1. World War II Battles and Strategies

2. Axis War Strategy

3. Strategies - Europe BlitzkriegBlitzkrieg – fast, lightning attacks on your enemy before they can recover Invade and conquer France Use German Air Force to bomb Great Britain until they surrender

4. Strategies - Europe Destroy Munich Pact and quickly defeat Soviet Union Take complete control of Europe before US got involved in the war

5. Strategies - Pacific Japan wanted full military and economic control of Pacific Felt US needed to recognize their power in Pacific

6. Strategies - Pacific Attack US Pacific Ocean military base and then invade Australia and Hawaii They thought US would rather respect them than fight a long, costly war

7. Pearl Harbor Dec 7, 1941 Japan attacked the US military base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Destroyed US Pacific fleet of warships

12. Pearl Harbor Dec 8 – US declared war on Japan Dec 10 – Germany and Italy declared war on US US now fully involved in World War II

13. Allied Strategy

14. Strategy - Europe Defeat Hitler first Most US resources were sent to Europe and Africa to fight Germany and Italy Attack Hitler from all directions and push back toward Germany

15. Battles – Europe and Africa

16. Battle of Britain (Aug 1940) British cities were relentlessly bombed by German Air force Churchill refused to allow British citizens to give up

17. El Alamein (Nov 1942) German forces threatening to seize Egypt and the Suez Canal were defeated by the British. Importance –Prevented Hitler from gaining access to Middle Eastern oil and attacking the Soviet Union from the south. –Allies got access to Germany from the South

21. Stalingrad (Sept 1942) Hundreds of thousands of German soldiers were killed or captured in the Russian city of Stalingrad. Importance –This defeat prevented Germany from seizing the Soviet oil fields –Allies got access to Germany from East

26. Normandy (D-Day) June 6, 1944 Allied troops under Gen. Dwight Eisenhower landed in German-occupied France Importance –D–Despite intense German opposition and heavy American casualties, the Americans were able to liberate France. –A–Allies were able to attack Germany from the west

27. V-E Day (May 8, 1945) US and Russian forces closed in on Germany from all sides Adolph Hitler killed himself before he could be captured German forces surrendered, ending the war in Europe