War Suspicions  As the war entered 1941, the various axis nations and their allies became weary of one another  There were mounting tensions between Stalin and Hitler  Japan and the USSR sign the Soviet – Japanese Neutrality Pact in April 1941, to ensure that Russia will not interfere with Japanese conquests in Indochina

Operation Barbarossa  It was a surprise offensive launched by Hitler by invading the Soviet Union  His main goals were to: Eliminate Soviet military power Exterminate communism Create Lebensraum Gain important natural resources such as oil fields in the Caucasus region  Hitler inflicted major casualties and various battles: Siege of Leningrad Kiev offensive  The Nazis made it to the Moscow Suburbs but were halted by short supplies and a brutal Russian winter

Japan Gains Momentum  With great success in Europe, Hitler began to encourage Japan to keep up the pressure on European possessions in Southeast Asia  The Dutch agreed to give oil from the Dutch East Indies, but refused to give up control of the colonies  Vichy France gave up full control of their colonies to Japan  In response to this, the United States initiated an oil embargo of Japan At the time the USA supplied more than 80% of Japan’s oil

Pearl Harbor and Japanese Conquest  “Yesterday, December 7, 1941—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”  The attack on Pearl harbor caused the deaths of over a thousand US sailors  The United States immediately declared war on Japan, thus causing Germany to declare war on the United States  Japan also simultaneously attacked the Phillipines, Thailand, Malay, and Hong Kong  Because of this, the Allied nations of Europe (with the exception of USSR) to declare war on Japan

 By April 1942, Japan had conquered Thailand, Burma, Malaya, the Dutch East Indies, and Singapore  By May 1942, the Japanese finally captured the Philippines, despite harsh fighting on Corregidor Bataan Death March  The Japanese also enjoyed a relatively unchallenged naval dominance in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean during this time They were even able to bomb naval bases in Darwin, Australia  These conquests however gave the Japanese a false sense of confidence as well as spreading themselves too thin

 By Mid 1942, the Japanese were planning on severing Allied shipping routes to Australia by capturing Port Moresby  The Americans however, intercepted them and decisively defeated them at the Battle of the Coral Sea  The Japanese Navy then set its sights on Midway Island The US defeated them there as well because they had deciphered the Japanese Naval code  The US then stopped a ground assault of Port Moresby at the Battle of Guadalcanal

Nazis Lose Momentum  After being forced to retreat at the suburbs of Moscow, the German army began to try and seize Stalingrad  However they were never able to do so due to bitter street fighting and the sheer will of the Red Army The Red Army launched a series of counter attacks that encircled the German forces and they ultimately surrendered Field Marshal Paulus was the only Nazi of that rank to be captured alive, which was a huge surprise to Hitler

Operation Crusader  An Allied force mainly comprised of British commonwealth troops began a campaign to retake South Africa from the Italians and Germans that controlled it  The British then invaded Vichy-held Madagascar in fear that the Japanese might use the naval bases there  It was during this time that the Axis forces, headed by Erwin Rommel, launched a successful attack in Libya  This pushed the Allies back to Egypt were the German- Italian coalition was stopped at El Alamein

 The Allies then repelled a second attack on El Alamein, which allowed the Allies to continue to supply Malta with much needed supplies  With the help of the Americans, the British commonwealth troops pinned Rommel in a pincer maneuver in Tunisia Rommel fled to Italy  Angry, Hitler ordered the occupation of Vichy France because their Algerian colonies now belonged to the Allies The Vichy government did not resist but they managed to destroy their navy

The Tides Turn  The Allies then invade Sicily in July 1943  Soon after that, the Allies invaded the Italian mainland, where soon after the Italians signed an Armistice with the Allies  Infuriated, Hitler took control of Italian military forces and set up various military strong holds and lines on the Italian Peninsula  Hitler also set up the puppet state dubbed the “Italian Socialist Republic” which was headed by Mussolini  The leaders of the Allied Nations also met in Tehran and Cairo to discuss post-war negotiations Cairo: Chiang Kai-shek Tehran: Joseph Stalin