1. 4.5: The War for Europe and North Africa
Essential Question:
What unique decisions did the US face as a result of fighting a war on three fronts?
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2. 3 Theaters of WWII Europe Pacific North Africa
Today we will be discussing the European and African fronts
Troops in the desert; Chinese civilians buried alive by Japanese soldiers; Soviet forces a winter offensive; Carrier-borne Japanese planes Soviet troops fighting in Berlin; German submarine
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3. The United States and Britain Join Forces
The second day after Attack on Pearl Harbor, Churchill and FDR decide to meet again – and so begins an amazing alliance
War Plans – spent 3 weeks in White House
Hitler is greater threat – more soldier and resources
After they had control, they would send more to Pacific
Created a “very strong affection” for one another
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4. The Battle of the Atlantic
Hitler orders raids on ships, German aim is to prevent food & war supplies reaching Britain & USSR
In first 4 months, Wolf packs destroy 87 ships off the Atlantic coast
7 months into war – 681 ships sunken
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5. Response to the Atlantic Threat
Organize their supplies into convoys – groups of ships traveling together for mutual protection
Destroyers & planes with radar & sonar were used to escort convoys of cargo ships
Extremely successful, Admiral Karl Doenitz (commander of U-boats) reported that his losses had “reached an unbearable height”
140 ships built each month at home to counter the sinking ships
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7. Code name for Germany’s invasion into the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa
Code name for Germany’s invasion into the Soviet Union
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8. The Eastern Front and the Mediterranean
Battle of Stalingrad
Germans had been fighting in USSR since June 1941
The bitter cold environment stopped them
In summer 1942, Germans rebounded
Hitler wanted oil fields in the Caucasus Mtns
He also wanted to wipe out Stalingrad – a great industrial city on the Volga River
They Approached in August 1942
Luftwaffe (German AF) bombed and set all buildings ablaze
The USSR officers wanted to burnt he rest to prevent Hitler from taking the resources
Stalin orders them to stay and defend his namesake city
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9. German Advance German Soldiers
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10. Germans Press Forward
For weeks, Germans press into town conquering house by house and killing everyone
By Sept., they controlled 9/10 of the city
Then, another winter set in
The soviets, used to the weather, take advantage rolling tanks across frozen land
The Soviets close around the Stalingrad, trapping the Germans in the city, cutting off their supplies
Hitler said “Stay and fight! I won’t go back from the Volga”
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12. Outcome of the Battle
The Winter proved too harsh and on January 31, 1943, the German commander surrendered.
The Soviets lost 1.1 million soldiers during battle alone
More than total Americans lost during the entire war
Despite the death toll, the Soviet victory marked a turning point in the war
The Soviet army began marching west towards Germany
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13. Soviet Propaganda of Germans retreat
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14. North African Front
While the Battle of Stalingrad raged on, Stalin pressured Britain and America to open a “second front” in Western Europe
He argued that an invasion across the English Channel would force Hitler to divert troops from the Soviet front.
Churchill and FDR didn’t think the allies had enough troops to rage war on European soil. Instead . . .
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15. Operation Torch
An invasion of Axis-controlled North Africa, commanded by American General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Nov. 1942, 107,000 Allied troops landed in Casablanca, Oran, Algeirs in North Africa
Pushed eastward chasing Afrika Korps
Defeats General Rommel (Desert Fox) Afrika Korps May 1943
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16. Operation Torch and the Desert Fox
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17. Italian Campaign Meeting at Casablanca before Torch was won
FDR, Churchill & commanders
Only accept an unconditional surrender by the Axis Powers
They would have to accept whatever terms the allies dictated
Discussed where to strike
Americans said – massive invasion in Britain then through English Channel – Through France - and into Germany
Churchill thought it would be safer to attack Italy first
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19. Decision Defeat Italy first Summer 1943 Sicily captured
Mussolini forced to resign & arrested by the King
Italians cheered but Hitler was determined to stop the allies in Italy
Allies fighting Germans in Italy
1944- Allies win battle that lasted 4 months “Bloody Anzio”
25,000 Allied casualties and 30,000 Axis casualties
Germans still resisting – would not end until Germany surrenders in 1945
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20. Allies landing in Casablanca, location of Casablanca, and British POWs
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21. Heroes in Combat All-black 99th Pursuit Squadron – Tuskegee Airmen
The Buffaloes – 92nd Infantry Division
In 6 months, they won 7 Legion of Merit Awards, 65 Silver Stars, and 162 Bronze Stars
Mexican Americans
17 awarded Congressional Medal of Honor
Japanese Americans
The 442nd Regimental Combat Team became the most decorated unit in US History
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23. Moving towards D-Day
Allies gathered 3m British, American, and Canadian troops with supplies
Planned to attack Normandy in Northern France
To fool Hitler the allies set up a phantom army headquarters & equipment with radio messages the Germans read.
Paratroopers dropped behind enemy lines
Seaborne soldiers hit the beaches of Normandy
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25. Allies Liberate Europe
Operation Overlord
D-Day- June 6, 1944 – allied invasion of France led by Gen. Dwight Eisenhower- Largest amphibious invasion in history.
3m British, American, & Canadian troops gather to invade Normandy, France
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26. Normandy Invasion
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27. Allies Gain Ground
Despite heavy casualties the Allies held the beachheads
Gen. Bradley leads air and land bombardment to provide a gap in the German line
Gen. George Patton leads Third Army & reaches Paris in August 1944
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28. Battle of the Bulge Oct. 1944 Allies capture 1st German town, Aachen
Hitler responds by driving German tank divisions 60 miles into Allied area
Germans are pushed back and have lost 120,000 troops and thousands of (tanks, planes, guns) Cannot be replaced
Retreat is all they can do
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29. Malmedy: Germans swept through lines capturing 120 US GIs
Malmedy: Germans swept through lines capturing 120 US GIs. Took them in field and mower through them with machine guns
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30. Liberation of Death Camps
Allies in Germany, Soviets in Poland Liberate concentration Camps
Find starving prisoners, corpses, evidence of killing
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31. US Military Arrive to Find This
This is one man’s account of what he remembers when arriving at a concentration camp
The US soldiers, nor did anyone know that this had been going on, until they found these camps
In many cases, the Nazis running the camps would have either fled or killed themselves, leaving the prisoners locked inside

32. In the U.S. 1944 April 12, 1945 FDR dies and Truman becomes President
FDR is elected to his 4th term as President
Harry Truman is his Vice- President
April 12, 1945 FDR dies and Truman becomes President
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33. Rebuilding Yalta Conference
February FDR, Churchill, Stalin meet in Yalta
purpose of discussing Europe's post-war reorganization
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34. Germany is Divided Temporarily divide Germany into 4 parts
Stalin promises free elections in Eastern will fight Japan
FDR gets support for United Nations
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35. Surrender April 1945 Soviet Army storms Berlin Hitler commits suicide
Eisenhower accepts unconditional surrender of German Reich
May 8, 1945 V-E Day
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