Transcript The Allied Victory

The Allied Victory
How do the Allies defeat the Axis Powers?
D-Day: Invasion of Normandy (European War)
General Eisenhower is named Allied Supreme Commander in Europe
June 6 1944: Allies launch an invasion of the beaches in N. France
150K allied troops land:27K killed on first day
One month later, one million more Allied troops arrive – Allies winning
Great Britain
By August, German army begins to retreat east
Aug 25: Allied Army liberates Paris. De Gaulle & France are back!
Eisenhower’s army continues to push Germany from the west
Soviet army is pushing from the east
D-Day
Battle of the Bulge
•Dec 1944: last ditch attempt, Hitler decides to counterattack in the west
•Battle of the Bulge – Germans break weak American line at Ardennes
•Attack catches Allies by surprise – Germans do well early
•March 1945: Allied troops win Battle of Bulge but FDR dies in America
April 1945: 3 million Allied troops cross the Rhine River into Germany
Six million Soviet troops are pushing from the east
Hitler and his closest associates are in his private bunker
After marrying his girlfriend Eva Braun, Hitler & Braun commit suicide
Propaganda minister Goebbels & SS Chief Himmler commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide
Suicide
•On May 7, 1945 Germany unconditionally surrenders to Eisenhower
The Pacific War
Allies & KMT/Mao’s Army liberate Korea & China – Japan now using
Kamikaze pilots to defend remaining territory
March 1945: After a month of bitter fighting, the Allies take the island
of Iwo Jima (over 18K-Japan, 6K-Allies killed)
Next, Allies take island of Okinawa, 350 miles south of Japan
Okinawa is one of the bloodiest battles of the war: 100K Japanese &
19K Allied troops killed in a month and a half of fighting
Despite the heavy casualties, Japan refuses to surrender. Allies
preparing for a full-scale invasion of Japan
Iwo Jima
Okinawa