The Allied Victory WWII

“Yesterday, December 7, a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”

Pearl Harbor December 7 th, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on American Soldiers at Pearl Harbor. Japanese naval leader: Isoruku Yamamoto –Within 2 Hours Japan sunk 18 ships, nearly 3000 Americans were killed, and approx were wounded. –Attack on Pearl Harbor officially brings the United States into the war on the side of the Allies.

Allied War Strategy On December 22, 1941, just after Pearl Harbor, Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt met at the White House to develop a joint war policy. Stalin had asked his allies to relieve German pressure on his armies in the east. To do this he wanted the US and Britain to open a second front in the west. Eventually the allied powers would all agree and their war strategy would be put into action.

Allied Strategy The North African Campaign –Angered Stalin –In late 1942 The British Army drove the Germans out of Egypt and back to the west. –American troops landed behind the Germans. Led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower –Together the American and British troops defeated Rommel and his troops forced Germany to leave Africa in May 1943 –Marked the beginning of Allied victories.

As Rommel suffered defeats in North Africa, German armies also met their match in the Soviet Union. The German advance had stalled in late And the bitter winter made the situation worse. When the summer arrived, Hitler sent troops in to seize the oil fields in the Caucasus Mountains and also capture Stalingrad.

The Battle Of Stalingrad German troops invaded the Soviet city of Stalingrad in –Bombing raids set much of the city ablaze and ruined much of the city. –By early November 1942 Germans controlled more than 90% of Stalingrad. Soviets Launch Counterattack –Fall turns to winter –Trapped Germans inside city and cut of supplies. –Germans forced to surrender Losing nearly 250,000 troops

The Invasion of Italy The Allies Invade Italy –July 10 th 1943 Allied Forces landed on Sicily. After a bloody but short battle the Allied Forces captured Sicily. –Mussolini is forced from power. Fighting will continue in Italy until the wars end in 1945.

The Allied Home Fronts Wherever Allied Forces fought, people on the home fronts rallied to support them. In war-torn countries like the Soviet Union and Great Britain, civilians endured extreme hardships. Except for a few of its territories, such as Hawaii, the US did not suffer invasion or bombing. Nonetheless, Americans at home made a crucial contribution to the Allied war effort.

The Allied Home Front Mobilizing for War –Fighting the war requires complete use of all national resources (total war) –17 to 18 million U.S. workers make weapons Many of these workers are women! –People at home face shortages of consumer goods American government rationed scare items. –Propaganda aims to inspire civilians to aid war effort

The D-Day Invasion While the Allies were dealing with issues on the home front, they also were preparing to push toward victory in Europe. In 1943, the Allies began secretly building an invasion force in Great Britain. Their plan was to attack on German held France across the English Channel.

Victory in Europe The D-Day Invasion –Allies plan invasion of France; use deception to confuse Germans –D-Day: June 6, 1944; day of “Operation Overlord” invasion of France –By September Allied forces capture Normandy and liberate France, Belgium, and Luxemburg.

To Germany we go As Allied forces moved toward Germany form the west, the Soviet army was advancing toward Germany from the East. Hitler now faced a war on two fronts. In a desperate gamble, he decided to counterattack in the west.

Battle of the Bulge U.S., British forces advance on Germany from west, Soviets from east Battle of the Bulge –Hitler calls for a counterattack –December 16, 1944 –German tanks broke through weak American Defenses. However Allies eventually pushed Germans back. Germans forced to retreat –No reinforcements were available.

After the Battle of the Bulge, the war in Europe rapidly drew to a close. By late April 1945, Soviet troops surrounded Berlin (Hitler’s Headquarters)

What do you think Hitler did?

On April 30 th, 1945, Hitler knowing that the end was near, kills his wife (of 1 day) and then commits suicide. One week later, the Germans surrendered, this ending the War in Europe.

President Roosevelt had not lived to see this victory, however. He had died in early April and Harry Truman had taken over the Presidency. After nearly six years of fighting, the war in Europe had ended.