1. World War II HRHS World History Mr. Snell *Some battle info/picture provided by Mr. Balga

2. Setting the Stage Hitler has slowly grabbed more and more territory with little attempts to stop him. Invaded Austria, Rhineland, Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia. Turned his eyes to Poland. Signed nonaggression pact with Russia to not fight each other and secretly divide up Poland.

3. Blitzkrieg – Hitler’s lightning war Surprise attack on Poland Sept. 1, 1939. Strategy of attacking by land & air at once. – Tanks rolled in, aircraft began bombing. France & Britain declare war on Germany 2 days later. Successful in Poland. Sept. 17 th, Soviet troops invade the eastern half of Poland. Stalin then invaded and conquered Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Finland resisted, very brutal and long conflict, eventually won by the Russians.

5. The Phony War – the “sitskrieg” or sitting war French and British troops sitting along the Maginot line in France starring into the distance. German soldiers stared back from their Siegfried line. Hitler then suddenly attacks Denmark & Norway. – Denmark fell in 4 hours, Norway in 2 months.

6. The Fall of France Hitler swept through the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Real strategy was to strike France. Sent tanks and troops through the Ardennes, northern forest territory of France.

7. Battle of Dunkirk Germans had trapped the Allied forces around French city of Lille. Allies retreated to the beaches of Dunkirk, a French port city near the Belgium border. Allies were trapped Great Britain sent out a rescue fleet. – 850 ships sent across the English Channel to Dunkirk. – Carried nearly 338,000 troops to safety.

8. France Falls Post-Dunkirk, resistance began to crumble. Paris overtaken by the Germans. France surrenders June 22, 1940. Charles de Gaulle set up a government-in-exile in London, committing to reconquer France. France would be liberated in 1944.

9. Battle of Britain France is gone so now that only leaves the Nazis vs. British. Winston Churchill – New British Prime Minister who declared the British would never give in to Germany. Luftwaffe – German Air Force RAF – British Royal Air Force

10. Battle of Britain Luftwaffe begin bombing civilian targets in London to break British morale. Two Devices help the British RAF succeed: – Radar – electronic tracking system – Enigma - a German code- making machine. Hitler was forced to abandon invading Great Britain (he claimed to put it on hold at the time) Lesson learned for the allies: Hitler’s attacks can be blocked.

11. More Conflict Axis forces attack North Africa – Ends with Italians being crushed and needing the help of Germany, who eventually beats the British War in the Balkans – Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary join the Axis powers. – Yugoslavia falls in 11 days – Greece surrenders in 17 days Swastikas raised over the Acropolis

12. Operation Barbarossa – Hitler’s plan to invade the Soviet Union Russians were not prepared, equipped, or well-trained. Only advantage was army size. Soviets retreated practicing Scorched Earth, similar to when they fought Napoleon. June 1941-1943 Stalingrad, Russia Russia vs. Germany Germans break Non- Aggression Pact HUGE Casualties: 1.5 million Russians stop Nazis at Stalingrad and then slowly push them back German defeat allows Russians to move toward Berlin

13. USA Aids Its Allies Neutrality Acts – Laws that made it illegal to sell weapons or lend money to nations at war. FDR knew if the allies fell, America would get pulled into war. Lend-Lease Act – President can lend or lease arms or other supplies to any country vital to the USA. Atlantic Charter – Declaration that free trade among nations and the right of people to choose their own government, issued by a secret meeting between Roosevelt, & Churchill.

14. Germany attacks German U-Boat fired on a U.S. destroyer. Roosevelt ordered navy commanders shoot German submarines on sight. USA vs Germany in undeclared naval warfare. HOWEVER, the attack that brought America into the war was not from Germany…

15. Japan Attacks! USA threated Japanese expansion/imperialism Cut off oil shipments to Japan Dec. 7 th, 1941 “A date which will live in infamy” U.S. fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii awoke to explosives from Japanese aircraft 19 ships sunk or damaged, including 8 battleships. 2300 killed, over 1100 wounded. USA declares war on Japan Japan goes on to have quite a few victories in the Pacific.

16. Allies Strike Back – Mostly Americans & Australians Vs.

17. The Battle of Coral Sea May 1942 South Pacific U.S. vs. Japan ALL AIR BATTLE! First Japanese air defeat Prevented Japanese takeover of Australia

18. The Battle of Midway June 1942 Midway Island, Hawaii U.S. vs. Japan Air/Sea Battle Turning point in the Pacific war US Navy decisively defeats Japanese navy and goes on offensive Midway Atoll, several months before the battle. Eastern Island (with the airfield) is in the foreground, and the larger Sand Island is in the background to the west.

19. The Battle of Gaudalcanal General Douglas MacArthur – Commander of Allied forces in the Pacific whose policy became known as island hopping. 6 months of land/sea fighting in 1943 Japan lost 24,000 of its 36,000 soldiers. Nicknamed it “the island of death”

20. Operation Torch November 1942- June 1943 North Africa: Morocco/Algeria – First time US fights Nazis and defeat them at Tunisia and leads to invasion of Italy Allies invade Sicily – Italy surrenders June 4, 1944 – Benito Mussolini found disguised as a German soldier, killed by Italian resistance fighters. Allied troops hit the beaches near Algiers, behind a large American flag (left).

21. Mobilizing for War Total War was needed to defeat the Axis powers. US factories converted to wartime production. – Typewriter company made armor piercing shells. Shortage of goods in the USA led to rationing – Even more strict in Europe.

22. Civil Rights Limited Propaganda blasted Japanese for their attack on Pearl Harbor Japanese citizens in USA now seen as “the enemy” President Roosevelt ordered the internment of Japanese Americans because they were considered a threat to the country. – Rounded up and placed in restricted military camps.

23. D-Day: Operation Neptune/Overlord June 6, 1944 Normandy, France Britain/U.S. vs. Germany Largest amphibious invasion of all-time - 130,000 troops - 195,700 naval personnel - 5 Sections: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword Liberation of France from German occupation

24. D-Day

25. The Battle of the Bulge December 1944 French/German border Allies vs. Germans Officially named Battle of Ardennes by U.S. Army – “Bulge” was initial incursion of Germans into Allies’ line of advance Germans defeated in land battles – Last time Germans go on offensive 19,000 Americans dead – 41,493 wounded – 23,554 captured or missing

26. Battle of the Bulge

27. Battle of Iwo Jima – Operation Detachment Feb-March 1945 Iwo Jima, Japan U.S. vs. Japan Most heavily defended Japanese base Need to establish air base to bomb Japan Japanese fight to the last man! Japan uses Kamikazes US victory: 6,000 Marines die – only 200 Japanese survived

28. V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day) May 7-8, 1945 Europe Unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany April 30 – Hitler commits suicide during Battle of Berlin

29. Battle of Okinawa- Operation Iceberg June 1945 (last battle of WWII) Okinawa, Japan “Typhoon of Steel” in Japanese island hopping-land, air, sea Objective: Seize island only 340 miles from Japan and need to build another airfield to bomb Japan Fighting in caves/bunkers 30 US ships sunk by kamikazes High casualties: 100,000 Japanese – 50,000 Allies (mostly US)

30. Battle of Okinawa

31. Bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki August 6, 1945 U.S. drops atomic bomb on Japan - Little Boy dropped by B- 29 bomber Enola Gay - Casualties: 90,000- 140,000 + several hundred thousand due to radiation “Expect a rain of ruin from the air” -Harry Truman

32. Bombing of Nagasaki August 9, 1945 U.S. drops atomic bomb on Japan - Fat Man dropped by B-29 bomber - Casualties: 73, 884 + several hundred thousand due to radiation Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 60,000 feet into the air on the morning of August 9, 1945

33. V-J Day August 15, 1945: Official end of WWII - Emperor Hirohito accepted terms of Potsdam Declaration Formal signing took place @ Tokyo Bay on battleship USS Missouri on September 2, 1945