Download WWII Events

World War II
Major Events
USII SOL 7
RECTOR
A quiz review…
• Germany invaded Poland, which set off
the war in Europe.
• Germany and the Soviet Union signed a
pact not to declare war against each other.
• Germany invaded France and captured its
capital city of Paris.
• Germany bombed Britain and the Battle of
Britain began.
…More Review…
• The U.S. gave Britain war supplies and old
naval warships with the Lend-Lease Act.
• Germany invaded the Soviet Union. The
Soviet Union defeated Germany at
Stalingrad, marking the turning point of the
war in Eastern Europe.
• Japan, in need of resources, attacks Pearl
Harbor
…a little more review…
• After the bombing on Pearl Harbor,
Germany declared war on the United
States (they were supporting the pact they
had with Japan)
• The United States declared war on
Germany and Japan.
• The U.S. was no longer neutral.
World War II battles took place
in two places at once – in
Europe and in the Pacific.
War in Europe
Allies Take North Africa and Italy
• President Roosevelt and
Winston Churchill agree to
take out Germany in North
Africa first. They are
successful. Next they
launch an attack on Sicily.
Finally they take out the
Nazi’s in Italy.
• Now Germany stands alone
in Europe.
• Mussolini is captured and
executed while attempting
to escape from Italy.
Fall of Italy
D-Day
• On June 6, 1944, the Allied troops invaded
Normandy, France to liberate the Western part
of Europe from German control.
• This was the war’s largest sea invasion known as D-Day.
• Surprised the Germans; the Allies won.
• On August 25, 1944 Allied forces freed Paris
D Day
Battle of the Bulge
• In December 1944, Hitler tried one more
huge attack - Battle of the Bulge.
• The Allies finally defeated (beat) the
Germans.
Battle of the Bulge
Yalta Conference
• By February 1945, the Germans were
losing ground everywhere.
• The three Allied leaders, Roosevelt,
Churchill, and Stalin met at a conference
in the Soviet Union called the Yalta
Conference.
New President
• In April 1945, just months after being
sworn into his 4th term of Presidency,
President Roosevelt died and Harry
Truman was sworn in as the President.
• He continued the war effort.
Soviets take over Berlin
• In late April 1945, the
Russians reached the
German capital city of
Berlin.
• Hitler sensed the end of
the war was near, so on
April 30, 1945 Hitler (the
man who conquered much
of Europe) committed
suicide (killed himself).
Victory in Europe
• The Allies declared May 8, 1945,
V-E Day (Victory of Europe Day).
• The War in Europe was finally
over.
War in the Pacific
1941-1945
Japan Expands its Empire
• As Japan was attacking
Pearl Harbor, its military
was also attacking other
countries throughout Asia.
• They did not stop there they eventually controlled
lands throughout
Southeast Asia
Air Combat
• The war was being fought by land, sea,
and air.
• In May of 1942, the U.S. Navy clashed
(fought) with Japanese forces
• Enemy ships fought a battle without
seeing each other.
• War planes were used and the battle was
won in the air.
The Allies Turn the Tide at Midway
• The turning point to the War in the
Pacific was with the Battle of
Midway in June 1942.
• The Americans won the four day
battle fought between airplanes
based on carriers (ships).
• The U.S. took control of the
central Pacific.
• The battle was won, but the war
was not over.
Midway
After Midway
• Fighting moved from air
to land fighting.
• The Americans captured
islands and used them
to attack closer to
Japan.
• Americans captured
Japanese islands
Okinawa and Iwo Jima.
Kamikaze’s
• The Japanese took to a new
way of fighting.
• Fighters called kamikaze’s
were pilots who volunteered
for these suicidal missions.
• Even kamikaze’s could not
stop the Allied advances.
Japan would not surrender
• Japanese continued to fight even
after the war in Europe was over.
• Allies were winning the war in the
Pacific, but the Japanese would still
not surrender.
Atomic Weapons Ends the Pacific
War
The Americans were working on a
top secret program to build an
Atomic Bomb.
• President Truman told Japan
that if it did not surrender it
would face destruction.
• Japanese refused to surrender.
Atomic Weapons Ends the
Pacific War
• President Truman had a difficult decision
to make - either kill thousands of
Japanese civilians with the Atomic Bomb
or have more than 200,000 American
soldiers killed on a land raid of Japan.
Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima
• On August 6, 1945, the B-29
bomber ENOLA GAY dropped an
Atomic Bomb on the city of
Hiroshima.
• Over 70,000 people were killed.
• Still the Japanese refused to
surrender.
Atomic Bombs Dropped on Japan
Atomic Bomb Dropped on
Nagasaki
• On August 9, 1945, the
United States dropped a
second Atomic Bomb on
another Japanese city
called Nagasaki.
• That bomb killed another
40,000 civilians.
Japan surrenders
• On August 14, 1945 Japan surrendered
ending the War in the Pacific
• This officially brings an end to World War
II.
Germany Surrenders