1. Other Fronts of WW2:
EQ: What was happening in other parts of the world during the Second World War?

2. China: The Invasion Japan invaded China on July 7, 1937.
While this is referred to as the Second Sino- Japanese War, it is actually the start of WW2
Japan’s main objective was to take territory and resources from China (old rivals)
China was unprepared for this due to a civil war taking place at that time.

3. China: Allied Intervention
In the early part of the war, Stalin send some weapons to help China
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the United States sent advisors to China to help them organize
-US sent ships, planes, oil, and food to China

4. China: Brutality and Death
From the outset, the Japanese and Chinese used extreme brutality against each other
Bombing of Shanghai
-After the city had surrendered
Rape of Nanking
-Tens of thousands used for bayonet practice
-Use of “Comfort Women”
-Around 300,000 civilians killed

5. North Africa: Italy Fails
Since Italy had some territory in North Africa, Hitler charged Mussolini with dislodging the French and British
The Italian army was poorly organized and poorly equipped
They lost several key battles against the British

6. North Africa: Germany Intervenes
In late 1940, Mussolini requested help from Hitler in North Africa
Hitler send Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in February 1941
Rommel “The Desert Fox” won victory after victory with fewer men and supplies
Eventually, he was defeated at the Battle of El Alamien after the United States intervened

7. North Africa: Hitler Drops the Ball
In late 1942, Rommel was being pushed back into Italian territory
He requested reinforcements from Germany, but they were bogged down in Operation Barbarossa
By March of 1943, Rommel and most of the German forces left North Africa
Shortly afterward, North Africa fell to the Allies
This was important, because the Germans lost access to tremendous oil supplies

8. Italy: American Intervention
The United States and Britain first liberated Sicily
They then moved into Southern Italy and began fighting their way North
The Poorly organized and equipped Italian military did not offer much real resistance
Shortly after the invasion, the Germans took over the defense

9. Italy: Italy Switches Over
In spite of the renewed effort to stop the Allies, the German and Italian defenders were pushed back
When the Allies got near Rome, the Italians officially changed sides and helped to push out the Germans
Mussolini and his mistress were killed
By September of 1944, the Allies were in Austria

10. Cracking Enigma: The Code
In World War 2, many signals were sent in code
The Germans used the Enigma Code to pass their information
The only way to decipher the code was with an Enigma Machine
Early on the Allies captured some machines, but they were not able to crack the code

11. Cracking Enigma: Breaking Bad!!!
A team of scientists in Bletchley, England was working on the code
One of the code breakers, Alan Turing, designed and built a computer to decipher the code
By the middle of 1942, the computer broke the code
For the next year, the allies were able to intercept and read German correspondence