Transcript bulge

Turning Points in the
European Theater
Battle of the Atlantic
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US & Britain vs. Germany
German U-Boats tried to sink Allied merchant
ships
(US sending supplies to Britain and USSR)
North Africa
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US & Britain vs. Germany & Italy
Eisenhower & Montgomery vs. Rommel, “The
Desert Fox”
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Desert warfare, tanks, seesaw battle

Allies win!
Strategic Bombing
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British & American bombers vs. German
factories & cities - “Total War”
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B-17 “Flying Fortress”
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Dresden Fire Bombing
With a Partner
1. Why was Dresden full of refugees?
2. Why will the number of deaths never be
known?
3. Which theory is most reasonable as a cause for
the bombing of Dresden?
4. Why were the bombs so deadly? Were they
conventional bombs?
5. What was the response of the German
population in Dresden to the Allied bombing?
Before
After
Before
After
Before
After
The Eastern Front
Battle of Stalingrad
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Largest battle in history!
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Over 1 million killed
Hitler wanted to take Russia's oil fields
Stalin ordered his army and civilians to defend
the city at all costs
Russia “won” - stopped the German advance,
captured German army
Invasion of Italy
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“The soft underbelly of Europe”
Series of amphibious landings and airborne
assaults
Italian army surrendered quickly, Mussolini fled
German troops reinforce Northern Italy; fierce
fighting
Invasion of France
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June 6, 1944
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“Operation Overlord”
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“D-Day”
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Largest amphibious assault in history
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US, British, and Canadian troops attack 5
beaches in Normandy (France)
Fierce resistance on Omaha Beach (Saving
Private Ryan), 6,000 Americans killed
Invasion of France
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Allies win, send millions of reinforcements into
France
France liberated on August 25th, 1944
Russian Counteroffensive
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Battle of Kursk – largest tank battle in history
(3000+ tanks)
Ended in a draw, but Germany retreated out of
Russia
Red Army slowly pushes Nazis back through
Poland and then invades Germany
Battle of the Bulge!
“Hitler's Last Gamble”
Germany in the West
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Battle of the Bulge
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Allies closing in on Germany from both sides
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Hitler's last offensive – all out attack on the
American lines
Panzers push Americans back, but lines do not
break – they only bulge
Germans run out of gas and retreat
Invasion of Germany
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Germany running low on weapons, supplies,
and soldiers
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Hitler refused to surrender
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Allies invade Germany from both sides
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US agrees to let Red Army capture Berlin
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Hitler orders all out defense of Berlin – hopeless
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Russians commit atrocities – revenge
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Hitler commits suicide in his bunker
Quickwrite
Look over your notes from today's lesson...

Which event do you think was the biggest
“turning point” for the Allies?
- Rank the events from most significant to least
(1=most, 8=least)


Battle of the Atlantic, North Africa, Strategic
bombing, Battle of Stalingrad, Invasion of Italy,
D-Day, Battle of Kursk, Battle of the Bulge
Explain the reasoning for your first and last
picks