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The War for Europe and North Africa Guided Notes Eisenhower and Patton • Generals George S. Patton (1885-1945) and Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) at Patton's headquarters in Tunisia, March 16, 1943. The Allied victory in Africa was hastened (hurried) by the November 1942 invasion in Morocco and Algeria of a force of 400,000 American and British troops under Eisenhower's command. Joseph Goebbels • Joseph Goebbels (1897-1945) is known chiefly for his role as Nazi minister of propaganda. Goebbels had been named Nazi Gauleiter (district party leader) of Berlin in 1926, a post he held through World War II. A better orator than Hitler himself, Goebbels realized and exploited to the fullest the potential of the mass media to influence the public. In order to instill hatred of the selected enemy and total dedication to the Führer and Fatherland, he carefully orchestrated the use of art, posters, mass rallies, and movies. He committed suicide with his family in 1945 as the Russians were invading Berlin. Heinrich Himmler • Heinrich Himmler and his SS men were in charge of the administration of the camps. Invasion of Poland • September 1, 1939 • Blitzkrieg – lightening war (fast tanks and powerful aircraft) • This invasion forced Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany since they had an alliance with Poland Feb. 1943 – Battle of Stalingrad • Germans attack Soviet Union – Need to wait for warm weather – Wanted Stalingrad b/c a major industrial center on a river • Germans end up controlling 9/10 of city – but winter sets in – Soviets close around Stalingrad and trap Germans • Marked a turning point in the war – now Soviet Army began moving westward towards Germany May 1943 – Operation Torch • Allied invasion of Axis-controlled North Africa • Afrika Corps (German troops sent to Africa) surrenders in May, 1943 • Position allows Allies to attack Axis powers from the south Mid-1943 - Victory in the Battle of the Atlantic • German goal in the Atlantic – to keep supplies from reaching Great Britain – Cut lifeline = Britain starved into submission • Unprotected American ships easy targets at first • Allies responded by organizing ships into convoys • Convoys were equipped with sonars and airplanes with radars • U.S. launches shipbuilding program that cranks out ships to outnumber sinkings June 1944 – D-Day • June 6, 1944 • Allied invasion of Normandy, France • After seven days of fighting, Allies held an 80-mile strip of France August 1944 –Liberation of France • Allied invasion successful – France is liberated after four years of occupation • By September 1944, the Allies have freed France, Belgium, and Luxemburg – Germany was being contained Battle of the Bulge • BATTLE FACTS – The coldest, snowiest weather “in memory” in the Ardennes Forest on the German/Belgium border. – Over a million men, 500,000 Germans, 600,000 Americans (more than fought at Gettysburg) and 55,000 British. – 100,000 German casualties, killed, wounded or captured. – 81,000 American casualties, including 23,554 captured and 19,000 killed. – 1,400 British casualties - 200 killed. – 800 tanks lost on each side, 1,000 German aircraft. – 106th Infantry Division, average age of 22 years, suffered 564 killed in action, 1,246 wounded and 7,001 missing in action at the end of the offensive. Most of these casualties occurred within the first three days of battle, when two of the division’s three regiments was forced to surrender. – In it's entirety, the “Battle of the Bulge,” was the worst battles- in terms of losses - to the American Forces in WWII. Battle of the Bulge • Nazis could only retreat • Nazis had lost troops and supplies that couldn’t be replaced easily Spring 1945 – End of Italian Campaign • Sicily is captured in 1943 and Mussolini is forced to resign (Italians glad the war is over…so they think) • Hitler continued fighting and tried to stop Allies in Italy rather than fight on German soil • Effort to free Italy doesn’t succeed until 1945 when Germany was close to collapse May 1945 – V-E Day • Victory in Europe Day – A week after Hitler’s suicide, General Eisenhower accepted the unconditional surrender of Germany • Unconditional meant the enemies would have to accept whatever terms of peace the Allies dictated – On May 8, 1945, Allies celebrate V-E Day • the war in Europe was finally over – President Roosevelt does not get to see V-E day – he dies in April • Truman becomes the 33rd President