World War II: The War Front US History: Spiconardi

The Belligerents Allied PowersAxis Powers United States of America ▫Franklin D. Roosevelt Great Britain ▫Winston Churchill (Prime Minister) France ▫Charles de Gaulle Soviet Union (USSR) ▫Joseph Stalin 45 other countries Germany ▫Adolf Hitler Italy ▫Benito Mussolini Japan ▫Emperor Hirohito ▫Tojo Hideki (General & Prime Minister) Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria

Fighting on several fronts The U.S. faced the difficulty of fighting on three continents ▫Europe, Africa, and Europe FDR & the Allies decided on a “Europe first” plan of attack ▫They would concentrate on Japan later U.S. with very little support fought against the Japanese US and Great Britain fought in Northern Africa and attacked German controlled areas in Europe from the air Soviets fought a land war against Nazis in Eastern Europe

The Pacific Island Hopping ▫The US military decided on establishing a line of military bases ▫Attack Japanese weak points first, then go after strongholds ▫The goal was to eventually invade Japan

The Pacific Bataan Death March ▫In 1942, Japan invades the Philippines and takes American and Filipino prisoners of war  POWs  65 mile march  Insufficient rations  Thousands shot, clubbed, and starved to death

US would commit many of the same atrocities against the Japanese in battles. The racism and hatred led to unspeakable actions in the Pacific Theater.

The Pacific

Iwo JimaOkinawa 6,821 Americans dead ▫19,217 wounded 19,000 Japanese dead ▫There were 21,000 Japanese soldiers on the island 12, 513 Americans killed ▫38, 916 wounded 110,000 Japanese killed ▫Perhaps upwards of 150,000 Japanese civilians killed

Europe and North Africa A second front? ▫Stalin wanted Great Britain & the US to invade northern Europe in order to take pressure off the USSR  By 1942, Hitler had advanced deep inside the Soviet Union  Soviets had already lost over 1 million lives ▫FDR promises Stalin an invasion of France by the end of 1942, but…  Churchill convinces FDR to focus on Mediterranean and Africa

Europe and North Africa The Italian Campaign ▫Allied forces invade Italy in July of 1943 ▫Two weeks later the King of Italy dismisses and arrests Mussolini  Hitler later rescues Mussolini ▫Italy surrenders, but German troops in Italy continue to fight Mussolini’s Death ▫In 1945, Italian communists find Mussolini attempting to flee Italy ▫He and his mistress are shot and their bodies are displayed in Milan

Europe and North Africa D-Day (June 6, 1944) ▫Under the command of Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, Allied forces invade the beaches of Normandy to liberate France from Nazi occupation ▫This allowed the Allies to take back Belgium and march towards Berlin, Germany

D-Day (June 6, 1944)

V-E Day (May 8, 1945) Hitler realizes the end is in sight as Soviet forces are advancing on Berlin in April of 1945 ▫Hitler commits suicide on April 30, 1945 ▫Germany surrenders on May 2, 1945 ▫Sign instrument of surrender on May 7, 1945