converging at
the Elbe River.
• Soviets reduce Berlin to rubble.
• On April 30, 1945, Hitler & Eva Braun committed
suicide.
Reichstag After Fall of Berlin - 1945
War in Europe and North Africa
• V-E Day
• May 8, 1945
• Germany signs
unconditional
surrender.
Big Three Wartime Conferences
War in Europe and North Africa
• Wartime Conferences:
• The Big Three – USA, Britain, & USSR
• The Tehran Conference (Nov. 1943) –
Planned overall battle strategy
• The Yalta Conference (Feb. 1945) – Began
deciding the fate of countries taken by
Hitler
• The Potsdam Conference (July 1945) – With
knowledge of the bomb, Truman took
charge
Each leader came
to Yalta with an
agenda. Roosevelt
desired Soviet
military support
against Japan
following the
defeat of
Germany and
Soviet
participation in
the United
Nations, while
Churchill was
focused on
securing free
elections for
Soviet-liberated
countries in
Eastern Europe.
Counter to
Churchill's
desire, Stalin
sought to build a
Soviet sphere of
influence in
Eastern Europe
to protect against
future threats. In
addition to these
long-term issues,
the three powers
also needed to
develop a plan for
governing
postwar
Germany.
Yalta Conference
The Big Three: Winston Churchill (Great Britain),
Franklin D. Roosevelt (USA), and Joseph Stalin (USSR)
Discussed post-war
arrangements in
Europe, frequently
without agreement.
A joint
proclamation by the
U.S., Great Britain
and China, the three
main powers then
fighting Japan. This
"Potsdam
Declaration"
described Japan's
present perilous
condition, gave the
terms for her
surrender and
stated the Allies'
intentions
concerning her
postwar status. It
ended with an
ultimatum: Japan
must immediately
agree to
unconditionally
surrender, or face
"prompt and utter
destruction".
Potsdam Conference
The Big Three: British Prime Minister Clement Atlee,
U.S. President Harry S Truman, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin