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America joins the War

America joins the War. World War II. Timeline of Major Events : European Theater. December 7, 1941: US attacked December 8,1941: US declares War January 1942: First American troops arrive in Great Britain September 1942: Battle of Stalingrad begins (Soviets v. Germans)

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America joins the War

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  1. America joins the War World War II

  2. Timeline of Major Events : European Theater • December 7, 1941: US attacked • December 8,1941: US declares War • January 1942: First American troops arrive in Great Britain • September 1942: Battle of Stalingrad begins (Soviets v. Germans) • October 1942: British fight Germans in Egypt at El Alamein • November 1942: Americans land in North Africa and begin fighting in Morocco and Algeria

  3. Timeline • January 1943: Casablanca conference • February 1943: Battle of Stalingrad ends • May 1943: Germans and Italians surrender in North Africa • July 1943: Allies invade Sicily • August 1943: Allies have captured Sicily, Italy has surrendered • September 1943: Allies begin invasion of Italy • Nov-Dec 1943: Tehran Conference

  4. Timeline • June 1944: Allies take Rome • June 6, 1944: D-day • August 1944: Allies liberate Paris • December 1944- January 1945: Battle of the Bulge • February 1945: Yalta Conference • April 12, 1945: FDR dies

  5. Timeline • April 23, 1945: Soviet Troops reach Berlin • April 25, 1945: Soviet and US troops meet outside of Berlin • April 28, 1945: Mussolini is executed • April 30, 1945: Hitler commits suicide • May 2, 1945: Berlin is captured, fighting ends in Italy • May 7, 1945: German y surrenders • May 8, 1945: V-E Day (Victory in Europe)

  6. Conflicting ideas • America’s 2 major allies (Great Britain and Soviet Union) had conflicting strategies • G.B.: wanted to focus on the ‘soft underbelly’, didn’t feel they were ready to confront Hitler with their full force yet. • S.U.: they were already facing a huge Nazi force deep within their territory and wanted the US and G.B. to open a Second Front in France. • An American diplomat joked Molotov only knew 4 words in English, “yes, no, and Second Front”

  7. Fighting in the Atlantic • FDR felt the US was unprepared for a full scale European invasion and favored the British plan • 1st task to start an invasion of North Africa – gain control of the Atlantic • From Jan to Mar 1942 German subs sank almost 1 million tons of allied goods • By 1943 new technologies allowed the allies to gain control of the Atlantic

  8. North Africa • November 1942 the US started their invasion of North Africa, led by Gen. Dwight Eisenhower. • Operation Torch • Focused on French colonies of Morocco and Algeria • At the same time British forces were defeating the Germans led by Rommel at El Alamein in Egypt. • This allowed the Allies to then control the Suez Canal!!! • Allies were able to defeat the German and Italian troops by May 1943 , taking enemy held territory for the first time during the war.

  9. Heading to Europe • January 1943 The Casablanca Conference was held in Casablanca, Morocco • FDR and Churchill • Decided to invade Sicily and enter Europe through Italy before a cross channel invasion • Promised to intensify bombing raids on Germany to help the Soviets • Decided on the policy of unconditional surrender • None of the allies would negotiate a separate surrender with the Axis powers • The Axis powers would have no say in end of war agreements

  10. Sicily: Operation Husky • The Allies used bases in North Africa to cross the Mediterranean and land in Sicily in July 1943 • Fighting in N. Africa had already taken a huge toll on the Italian army • Many German troops were diverted to Greece due to trickery… • Battled German and Italian troops for more than a month • Led by General Patton • During this time Mussolini was overthrown by anti-fascisits and he fled to German controlled territory • By September of 1943 Italy agreed to unconditional surrender and began fighting on the side of the Allies by October

  11. Mainland Italian invasion • The Italian campaign lasted for almost 2 years with some of the toughest fighting of the war taking place in the Italian cities of Anzio and Monte Cassino. • The Allies were able to take control of most of Italy by June 1944, when Rome was captured. • Fighting continued to control northern Italy until the end of the war. • Mussolini was captured by anti fascist Italians in April 1945, he was killed.

  12. Fighting in the Soviet Union • The German invasion of the Soviet Union began on June 22, 1941. • By November 1941 they surrounded Moscow • The Soviets were fighting 200 German divisions along a 2,000 mile front! • The pivotal battle occurred in Stalingrad • Winter of 1942/43 the Germans advanced on this transportation hub • Fighting was block to block , house to house • The Germans eventually ran out of supplies, surrounded by the Soviets they surrendered in Feb 1943. • This marked the end of the myth of German invincibility! • Ends before fighting in N. Africa is over. • Germans were in full retreat from Soviets from this point on.

  13. Stalingrad • The Soviet win marked the beginning of a Soviet advancement , pushing closer and closer towards Germany. • Stalin repeatedly begged for help from the US and GB, and never forgave them for not helping him out. • The Soviets suffered more loses at Stalingrad than the Americans did during the entire war! • They were focused on fighting in N. Africa at the time.

  14. Tehran Conference • November/December 1943 • Tehran, Iran • The Big 3: FDR, Churchill, and Stalin met to discuss and plan the cross channel invasion • Stalin agreed to enter the war against Japan once Germany was defeated.

  15. Invasion of France • D-day: Operation overlord June 6, 1945 • Led by Eisenhower • 21 American divisions landed on the beaches on Northern France (Normandy Coast) • 26 British, Canadian, and Polish divisions • 4000 ships and landing craft • Faked invasion of Calais with cardboard cutouts, diverted the German Panzer division (tanks) • 11,000 bombers prepared the way attempting to destroy German communication and transportation networks • Troops crossed the English Channel at 6:30 am

  16. D-day • Omaha beach saw the largest number of casualties • Germans were dug in at the top of the beach and had heavily mined the beach • Eventually the Allies were able to take the beaches and this provided a landing point for more than 1 million soldiers within a month • This signaled the start of the 2 front war for Germany , who were already retreating from the Soviets • By August 1944 the Allies had liberated Paris!

  17. <a href="http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-40543"> Omaha Beach: German defenses</a>

  18. Allies advance towards Germany • After D-day the Germans faced a two front war. • By August 1944 the Allies had liberated Paris • Soviets were moving from the east forcing the Germans out of the Soviet Union, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary, and Poland. • By December 1944 the Allies had pushed the Germans out of France and were heading into Belgium and Luxembourg

  19. Battle of the Bulge • December 1944 – January 1945 • The last German offensive • An attempt to push the Allies out of the Ardennes forest and back into France. • Germans were able to initially push the Allies back creating a bulge in the line. • Allies were able to obtain reinforcement from bombers and take the territory • Germans remained on the defensive until the end of the war! • This battle also depleted the German supplies and demoralized troops

  20. Battle of the Bulge

  21. Yalta Conference • February 1945 • FDR, Churchill, and Stalin met at Yalta in the Soviet Union. • Planned for the Nazi surrender • Allies would divide Germany and the capital of Berlin into 4 zones controlled by the allies until a new government could be formed • Soviets were given ‘temporary’ control of post-war Poland and promised to eventually allow for free elections • Stalin re-affirmed his promise to join the war in the Pacific after Germany surrendered

  22. Allies advance towards Germany • By January 1945 the Soviets had entered Germany and the Allies had made it to Northern Italy. • By April 1945 Mussolini had been captured and killed, the Allies entered Germany, and were closing in on Berlin • FDR dies April 12thHarry Truman becomes the President • Hitler commits suicide April 30, 1945 • May 7th Germany surrenders to the Allies • Formally done in a little French schoolhouse with Dwight D. Eisenhower overseeing

  23. Fighting in the Pacific

  24. Timeline of War in the Pacific • December 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor attacked • December 8, 1941: US Declares war • December 22, 1941: Japan attacks the Philippine • April 18, 1942: Doolittle bombing raids on Tokyo • May 6, 1945: US surrenders the Philippines and the Bataan Death March begins • May 6-7, 1945: Battle of the Coral Sea • June 4-5, 1942: US wins battle of Midway

  25. Timeline of War in the Pacific • August 7, 1942: Guadalcanal begins and ends by February 1943 • October 23-25, 1944: Battle of Leyte Gulf • February 19,1945: Battle of Iwo Jima begins • March 16, 1945: fighting ends on Iwo Jima, American victory • March 1945: US takes back control of the Philippines • April 1, 1945: Battle of Okinawa begins • June 21, 1945: US wins Battle of Okinawa • July 17-August 2, 1945: Potsdam Conference

  26. Timeline of War in the Pacific • July 26, 1945: Potsdam Declaration issued • August 6, 1945: Atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima • August 9, 1945: Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki • August 15, 1945: Japan surrenders (V-J Day) • September 2, 1945: Formal surrender ceremony.

  27. Fighting in the Pacific • America declares war on Japan 12/8/41, the day after the attack at Pearl Harbor • Gen. Douglas McArthur was commanding the US Army forces in Asia at the time of the attack • By the end of December 1941 the Japanese were able to control Guam, Wake Island, and Hong Kong

  28. Fighting in the Philippines • December 22, 1941 the Japanese begin their land invasion of the Philippines • US forces were not prepared for the amount of force used by the Japanese and were forced to repeatedly retreat. • Finally American troops surrendered and were captured as POWs in May 1942 • 75,000 soldiers surrendered (Americans and Filipinos) • The Japanese forced them to march 55 miles up the Bataan Peninsula to reach a rail line, where they then had to march 8 more miles. • More than 7,000 died during the march. • Bataan Death March

  29. Japanese Forces advance • Through out the Pacific the Japanese continued to capture territory rich in oil, rubber, and other supplies needed for the war effort. • By the summer of 1942 Japan dominated the Pacific.

  30. America Strikes Back • April 1942: Doolittle raid • Led by Colonel James Doolittle , bombing raid of the Japanese city of Tokyo. • Planes were launched from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet • 16 B-25 bombers launched an attack that killed 50 and damaged 100 buildings • This was a morale booster for the US even though it resulted in no military gain

  31. Battle of the Coral Sea • May 7-8 1942 • The Japanese were poised to launch an attack on Australia, one of our key Allies in the Pacific. • The US sent two aircraft carriers to stop the Japanese from taking New Guinea and heading to Australia. • USS Lexington and USS Yorktown • Lexington was sunk during the battle • The first time in history that a naval battle was fought exclusively with planes. • The US forced Japan to call off their invasions of New Guinea and Australia (US victory!) • This battled indicated that the war in the Pacific would be won or lost based on the strength of carriers and planes – we had the advantage!

  32. Allies turn the tide in the Pacific • Battle of Midway • Admiral Yamamoto wanted to destroy the US Naval base on the island of Midway, now the hub of our Pacific fleet • US Admiral Chester Nimitz got word of Yamamoto’s plan • The Battle began June 5, 1942 • Considered the most important naval battle of WWII • 4 Japanese aircraft carriers were sunk, 250 aircraft lost, and most of Japans experienced fighters were killed • Japan was now on the defensive for the rest of the war

  33. Guadalcanal • August 1942-February 1943 • Took place on the Solomon islands • First American land offensive action in the Pacific • This was the first leg in the 2-prongged American plan of “island hopping” towards the home islands of Japan using the combined forces of the Marines, Navy, and Army. • Nimitz heading towards Japan from the Central Pacific, MacArthur from the South Pacific • The plan was to capture islands from the south to the north and use them to launch bombing campaigns to take islands successively closer to Japan itself.

  34. America takes back the Philippines • October 1944 • 160,000 troops sailed for Leyte Gulf to allow them to land on the Philippine island of Leyte • The Battle that ensued in Leyte Gulf was the largest naval battle in history. • It was also the first time the Japanese used Kamikaze pilots. • US was able to knock out much of Japans naval fleet • The Americans were not able to take Manila, the capital of the Philippines until March 1945, isolated pockets of fighting continued until the end of the war in August 1945.

  35. Iwo Jima • America wanted to launch more effective bombing raids on Tokyo and the only solution was to take an island closer to Japan. • February 19, 1945 Marines landed on the desolate islands that was ravaged by previous bombing campaigns. • Inch by inch the Marines crawled inland facing some of the bloodiest fighting of the war. • They were able to take the island by March.

  36. Okinawa Despite constant bombing raids on the Japan they did not appear close to surrender in the Spring of 1945. Why Okinawa?: It was decided that America needed a base closer to Japan to launch a land invasion, Okinawa was 350 miles off the coast of Japan. Date: American troops landed on April 1, 1945. Japanese troops dug into the rugged hills and were able to kill 12,000 soldiers, sailors, and Marines. Okinawa was finally captured by June 22, 1945. Significance: The last major battle in the Pacific

  37. Potsdam Conference • July 17-August 2, 1945 • Met in Potsdam, Germany • Truman, Churchill, Atlee (new Prime Minister of G.B.) and Stalin • Re-affirmed policy of unconditional surrender for Japan – Potsdam Declaration • “Failure to surrender unconditionally will result in utter destruction” • During the conference Truman found out that our atomic bombs were fully operational and decided to use them against Japan if they would not surrender • Discussed this with Churchill and Atlee • Stalin had not formal knowledge (another reason for post-war tension)

  38. Hiroshima • July 26, 1945: Potsdam declaration issued • “ failure to surrender unconditionally will result in prompt and utter destruction.” • August 6, 1945 • American B-29, the Enola Gay dropped 1 atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Little Boy • 80,000 people died instantly • 35,000 were injured • 2/3 of the city was destroyed Despite the destruction and devastation Japan would not surrender

  39. Nagasaki • August 9, 1945 • A second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Fat Man • 40,000 were killed • Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945 • V-J day • Formal surrender ceremony was held September 2,1945.

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