Download World War II

World War II
Major Battles
Battle of Britain
 1940
 Skies above England….London
 German(Luftwaffe) vs Britain
 Continuous air raids and bombing of industrial areas,
railroads, bridges, cities
 Really no winner. Britain never surrendered and
Germany stopped the bombing and cuts the loses.
Cost them planes, bombs, men and money.
North Africa
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Summer 1942 –Summer 1943
Northern coast of Africa
Allies vs mostly Germans
Attempt to drive out all Axis powers to
keep away from oil/trade routes
• Allies successful
• Would now be able to invade Italy from the
south
Balkan Invasion
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Early 1941
Balkan Region
German drive British forces from Greece
Take control of Caspian Sea (oil) and Suez Canal
trade.
• Be able to attack Soviet Union from the south
Battle of Leningrad
• Sept 1941-first part of 1942
• Now called St. Petersburg
• Germany surrounds Leningrad and over million
civilians starve and die
• Soviets never gave up
• German losses near 500,000
Pearl Harbor
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December 7th, 1941
Surprise attack on main naval base in Pacific
2300 soldiers, 150 planes and 18 ships lost
Crushing American defeat
FDR “This day will live in infamy”
Tojo “I feel we have woke a sleeping giant!”
Brings US into war on both fronts-Pacific and
European
Midway Hawaii
Battle of Midway
• June 1942
• Japan send 100 ships to Midway
to take the base to continue
towards Hawaii
• US intercepted and decoded
message, ready for the attack
• War fought mostly by planes,
shot down 38 Zero’s
• US sank 4 Japanese aircraft
carriers in a period of minutes to
send Japan retreating.
• Turning point of war with Japan
Iwo Jima
• March-June 1945
• Small island in the Pacific
• Part of Island hopping technique in Pacific to closer
and closer to Japan to launch invasion. Attack and
take over islands not well defended.
• Japan dug in, literally into side of mountain and
ground. Held off til June. One of the bloodiest
battles of war.
• US victory took control of airbase
Iwo Jima (Memorial in DC)
Iwo Jima (Memorial in DC)
Map of
Iwo Jima
Battle at Coral Sea
• May 1942
• Eastern coast of Australia
• American Navy despite being half the size of
Japans stop Japan’s movement towards Australia
• Battle fought by Warplanes
• Beginning of Japanese aviation decline
Hiroshima
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August 6th, 1945
A city of military and industrial significance in Japan
7th Largest city in Japan
First A-bomb was dropped
Name of the airplane was the “Anola Gay” Tibbets mother
Instantly killed 80,00 people, Japan claimed 200,000
Nagasaki
•August 9th, 1945
•Nagasaki was picked as a result of Military and Industrial
importance also
• It was the largest port in south Japan
• Instantly killed 70,000 people
•Force Japanese to surrender
Paul Tibbets and the Anola Gay
Little Boy
After Little Boy
Fat Man
After Fat Man
Battle of Stalingrad
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1942-1943
Stalingrad, Soviet Union
Soviets vs Germans
Bloodiest standoff on the war
Over one million casualties. Turning point in
war, Germans retreat, Soviets begin offensive
• Allies decided to let Russia fight on their own
THIS DECISION WILL COST THE U.S.
FUTURE RELATIONS WITH SOVIETS.
D-Day Invasion
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June 6th, 1944
Normandy (North Shore of France)
Code Name “Operation Overlord”
British and US forces vs German
Had to invade France to be able
to invade/attack Germany
• Largest single invasion in
military history
• Now able to liberate France and
attack Germany
Higgins Boats
Normandy
Invasion
Battle of Bulge
December 16, 1944
Border areas near Luxembourg,
France and Germany
Germany last ditch effort to take
back France and regain some
power. Germany made some
ground but not enough.
This is were the phrase “Bend
but not Break” was used
Impact – Germans begin retreat
signaling their defeat.
 First time allies will enter
Germany since war started
 First time allies will see
concentration camps
Battle of the Bulge
Battle of Alamein
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Oct-Nov 1942
North coast of Africa in Egypt
Allies vs Axis
Italy and Germany have control of Northern Africa and are
headed towards Cairo/Suez Canal
• US decides to start here because the Axis forces are less
powerful.
• The Battle of Alamein begins to push Germany out
Northern Africa
Guadalcanal
• Aug 1942-Feb 43
• Solomon Islands controlled by Japan
• First US offensive. Marine stormed the shores to
root out Japan and cut supply lines.
• Many causalities but finally succeeded
Solomon Islands
Okinawa
• Apr-July 1945
• Another major
Island hopping
victory in the
Pacific
• US Victory
• Now able to safely
bomb Japan/Tokyo
Map of Southeast Asia
Invasion of Italy
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July 1943- June 1944
Southern part of Italy
Allies vs Axis mostly Italians
Allies trying to get rid of Mussolini and
attack Germany from south
• Victorious..April 44 he is killed
• Able to launch bombings on Germany
European Front
April 29, 1945
Mussolini and 15
other fascist leaders
are executed and
hanged in the
Piazzale Loreto in
Milan.
Leyte Gulf
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Oct 1944
Off coast of Philippines
Largest Naval engagement in History
US wiped out Japan’s Navy for good and
supplies routes.
• 1st time Japan
uses Kamikazes
Map of Leyte Gulf (in Philippians)
WW II Fatalities
Country
Military
Civilian
Total
Soviet Union*
8,668,000
16,900,000
25,568,000
China
Germany
Poland
Japan
Yugoslavia
Rumania*
France*
Hungary*
Austria
Greece*
Italy
1,324,000
3,250,000
850,000
1,506,000
300,000
520,000
340,000
10,000,000
3,810,000
6,000,000
300,000
1,400,000
465,000
470,000
11,324,000
7,060,000
6,850,000
1,806,000
1,700,000
985,000
810,000
750,000
525,000
520,000
410,000
380,000
145,000
330,000
80,000
Czechoslovakia
400,000
Great Britain
USA
Holland
Belgium
Finland
Canada
India
Australia
Spain**
Bulgaria
326,000
295,000
14,000
10,000
79,000
42,000
36,000
39,000
12,000
19,000
62,000
New Zealand
12,000
12,000
South Africa
Norway
Denmark
9,000
5,000
4,000
9,000
5,000
4,000
236,000
75,000
***
10,000
2,000
388,000
295,000
250,000
85,000
79,000
42,000
36,000
39,000
22,000
21,000
The
End