1. World War II Major Engagements

2. Fall of France June 22, 1940 Pre-American Engagements
French leaders (Charles de Gaulle) escaped to Britain and organized “Free French” forces

3. Battle of Britain Pre-American Engagements June-October 1940
Hitler expected Britain to quickly make peace following fall of France
British refused to surrender
Hitler sent Luftwaffe (German Airforce) to destroy Royal Air Force
Hitler’s goal was to terrorize the British into surrender (The Blitz)
Following great loss, Hitler cancels invasion of Britain in October 1940
British were enraged, bombed Berlin
Luftwaffe stops attacking Royal Air Force and start bombing London

4. Operation Barbarossa Pre-American Engagements Attack army of 4 million
Launched June 22, 1941
Attack army of 4 million
Huge military mistake
For next 3 years, 90% of German deaths would happen on Eastern front
Ends the non-aggression pact
Goal was to reach oil-fields around Caspian Sea
Also wanted to eliminate Stalingrad

5. US Joins War- December, 1941

6. The allied Powers The Big Three Great Britain (Winston Churchill)
The U.S. (FDR)
The Soviet Union (Joseph Stalin)

7. The Two theatres: strategies
European Theatre:
Strategy: Move in from South through Italy, while squeezing from East and West
Pacific Theatre:
Strategy: Island Hopping towards Japan. Take strategic islands large enough for airfields to protect shipping lanes and stage bombing raids.

8. Europe: North Africa (Operation Torch) - Nov. 1942
US Troops landed in Algeria and Morocco
Relieve British forces in Egypt
Germans are pushing east, attempting to take Suez Canal from British
Why Important: maintained Allied control of Suez Canal, and prevented German access to oil in the Middle East

9. Europe: Stalingrad
Germans take city, but then Soviets surround it, cutting off German supplies. Starved them out.
Turning point on Eastern Front of Euro Theater
One of Bloodiest Battles
Why Important: Changes German actions from offensive to defensive (Germans retreating)
August Feb. 1943

10. Europe: Taking Italy July 10, 1943
Following fall of Sicily, King of Italy surrenders to Allies
Mussolini deposed
Italy broke its alliance with Germany in Sept. and joined the allies in Oct
Germans hold Rome until May 1944, when they retreat
Allies did not have all of Italy until May 1945

11. Operation Overlord (D-Day)
The Allies needed to establish a second front to enable the “squeeze” of Germany
General Dwight Eisenhower launched an invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944
An invasion fleet of some 4,000 ships and 150,000 men (57,000 U.S.)
MUCH MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN ANTICIPATED!
It allowed them to gain a foothold on the continent from which they could push Germany back

13. Race to Berlin
D-Day was the turning point on the Western Front. Stalingrad was the turning point on the Eastern Front
The British, US, and Free French armies began to press into western Germany as the Soviets invaded eastern Germany
Both sides were racing to Berlin

14. The Battle of the Bulge December 16, 1944
Germans attempted one last offensive
Surprise attack on swift moving Americans
Caused a bulge in American lines.
US troops surrounded at city of Bastogne
Patton eventually surrounds German army
causes over 100K casualties to Germans

15. Victory in Europe (V-E Day)
Mussolini was captured and killed by the Italian people- April 1945
With Berlin surrounded, Hitler and his long-term partner Eva Braun commit suicide on April 30, 195
Germany surrenders unconditionally on May 7, 1945

16. The Pacific Theatre The Battle of Midway: June 4, 1942
Japanese wanted Midway as a base to attack Pearl Harbor again
Americans break Japanese code and know they are coming
U.S. Admiral Chester Nimitz caught the Japanese by surprise and sank 3 of the 4 aircraft carriers, 332 planes, and 3500 men.

17. Importance of Midway
The Japanese defeat at Midway was the turning point in the Pacific.
Japanese advances stopped.
U.S. assumes initiative.
Japanese have shortage of able pilots.
Censorship and Propaganda
News of the defeat was kept from the Japanese public.
Japanese people are consistently told that they are winning

18. American island hopping

19. The Beginning of the end in the Pacific
Yamamoto (Japanese admiral) is assassinated by the U.S. (April 1943)
Loss of Saipan (August 1944)
“the naval and military heart and brain of Japanese defense strategy”
Political crisis in Japan
The government could no longer hide the fact that they were losing the war.

20. Iwo Jima February 1945 Key Japanese airfield,
would allow US fighter planes to protect bombers on raids of Japan
Island full of Japanese soldiers (22,000)
Japanese troops refused to surrender, fewer than 1,000 Japanese troops surrender
First Japanese “home island” captured
Became a publicity tool for war-bonds

21. A Grinding war in the pacific
In 1945, the U.S. began targeting people in order to coerce Japan to surrender (firebombing)
66 major Japanese cities bombed
500,000 civilians killed
Okinawa (April, 1945)- important for setting up a base of operations for invasion of Japan

22. The Potsdam declaration
July, 1945
Roosevelt died-Truman is now President
War in Europe is Over
Declaration that said Japan must surrender unconditionally

23. Atom diplomacy
1941- FDR funds the top-secret Manhattan Project to develop an atomic bomb- Led by Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer
Bomb tested in the summer of 1945.
Bomb code names- “Fat Man” and “Little Boy”
Decision to drop bomb was left to Harry Truman.
An amphibious invasion of Japan could cost over 1 million lives
Atomic bomb effects were still really unkown

24. US Drops the bombs
August 6, 1945 – Enola Gay drops “Little Boy” bomb on Hiroshima
140,000 dead; tens of thousands injured; radiation sickness; 80% of buildings destroyed
August 9, 1945 – Nagasaki
70,000 dead; 60,000 injured
Emperor Hirohito surrenders on Aug. 14, (V-J Day)
Formal surrender signed on September 2 onboard the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay

25. Cost of War Germany- 5.5 million combat deaths
Japan – over 2.1 million combat deaths
Soviet Union – million combat deaths
U.S. – 416,800 combat deaths
When you include all combat and civilian deaths, World War II becomes the most destructive war in history with estimates as high as 45 million, including 25 million Russians.

26. Postwar Efforts The Nuremberg Trials of 1945-46
After, WWII the Allied powers decided to place on trial the highest-ranking Nazi officers for “crimes against humanity”
Hitler, Goebbels, and Himmler were dead; but, 22 Nazi leaders (including Goring) were tried at an international military tribunal at Nuremburg, Germany. 12 were sentenced to death. Similar trials occurred in the east and throughout the world.