Transcript File
WWII: Battlefronts 1939-1945 Two Theaters: Europe (Germany) and Pacific (Japan) European Theater Pacific Theater Strategies Axis: Germany, Italy and Japan had their own goals only shared common enemies Main goal: prevent American war materials from getting into Europe…u-boats patrol seas (“wolf packs”) but sonar use will level the playing field Battle of Britain: German air raids on Britain… Hitler was hoping to defeat Britain just like he had France…not successful Allies: unified in their goals…get Hitler in Europe and then turn to the Pacific Had General George Patton controlling efforts in Africa Allies attacked Italy, overthrew Mussolini and removed Hitler’s help…new gov’t declared war on Germany Russia wanted Allies to set up western front in France so Germany was fighting a two-front war War in Europe: Stalingrad Germany had attacked Russia and Hitler wanted Stalingrad for the oil fields Hitler would not admit defeat even though his troops were surrounded Turning Point of War In Europe because it ended any plans Hitler had for domination in Europe Operation Overlord (D-Day) Plan to invade German occupied France to create two-front war for Germany led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower D-Day: when Allies hit Germany on the beaches of Normandy (code name Omaha) Now Germany fought a hopeless two front war with Allies closing in on Germany…this is why Germany lost the war Battle of the Bulge Germany’s counterattack to D-Day An attempt to separate British and American troops that only pushed Hitler further back into Germany…defeat would come soon Ends war in Europe V-E (Victory in Europe) Day Hitler commits suicide on April 30, 1945 7 days later Germany surrendered on May 7th War in Pacific: Midway Japan was trying to conquer all of Asia…turned its sights to U.S. naval base at Midway Admiral Chester Nimitz knew of these plans and dealt them the most decisive defeat of the war…turning point of war in the Pacific because it ended the Japanese advance in the Pacific Island Hopping U.S. strategy in the Pacific of hopping from island to island on a steady path to Japan Deadly process when Japanese kamikazes deliberately crash their planes into U.S. ships Like suicide bombers Iwo Jima 36 day campaign in the process of island hopping to obtain the 5 mile island of Iwo Jima U.S. Marines plant the American flag on Japanese territory… symbolic of American successes and later victory over Japan The Atomic Bomb Ends the War Albert Einstein split atoms and it created large amounts of energy…FDR creates the Manhattan Project (but bombs are tested in Arizona) to develop the atomic bomb for military use led by J. Robert Oppenheimer not realizing its potential and future impact on war would be so devastating V-J Day President Harry Truman ordered two atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima Emperor Hirohito surrendered and the U.S. celebrated V-J (Victory in Japan) Day WWII was over http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_N agasaki#Announcement_of_the_bombing_in_audio Holocaust The Nazis attempt to kill all Jews (genocide) Hitler’s Final Solution was to exterminate all Jews 6 million total Concentration/death camps warehoused Jews until extermination After war, U.S helps liberate (free) remaining Jews WWII Meetings Casablanca Conference: first meeting between Allies (GB and U.S.) to discuss war strategies Tehran Conference: 1st Big Three meeting on how to get Hitler to surrender Potsdam Conference: meeting to discuss how to punish Germany and get Japan to surrender Yalta Conference: end of war meeting on how to rebuild Europe and divide up Germany among Allies The Big Three Joseph Stalin for Soviet Union FDR for US, after he dies Harry Truman steps in. Winston Churchill for Great Britain