1. How do the Allies defeat the Axis Powers?
The Allied Victory
How do the Allies defeat the Axis Powers?

2. D-Day: Invasion of Normandy (European War)
Eisenhower is named Allied Supreme Commander in Europe
June : Allies launch an invasion of the beaches in N. France
150K allied troops land: 2700 killed on first day (D-Day)
July-Aug: one million more Allied troops arrive – Germany retreats
Great Britain

3. Aug 25: Allied army liberates Paris, DeGaulle rejoins the Allies as they push Germany army into Belgium
Soviet army slowly pushing from east, liberating concentration camps
Map Time!
D-Day
Battle of the Bulge
Dec 1944: Hitler pulls all of his troops out of east and launches a massive counter attack in Belgium called Battle of the Bulge
Jan ‘45: Despite initial success at the Ardennes forest, Germany loses

4. Suicide Suicide Suicide
Feb-Apr 1945: Allied planes bombing cities, 25K killed in Dresden
April 1945: FDR dies in America as Allies & Soviets enter Germany
April 30: Hitler and his closest associates are in his private bunker
After marrying his girlfriend Eva Braun, Hitler & Braun commit suicide
Propaganda minister Goebbels & SS Chief Himmler commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide
Suicide
May 7: Germany unconditionally surrenders to Eisenhower (VE Day)
Nuremberg trials held to determine guilt of those Nazis captured

5. Map Time! Iwo Jima Okinawa The Pacific War
Allies & Chinese Army liberate Korea & China – Japan now using Kamikaze pilots to defend remaining territory
March 1945: After a month of bitter fighting, Allies take Iwo Jima
VQ: How was invasion of Iwo Jima different than D-Day?
Next, Allies take island of Okinawa, 350 miles south of Japan
Okinawa is one of the bloodiest battles of the war: 100K Japanese & 12K Allied troops killed in a month and a half of fighting
Despite the heavy casualties, Japan refuses to surrender. Allies preparing for a full-scale invasion of Japan
Map Time!
Iwo Jima
Okinawa

6. Manhattan Project and End of War
1930s: FDR learns Germany trying to build an atomic bomb, so he authorizes the Manhattan Project
A-Bomb will be built & tested in New Mexico, bomb is theoretically equal to 20K tons of TNT (bomb built by Oppenheimer)
First bomb called Gadget is exploded during Trinity Test
President Truman is told of program, Truman orders bomb named “Little Boy” to be placed on Enola Gay & dropped on Hiroshima, Japan
Instantly kills 45K, 40K more die months later of radiation poisoning
Japan doesn’t surrender, Truman authorizes Bockscar to drop “Fat Man” on Nagasaki, Japan surrenders few days later (VJ Day)