The Allied Victory Chapter 16 Section 4

Main Idea Led by the United States, Great Britain and the Soviet Union, the Allies scored key victories and won the war. The Allies’ victory in World War II set up conditions for both the Cold War and today’s post-Cold War world.

Introduction Right after Pearl Harbor, Churchill and FDR met to discuss a joint war policy. Stalin had asked his allies to relieve German pressure on his armies in the east. We wanted them to open a second front on the west. What problem would this cause for Germany? TWO FRONT WAR FDR eventually agreed.

The Tide Turns on Two Fronts Churchill wanted the U.S. and Great Britain to first strike in North Africa and southern Europe. Stalin was mad because he wanted them to open a front in France. Stalin was left to fight the Germans alone. U.S. and Britain helped with supplies.

The North African Campaign General Rommel (Desert Fox) was stationed in North Africa. Britain sent Gen. Bernard Montgomery to command the British troops in Egypt. When Monty arrived, they could not get around the German troops at El Alamein. Decision? Massive frontal attack Germany is caught off guard and Rommel’s troops fell back.

Operation Torch As Rommel moved west, the Allies launched Operation Torch. November 8th – 100,000+ Allied troops landed in Algeria and Morocco. Dwight D. Eisenhower led the force. May 1943 – Rommel’s troops, Afrika Korps, are finally crushed.

The Battle for Stalingrad German armies were also having a difficult time in the Soviet Union. The Battle of Stalingrad began on August 23, 1942. The Luftwaffe, once again, went on night bombing raids. Stalin told his army to defend the city until the death.

Russian Winter By November, the Germans controlled 90% of the city. Soviet troops outside the city launched a counterattack. Winter had set in. Soviets were successful in trapping the Germans and cutting off their supplies.

German Defeat Hitler refused to let his troops retreat. February 2, 1943 – 90,000 frostbitten, half-starved Germans surrendered. All that remained out of 330,000 troops. Germans were now on the defensive. Soviets were pushing westward.

The Invasion of Italy Stalin continued to urge Britain and the U.S. to invade France. FDR and Churchill decided to capture Italy first. Capture Sicily. This conquest removed Mussolini from power. Mussolini was arrested in July. In September, Italy surrendered. Germans take control of northern Italy and put Mussolini back in control.

Fall of Mussolini Fighting in Italy continued until Germany fell in May 1945. April 27, 1945 – Mussolini was found disguised as a German soldier. Italian resistance fighters shot him and hung his body in downtown Milan for all to see.

The Allied Home Fronts Allies had great support at home. People endured extreme hardships in war-torn countries, like the Soviet Union and Great Britain. U.S. was not bombed, with the exception of Hawaii. Americans produced the weapons and equipment that would help win the war.

Mobilizing for War Defeating the Axis powers required mobilizing for total war. In the U.S., factories converted their peacetime operations to wartime production. Machine guns to boots Automobile factories produced tanks. 17 – 18 million Americans had jobs in war industries.

Shortages While the factories were producing wartime products, they were creating a shortage of consumer goods. American government rationed scarce items. Lowered speed limit to 35 miles per hour. Save gas and rubber

Propaganda Allied governments created highly effective propaganda campaigns. Effort to inspire their people to greater efforts. A Moscow child collected enough scrap metal for 14,000 shells. One Russian family gave up their life savings to buy a tank for the army.

War Limits Civil Rights Propaganda also had negative effects. After the Pearl Harbor bombings, many people became prejudice against Japanese Americans. Seen as the enemy February 19, 1942 – FDR issued an executive order calling for the internment of Japanese Americans because they were considered a threat to the country.

Japanese Americans The military began rounding up “aliens” and sending them to relocation camps. By moving them away from the coast, it would prevent them from assisting Japanese in an invasion. Many were born in America but had parents that were native to Japan. Many also enlisted in the military to fight for the U.S., even though their family members were in internment camps.

Victory in Europe 1943 – The Allies began secretly building an invasion force in Great Britain. Their plan was to launch an attack on German-held France across the English Channel.

The D-Day Invasion May 1944 – the invasion force was ready. Thousands of planes, ships, tanks, landing craft and 3+ million troops awaited the order to attack. Eisenhower planned to attack on the coast of Normandy (NW France). Germany knew an attack was coming but didn’t know when or where. Allies set up a dummy army to keep Hitler guessing.

Operation Overlord The invasion of Normandy was given the code name Operation Overlord. Became the largest land and sea attack in history. Began June 6, 1944 – D-Day. Germans responded with machine guns, rocket launchers and cannons. Allies suffered great losses. 2,700+ Americans died that day.

D-Day Within a month of D-Day, one million additional troops landed to aid the Allies. July 25 – the U.S. army led by Gen. George Patton broke out and marched to Paris. Allies march to Paris. France is liberated by September. Also, Belgium and Luxembourg

The Battle of the Bulge Allied forces moved toward Germany from the west, and the Soviet Union advanced from the east. Hitler now faced a war on two fronts. He counterattacks the west. December 16th – Germans push into Allied lines. Battle of the Bulge Allies fight back and Germans are forced to retreat.

Germany’s Unconditional Surrender After the Battle of the Bulge, the war in Europe rapidly drew to a close. Allies move across the Rhine River into Germany. With three million soldiers coming from the west and six million Soviets coming from the east, Berlin was in trouble. By April 25, 1945, Germany’s capital was under fire.

Hitler’s End While Berlin was being attacked, Hitler prepared for his end underneath the city. Hitler marries his girlfriend, Eva Braun on April 29th. The next day Hitler and Eva commit suicide in his underground headquarters.

The Third Reich Surrenders May 7, 1945 – Gen. Eisenhower accepted the unconditional surrender of the Third Reich from the German military. FDR did not live to witness the victory. He died less than a month earlier. Truman replaced FDR and received news of the surrender. May 9 – surrender was officially signed in Berlin. Known as V-E Day (Victory in Europe).

Victory in the Pacific The war in Europe was over, but the Allies were still fighting in the Pacific. Japanese advances had been stopped with the Allied victory at Guadalcanal. For the rest of the war, the Japanese retreated before the counterattack of the Allied powers.

The Japanese in Retreat Allied forces land at Leyte in the Philippines. The Japanese decided to destroy an American fleet to stop the Allies from receiving supplies. Japanese navy took the gamble and lost. Now the Allies only had to worry about the army and kamikazes (suicide pilots).

Iwo Jima March 1945 – American Marines took Iwo Jima. April 1 – U.S. troops move on to Okinawa. June 21 – the bloody battle ended. Japanese lost 100,000 troops Americans lost 12,000 troops

The Japanese Surrender Allies now move on to Japan. Truman had been advised that the attack may cost 500,000 lives. Should he drop the atomic bomb in order to save American lives? Many people felt that the A-bomb would bring the war to the quickest possible end.

Manhattan Project The atomic bomb was developed during the Manhattan Project. First atomic bomb exploded in a New Mexico desert on July 16, 1945. Truman warned Japan to surrender or expect a “rain of ruin from the air.” Japan did not respond.

Atomic Bomb August 6, 1945 – U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Population ~ 350,000 70,000 – 80,000 people died August 9, 1945 – U.S. dropped a second bomb on Nagasaki Population ~ 270,000 70,000+ people died immediately Radiation fallout killed many more

Japan Surrenders Japan finally surrenders to MacArthur on September 2, 1945. World War II was now over. Now, countries faced the task of rebuilding a war-torn world.