1. Chapter 25.2 Notes

2. Plans for the War in Europe
Churchill (GB) and FDR (US) meet for 3 weeks in Dec 1941 to discuss war plans
GB thinks Germany is a bigger threat than Japan and convinces US to focus on beating Germany first and just hold Japan at bay
US official member of the Allies

3. Battle of the Atlantic
Shortly after attack on Pearl Harbor, Hitler orders U-Boat attacks on US east coast
“Battle of the Atlantic”: goal of Germany was to prevent food and supplies from US making it to GB and USSR
3000 mile trek across Atlantic was “life-line” for GB, if US can’t make trip GB in serious trouble, Hitler knows this
In four months Germany sinks 87 ships,
By Sept 1942, Germany has sunk 681 Allied ships
US institutes Convoy system to protect supply ships and get goods to GB

5. Battle of Stalingrad
By 1943, Allies have victories on sea and land against Germany (Axis powers)
Germans and USSR fighting since June 1941 in USSR (Eastern Front)
Nov 1941 harsh winter of USSR stops German forces outside USSR big cities of Moscow and Leningrad but by Spring Germans attacking again
Summer 1942 Germany plans to take major industrial city of Stalingrad, German airforce bombs city and almost burns it to the ground, battle goes on for weeks and Germans control 9/10ths of city, but USSR winter sets in again and German troops are stuck with no back up
Surrender January 31, 1943
HUGE Death toll for USSR defending city, 1.1 million deaths (more than all American deaths in whole war!)
TURNING POINT OF WAR IN EUROPEAN THEATER (FROM THIS POINT ON USSR MOVES WESTWARD TOWARD GERMANY), GERMAN RETREAT FROM USSR!

6. North African Front
During battle of Stalingrad, Stalin asks allies to open up a second front against Hitler (distract him away from them)
US and GB don’t think Europe can handle it right now so go for North African instead, decide to attack Axis powers in North Africa and then push north into Italy (Soft Under Belly Plan)

7. North African Front
Operation Torch, invasion of North Africa, commanded by Gen. Dwight Eisenhower
Nov 1942, troops land in Casablanca, Oran, and Algiers in North Africa
Go eastward after Erwin Rommel (Desert Fox) leader of Axis troops, eventually beat him at the battle of El Alamein in 1943

8. Italian Campaign
During battle for North Africa, FDR, Churchill and military commanders meet in Casablanca (Casablanca conference) decide that they will only accept the unconditional surrender of Axis powers.
After win N. Africa been attack on Italy, capture island of Sicily in summer 1943
Italian people revolt against Mussolini and he is forced to resign, July 25, 1943, Italians want to surrender but Hitler says NO!
German troops fight Allies in Italy for months, battle lasts until the end of May 1944
Italy not free until 1945

9. Move to Free France and D-Day
Plan to free France and then move to Germany was called Operation Overlord or D-Day, planned by Dwight Eisenhower
Plan was to attack at Normandy, France
Tried to fool Germany by making up fake plans and letting those plans out
Attack beaches of Normandy, June 6, 1944, largest land and sea attack in history
Germans fight back hard but Allies win
Within weeks France is liberated from German rule, General Patton in charge of this effort

10. OMAHA BEACH 6/6/44

11. Landing at Normandy

12. Planes drop paratroopers behind enemy lines at Normandy, France

13. Losses were extremely heavy on D-Day

14. Battle of the Bulge
Oct 1944, Allies capture German town of Aachen, Hitler tries one last time to keep Allies out of Germany
Goal is to break Allied lines and split up supply chain of US and GB in Belgium
Battle of the Bulge (Dec 1944)
Germany loses and is now in retreat
At same time USSR is pushing into Poland and Germany from the east
***FDR runs for and wins a 4th term in office***

15. End of War and Death of Hitler
USSR army storms Berlin, Germany April 25, 1945
Concentration Camps and Holocaust horrors are really discovered, liberating of camps
April 29, 1945 Hitler and Eva Braun (now his wife), same day gives last address to German people, blames Jews for end of War, Hitler shoots himself, Braun takes poison)
May 8, 1945 official surrender of Germany and Italy
V-E Day
FDR dies April 12, 1945 from a stroke, Harry Truman is now president and must carry US through end of War
Still have to defeat Japan

16. Famous picture of an American soldier celebrating the end of the war