Major Battles of WWII

1. Mr. Tran Major Battles of WWII

2. Standard 11.7.2 • 2. Explain U.S. and Allied wartime strategy, including the major battles of Midway, Normandy, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and the Battle of the Bulge.

3. Objectives • Students will be able to identify the major battles of WWII by acting out key components of each battle

4. Anticipatory Set • Saving Private Ryan Clip

5. Student Engagement • Each group will be given a battle. Each group will need to figure out a way to present the battle (reenact) it in front of the class.

6. Normandy • The Allies planned an attack on the Normandy coast in France. • Codename: Operation Overload • Commonly referred to as D-Day • Two million soldiers were stationed in Great Britain for the attack, as well as thousands of airplanes, ships, and tanks. • D-Day began on the June 6,1944, with troops pouring onto the beaches, aircraft dropping bombs from above, and the ships firing ammunition from the sea. • By fall 1944, the Allies had defeated the Germans at the coast, pushed inland, and liberated Paris and Belgium.

8. Battle of the Bulge • By December 1944 Hitler’s forces were squeezed between the Soviet Red Army in the east and British and American troops in the west. • Hitler launched a surprise offensive to avoid defeat, marching into a weak point in the Allied lines in the Ardennes region in Belgium. • Outnumbered American troops held off the Germans for eight days in the bitter cold before reinforcements arrived. • The German offensive created a huge bulge in the Allied lines before reinforcements arrived and German troops were pushed back. • By March 1945 the Allies able to push into Germany

9. Battle of the Bulge

10. Victory in Europe • After the Battle of the Bulge, Allied forced in on Berlin from the east and the west. • The Allies met at Yalta to discuss the term of a German surrender. • On April 25,1945, the American and British troops at the Elbe River and congratulated one another on a hard-fought victory. • Recognizing certain defeat, Hitler committed suicide, and his replacement Karl Donitz surrendered to the Allied forces on May 7,1945. • One day after the surrender, the Allied celebrated V-E Day– Victory in Europe Day.

11. Island Hopping • Japans attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in December 1941 launched the Pacific War. • The U.S military and political leadership adopted an “island hopping” strategy to defeat the Japanese. • In April 1942, the U.S Air Force bombed key Japanese cities in the Doolittle Raid.

13. Battle of Midway • The key to winning the Pacific War was establishing control over the skies and waters of the expansive Pacific. • U.S intelligence decoded a plan to attack the island of Midway, and subsequently forced the Japanese to retreat. • The battle of Midway, in June 1942, marked the turning point in the war, giving the United States the upper hand.

14. Battle of Iwo Jima and Okinawa • Feb – March 1945: American troops fought to take over the island of Iwo Jima. • Fighting at Iwo Jima was brutal and continuous, & both sides experienced heavy casualties • The American victory at Iwo Jima & Okinawa placed the Americans in a strong position to launch air attacks on Japan.

15. Iwo Jima

16. Victory in Japan • After the Americans captured Iwo Jima & Okinawa, the U.S. Air Force bombed Japan relentlessly • U.S. Navy established a successful blockade of Japan, cutting off Japanese supply lines. • August 6 & Aug 9: 2 separate bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima & Nagasaki • Over 170,000 people were killed in the bombing, & the Japanese surrendered on August 14, 1945

17. Closing • Draw three physical representations of your favorite battles on worksheet (Back instagram pictures).