World War II in the European Theater

1. World War II in the European Theater

2. WWII before Pearl Harbor (this is review!)

3. September 1939: Germany invades Poland; Britain and France declare war • Blitzkrieg – German tactic of massive, rapid, armored tank attacks Before the US: a very quick review

4. June 1940: Fall of France; British troops retreat Before the US: a very quick review

5. Summer and fall 1940: Battle of Britain; aerial bombing of major British cities Before the US: a very quick review

6. June 1941: Germany invades the Soviet Union; the USSR joins WWII Before the US: a very quick review

8. Axis control by 1942

9. US Contributions to WWII

10. In your notebook: how can the Allies turn the tide?

11. Date: 1939-1945 • Definition: idea that the US would build enough war products to supply the Allies and itself • Significance • Essential to Allies winning the war • US had tremendous unused production capacity • Also led to recovery from the Depression “The Arsenal of Democracy”

12. Date: 1939-1945 (longest of WWII) • Definition: Allied and German forces competing for control over shipping lanes in the Atlantic Ocean • Essentially an economic battle: • Allies’ goal: protect US shipping to Britain, which was crucial to the war effort • Germany’s goal: disrupt US shipping to Britain The Battle of the Atlantic

13. December 7, 1941: Japanese attack Pearl Harbor; US joins the war Pearl Harbor

14. USSR Who wants what from the USA? Britain

15. Stalin (USSR) wants the US and UK to open a second front in France The debate over US involvement • Churchill (UK) wants to be cautious – the UK has already lost a lot of troops – and focus on other theaters • Roosevelt (USA) wants to defeat the Nazis • Political pressure to defeat Japan • Wants to minimize American losses

16. October-November 1942: Allies win at El Alamein (Egypt) and start pushing back Axis • November 1942: Operation Torch – US/UK reinforcements to North Africa • May 1943: Axis forces leave North Africa The North African campaign

18. June 1941: Operation Barbarossa – Hitler invades the USSR, surprising Stalin • Turns out it’s hard to advance quickly in Russia… • Cold • Mud • “Scorched earth” The War in the USSR

19. The Battle of Stalingrad July 1942-February 1943

20. Stalingrad: Urban warfare; massive casualties

21. Stalingrad: 2 million casualties

22. February 1943: Battle of Stalingrad ends; Germans retreat • Turning point of WWII on the eastern front • USSR steadily advances toward Germany The Soviets advance

23. Meanwhile, the US and UK have been stockpiling troops and materiel in Britain • Operation Overlord: planned invasion of northern France • By the time it begins: • 1.5 million American troops • 5 million tons of supplies Operation Overlord

24. In your notebook: -Challenges for the Allies?-Challenges for Germany?

25. June 6, 1944 • Allied amphibious invasion of Normandy (northern France) • Importance of espionage: • Allies broke the German codes (Enigma) and monitored troop movements in France • Operation Bodyguard: attempt to deceive the Germans about where the amphibious invasion would take place • Opens up a second front against the Germans in Europe D-Day

26. Battle of the Bulge (December 1944-January 1945): last major German counteroffensive on the Western Front • April 1945: Soviet troops surround Berlin • April 30, 1945: Hitler commits suicide • May 2, 1945: Germany surrenders to the Allies • …But what about Japan? The End of the War