Transcript War in Europe

WORLD WAR II
WAR IN EUROPE
EASTERN FRONT
NOVEMBER 1941 – GERMANY INVADED SOVIET
UNION (OPERATION BARBAROSSA)
 AUGUST 1942 – BATTLE OF STALINGRAD
 MAJOR INDUSTRIAL CITY ON THE VOLGA
 MASS DESTRUCTION
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– NIGHTLY BOMBING RAIDS
– ALL BUILDINGS SET ABLAZE
– SOVIET OFFICERS CONSIDERED BLOWING UP THE
REMAINING FACTORIES
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STALIN – ORDERED TO DEFEND (NO WEAPONS)
SEPTEMBER 1942 – 9/10 OF CITY – GERMAN
EASTERN FRONT
WINTER OF 1942 - BRUTAL
 SOVIET COUNTER – ATTACK
 GERMANS – TRAPPED INSIDE CITY
 JANUARY 31, 1943 – GERMANS
SURRENDER
 SOVIETS DEAD – 1,100,000
 TURNING POINT
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STALINGRAD
BATTLE OF STALINGRAD
BATTLE OF STALINGRAD
NORTH AFRICAN FRONT
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STALIN PRESSURED U.S. & BRITAIN TO OPEN A
2ND FRONT
CHURCHILL & FDR – NOT READY TO INVADE
EUROPE
OPERATION TORCH – INVASION OF AXIS
CONTROLLED NORTH AFRICA
COMMANDED BY DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER
NOVEMBER 1942 – 110,000 ALLIED TROOPS
INVADED
AXIS POWERS – ERWIN ROMMEL
BATTLE AT EL ALAMEIN - 1942
MAY 1943 – ROMMEL SURRENDERS
EISENHOWER
ROMMEL
ITALIAN CAMPAIGN
SUMMER 1943
 SICILY
 BATTLE OF ANZIO “BLOODY ANZIO”
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– FOUR MONTHS
– 25,000 ALLIED DEAD
– 30,000 AXIS DEAD
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ITALIAN GOVERNMENT – FORCED
MUSSOLINI TO RESIGN
ALLIES LIBERATE EUROPE
OPERATION OVERLOAD
 DIRECTED BY EISENHOWER
 3 MILLION BRITISH, AMERICAN, &
CANADIAN TROOPS
 PLAN- ATTACK NORMANDY IN NORTHERN
FRANCE
 ALLIES – SENT RADIO MESSAGES THAT
THEY WOULD ATTACK CALAIS
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LIBERATE EUROPE
OPERATION OVERLORD – PLANNED FOR JUNE 5
WEATHER
JUNE 6, 1944 – D-DAY
3 DIVISIONS PARACHUTED BEHIND GERMAN
LINES
 MORNING – THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS
REACHED SHORES
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– 5000 SHIPS
– 11,000 AIRPLANES
– 150,000 SERVICE MEN
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LARGEST LAND-SEA-AIR OPERATION IN ARMY
HISTORY
D-DAY
D-DAY
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GERMAN RETALIATION BRUTAL
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20 YEARS OLD, CARRYING 80 POUNDS,
FACED 200 YARDS OF OPEN BEACH
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ALLIED FORCES: 10,000 DEAD
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AFTER 7 DAYS – ALLIES HELD THE BEACH
LIBERATION OF EUROPE
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GEORGE PATTON – ALLIED GENERAL
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AUGUST 25, 1944 – PARIS LIBERATED
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SEPTEMBER 1944 – FRANCE, BELGIUM,
AND LUXEMBOURG LIBERATED
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NOVEMBER – FDR ELECTED TO 4TH TERM
PATTON
BATTLE OF THE BULGE
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OCTOBER 1944 – ALLIES CAPTURED 1ST
GERMAN TOWN AACHEN
DECEMBER 1944 – HITLER’S LAST DESPERATE
ATTEMPT
GERMAN TANK DIVISION BROKE THROUGH
AMERICAN DEFENSES
120 AMERICANS CAPTURED (KILLED) MALMEDY
MASSACRE
BATTLE LASTED 1 MONTH (BASTOGNE)
GERMANS HAD BEEN WEAKENED
RETREAT
BATTLE OF THE BULGE
FINAL DAYS
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APRIL 1945 – SOVIETS STORMED BERLIN
APRIL 12, 1945 – FDR DIES – TRUMAN
BECOMES PRESIDENT
APRIL 29, 1945 – HITLER MARRIED EVA BRAUN
& WROTE OUT HIS LAST ADDRESS TO THE
GERMAN PEOPLE
BLAMED JEWS FOR STARTING AND LOSING THE
WAR
APRIL 30, 1944 – HITLER SHOT HIMSELF &
BRAUN POISONED
BODIES SOAKED IN GASOLINE AND BURNED
MAY 8, 1945 – GERMAN SURRENDERED – V.E.
DAY
V.E. DAY