World War II Europe

Allies Fight Back U.S. entrance into WWII German U-Boats Enigma Turned tide of war in Battle of Atlantic Delivery of supplies = key! German U-Boats “wolf pack” dangerous subs countered by U.S. convoy system Enigma German code broken by Enigma machine in 1941 Advanced knowledge of German movements

Soviet Union Hitler invaded in 1941 Stalingrad (1942) Soviets used winter to advantage Stalingrad (1942) Soviets refuse to fall > counterattack Defeated Germans in 1943 *Marked beginning of German collapse in Soviet Union Germans lost 2 million vs. Soviets 12 million

North Africa Prime oil territory > conflict between Britain & Italy Britain defeats Italy & gains access to Suez Canal General Erwin Rommel “Desert Fox” – brilliant German general Lost Battle of El Alamein to Britain

Operation Torch Operation Torch General Dwight D. Eisenhower U.S. efforts in Africa General Dwight D. Eisenhower Led U.S. attack *U.S. gained valuable combat experience Helped in German defeat

Axis Powers Collapse 1943 U.S. invades Italy FDR & Churchill “… die for Mussolini & Hitler or live for Italy” Tuskegee Airmen Aid in U.S. victory Approximately 300,000 killed or wounded

D-Day June 6, 1944 Operation Overlord Allied invasion of France (5 beaches) U.S., British & Canadian troops attack from sea, air & land German response slow High casualty rates but Allied victory *General Eisenhower became Supreme Allied Commander after victory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDZs442oqxA

Battle of the Bulge Battle of the Bulge (Dec. 16, 1944) *Last major German offensive Gen. George Patton provided relief for American forces Allied victory

The Holocaust Kristallnacht 3 stages Night of Broken Glass *1st open attack on Jews 3 stages Jews cannot live as Germans Jews cannot live with Germans Jews cannot live

U.S. Response to the Holocaust Limited immigration of Jews by U.S. & other Western countries War Refugee Board 1944 Too little too late? Lacked money & authority Nuremberg Trials 22 Nazis tried for war crimes

Yalta Conference Yalta Conference (Jan. 1945) Big 3 meet (Stalin, Churchill & Roosevelt) agree to “occupy” Germany once war ends by dividing the country into 4 sectors Also agree to elections in Eastern European countries Stalin agrees to help in war on Japan 3 months after Germany defeated Why is this an issue?

Victory in Europe (V-E Day) V-E Day (Victory in Europe) Hitler finally recognized the end & committed suicide April 1945 News of Hitler’s death spread & fighting slowly stopped surrender of Germany took effect on May 8, 1945 Proclaimed V-E (Victory in Europe) Day