Download Momentum for the Allies

Momentum for the Allies
Today’s Learning Targets
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Students will be able to analyze how strategy
played a part in the Allies turning the tide and
why the Allies chose a Europe first strategy
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Students will be able to describe how the
Allies turned up the pressure on Axis powers
and began to go on the offensive.
Shared Vision and Goal
President Roosevelt, Winston
Churchill, and Joseph Stalin consider
Germany to be the most serious
threat. This led them to agree on a
“Europe First” strategy.
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was the turning
point of the war in Europe. It put an end to
any plans Hitler had for dominating Europe
and the Soviet Union went on the offensive.
Hitler had made a grave mistake and now,
once again, Germany would have to fight a
war on two fronts.
Allies Force Germans Out of Africa
America’s first large scale military
effort took place in North Africa where
the British had been fighting the
Germans since 1940.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower was
appointed commander of the Allied
invasion of North Africa. The Allies
knew that controlling North Africa
would help lead to an invasion of Italy.
Old Blood and Guts vs The Desert Fox
Two famous military leaders emerged
from the conflict in North Africa,
George S. Patton commanded
American forces in North Africa and
Erwin Rommel was in command of
Germany’s Afrika Korps.
They would earn the nicknames
“Blood and Guts” and the “Desert
Fox”.
New Commitment
In January of 1943, Churchill and Roosevelt met
in North Africa to plan their next move. They
made two very important decisions:
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They decided to invade Italy
The Allies would only accept unconditional
surrender
Operation Husky
Eisenhower was again placed in charge of the
joint American-British force that invaded Italy.
Italy’s rugged landscape made the advance
difficult, but Italy surrendered on September 3rd,
1943.
This should have ended fighting in Italy, but
Hitler had expected this and sent German troops
to slow the Allies advance.
Strategic Bombing over Germany
In early 1942, Britain and the United States began
an extensive bombing campaign over Germany.
The British dropped massive amounts of bombs
throughout the night, while the American
bombers targeted key political and military
targets during the day.
The goal was to completely destroy Germany’s
ability to make war, but it came at a high price.
The casualty rate for bomber crews was nearly
20%, but their continued raids helped pave the
way for an Allied offensive.
Allies Advance in the Pacific
The Battle of the Coral Sea was a
sign the America was down in the
Pacific, but not out.
The Japanese commander in the
Pacific, Admiral Yamamoto,
knew the U.S. Navy was still a
major threat. He hoped to
destroy the American aircraft
carriers or at least force their
retreat to California.
Battle of Midway
In order to accomplish this goal the
Japanese would have to take Midway
Island. This would force the American
forces to retreat to California.
What the Japanese didn’t realize is that
the U.S. had broken their code system
and knew they planned to attack
Midway on June 4th, 1942.
http://www.tubechop.com/watch/75
89125
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a decisive victory
for the United States, four Japanese aircraft
carriers were sunk and Japan lost many of its
best pilots. The United States only lost one
aircraft carrier.
The Japanese still had a powerful navy and
committed troops, but they would never
again be able to attack Hawaii or expand in
the Pacific. After Midway, they were on the
defensive.
Allies Open a Second Front
Joseph Stalin begged Churchill
and Roosevelt to open another
front in France to divide
Germany’s troops, but both
were hesitant in the early years
of the war.
That changed at the Tehran
Conference in November 1943.
The Big Three stated that
coordinated attacks would take
place and Germany would fall.
Operation Overlord
The Allies invasion of Nazi held France
involved creating a fake army, landing a
massive force of ground forces on five
beaches, and air dropping troops behind
enemy lines.
On June 6th, 1944, known as D-Day,
thousands of soldiers jumped down the
ramp or out the door. Many would not
survive, but those who did would lead the
way to victory in Europe.
Germany Falls Back
Hitler’s Germany now faced a two
front war with the Soviets advancing
in the east and the United States
advancing in the west. In August of
1944, the Allies liberated Paris,
France.
Battle of the Bulge
In 1944, Hitler ordered a counterattack in
the west.Germans then advanced and
created a massive bulge in the American
lines. Weather prevented bombers from
coming to aid the Americans immediately
and Germany nearly won, but when the
weather cleared the Americans went back
on the attack.
The Battle of the Bulge was a desperate final
attempt by Hitler to divide the American
and British lines. It nearly succeeded, but it
was a demoralizing defeat for Germany.
Victory in Europe
By January of 1945, both the Soviet Union and
the American forces were nearing Berlin. The
Soviet Union reached the German capital first.
By this time Hitler realized that his dream of a
thousand year reich was over. He and a group of
his closest advisors committed suicide in a
bunker as the Soviets advanced.
On May 7th, Germany surrendered at General
Eisenhower’s headquarters and the war in
Europe was over. President Roosevelt’s dream of
defeating Germany came true, but sadly he died
several weeks before Germany’s surrender.
Battle of Stalingrad
After the German advance stalled, Hitler
began to focus on controlling the
southern oil fields. In order to achieve his
objective he would have to take the city of
Stalingrad.
The Battle turned into a bloody stalemate
that lasted five months with neither side
gaining a clear advantage. Finally,
German troops, starving, sick, and
freezing, surrendered at the end of
January 1943.
Bellwork
Explain how World War II impacted each of the
following:
● Women
● Minority Groups
● The American Economy
The Battle of the Atlantic
The Lend-Lease Act had been an economic declaration
of war against the Axis, but the problem was getting the
supplies to the Allies due to German U-boats.
In 1943, the Allies finally began to win the Battle of the
Atlantic thanks to convoys, the use of radar, and depth
charges.
Tuskegee Airmen
One of the major problems was bombers
being shot out of the sky by enemy
planes, but an all African-American
fighter squadron known as the Tuskegee
Airmen played a critical role in escorting
bombers to their targets and protecting
them.
The Tuskegee Airmen flew more than
1,500 missions without losing a single
bomber.