World War II

The US positionStill viewed all of this as a European problem

IsolationismThe Neutrality ActsEventually these were relaxed and we began to

aid the allies Lend lease Act, Destroyers for naval bases

July 1941 Japanese occupy Indo-China US leads a world wide oil embargo and sent aid to the

Chinese (flying tigers) Pearl Harbor December 7th 1941

Hitler’s Conquests in EuropeBlitzkrieg (Panzer divisions of 300 Tiger

tanks)Infantry and air support

April 1940 he attacked Denmark and Norway

Then the Netherlands (2 days) and Belgium (2 weeks)

Hitler avoided the Maginot Line by invading France through Luxembourg (Ardennes Forrest) and through BelgiumThe Miracle of Dunkirk: 340,000 saved, all

equipment was lost (DeGaulle and the Free French army) Operation Dynamo (200 ships lost in operation)

Germans reach Paris on June 14th 1940 and set up the Vichy government under Henri Petain

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/animations/wwtwo_map_fall_france/index_embed.shtml

Basic BlitzkriegBattle Sequence

The Battle of BritainFrom August of 1940 until March of 1941

Hitler bombed England to soften them up for invasion (15,000 killed in London in 2 months)British respond by bombing Berlin and caused the

Luftwaffe to shift focus to LondonHitler shifts focus to London (allows British

industry to produce)RAF used radar and US help to fight off the

attacksChurchill took power in May of 1940 (good

relationship with FDR and the US)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsKDGM5KTBY

THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTICWHEN? 1942-43WHERE? N. ATLANTIC SEA LANESWHO?

GERMAN U-BOAT FORCE (WOLFPACKS)U.S. / BRITISH NAVIES & MERCHANT SHIPS

Atlantic Charter December of 1941 (protect ships from US to Iceland)

WHAT?GERMANS ATTEMPT TO CUT OFF FLOW OF SUPPLIES

FROM U.S. TO BRITIANATTACKS START CLOSE TO U.S. SHORECOMBAT EVENTAULLY MOVES FURTHER INTO THE

ATLANTICU.S. USES SONAR & RADAR TO HINDER GERMANS

RESULTS?BY MID-1943, ALLIES HAVE WON CONTROL OF THE

ATLANTIC

WW II GERMAN U-BOAT

OPERATION BARBAROSSA

THE EASTERN FRONT

June 22, 1941: Operation Barbarossa / Germany invades RussiaWhy?

Lebensraum: Definition – Living Space for Germans Nazi Racial Theories

Slavic (Russians, Poles, etc.) considered inferior to Germans Russia’s Jews needed to be eliminated Wanted to force GB to sign a treaty by eliminating an

important potential ally

Resources: Land Food Oil

Communist “threat” / desire to destroy “Bolshevism” Hitler’s mistrust of Stalin

STALINGRADWhen? October 1942 February of 1943Where? Stalingrad (Southern Russia)Why?

German attempt to capture / occupy oil fields in S. Russia

Then Germans can control important Volga River supply route

What happens?Aug.-Oct.: German 6th Army seizes StalingradOct.-Nov.: Russians surround / cut off GermansNov.-Feb.: German Army starved / casualties highFeb: German 6th Army surrenders 91,000 prisoners***Russian casualties (military & civilian):

1,250,000 (more than US in the entire war)STALINGRAD: Turning point in the East

THE NORTH AFRICAN & ITALIAN CAMPAIGN WHEN? Nov.’42-1944 (Operation Torch)

U.S. FORCES: GEORGE PATTON) BRITISH: BERNARD MONTGOMERY GERMAN AFRIKA KORPS: ERWIN ROMMEL

***ROMMEL: “THE DESERT FOX”WHY IMPORTANT?

CONTROL OF MEDITERRANEAN SEA ALLIES THOUGHT IT WAS “SOFT UNDERBELLY” OF

EUROPEBATTLE OF EL ALAMEIN:

TURNING POINT IN NORTH AFRICA BRITISH VICTORY

RESULTS? ALLIES FORCE AXIS TO USE UP VALUABLE RESOURCES MUSSOLINI LOSES POWER IN ITALY ; LATER KILLED ALLIES CONTROL MEDITERRANEAN

George Patton

Sir Bernard Law Montgomery

Erwin Rommel

Panzer III

Italy SurrendersJuly 1943 allies invaded Sicily to

open a second front in EuropeMussolini had been deposed and

arrested in the Spring of 1943Italians surrender to British and

US not USSRGermans divert troops to bail out

Italy, rescue Mussolini and restore him as the leader in German controlled N. Italy

April 1945 Mussolini executed attempting to flee Italy

The End of the War in EuropeD-Day invasion June 6th 1944 (2 million men

in 100 days)Led by Dwight Eisenhower overall

commander allied forces EuropeLast German offensive was the Battle of the

Bulge December 1944March 1945 allies cross the Rhine RiverApril 30th Hitler commits suicideMay 8th V-E Day

OPERATION OVERLORD

V-2 ROCKET LAUNCH SITES

War in the PacificDecember 7th 1941 Pearl Harbor US

declares war on JapanJapan scores early victories until the Battle of

Coral Sea (1st Naval battle where ships did not see each other)

Turning point was Battle of Midway June 6th 1942 US destroyed 4 Japanese Carriers (Chester Nimitz)

Island HoppingDouglas MacArthur and the PhilippinesHarry Truman (The Manhattan Project)

Iwo Jima Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Aug 1945) V-J Day Aug 15th 1945