Download The War in Europe

World
War
II
• December 7, 1941
• Carrier-based Japanese
planes bombed naval base at
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
• More than 2400 Americans
killed
• U.S. Pacific fleet temporarily
crippled
Japanese aerial view of
Pearl Harbor under attack
• Japanese intended to knock
out U.S. military power
• Aircraft carriers followed
less detectable northern
route
• U.S. officials knew of a
coming attack, but not at
Pearl Harbor
• Not meant to be a
“sneak attack”
• Commander of the
Japanese Imperial Fleet
• Planned the Attack on
Pearl Harbor
• Planned Japanese
Strategy in the Pacific
• Killed in 1943
FDR’s War Message
• Delivered to Congress
on December 8, 1941
• Only one member of
Congress voted
against declaring war
• Germany declared
war on the U.S. a
few days later
George Marshall
• Army underfunded and
underdeveloped in late 1930s
• Marshall became Army Chief of
Staff
• Convinced FDR and Congress to
provide increased manpower and
funding
• Over 60,000 enlisted immediately
after Pearl Harbor
1942 – NORTH AFRICA – Battle of El Alamein
This victory turned the tide in the
North African Campaign
Ended the Axis threat to Egypt, the
Suez Canal, and of gaining access
to the Middle Eastern and Persian
oil fields via North Africa.
El Alamein revived the morale of
the Allies.
1942-43 – RUSSIA – Battle of Stalingrad
In September 1942, the German Army advanced into
Stalingrad
The battle for the city became one of the most brutal
in World War Two.
Marshal Zhukov about one million men to surround
the city.
Unable to break out, the Germans had to face winter.
Hitler ordered General Paulus to fight to the last
bullet, and him to field marshal.
By the end of January 1943, the Germans could do
nothing else but surrender. 91,000 Germans were
taken prisoner.
1944 – EUROPE – D-Day (Allies Invade Normandy)
June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight
Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France.
More than 5,000 Ships and 13,000 aircraft supported
the D-Day invasion, and by day’s end on June 6, the
Allies gained a foot- hold in Normandy.
The D-Day cost was high -more than 9,000 Allied
Soldiers were killed or wounded -- but more than
100,000 Soldiers began the march across Europe to
defeat Hitler.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Supreme Commander
of ALL Allied Forces in
Europe
Planned and directed
D-Day invasion
Omar Bradley
 Planned & participated
in the Normandy
Invasion (D-Day).
 Commanded the
Twelfth Army Group
 First chairman of the
U.S. Joint Chiefs of
Staff
George Patton
 Helped lead the Allies
to victory in the
invasion of Sicily.
 Instrumental to the
liberation of Germany
from the Nazis.
 Led the Third Army
across France
 Skilled at tank
warfare.
• Formed in 1943
• Made up of Nisei
• Fought with distinction in Italy
and France
• Most decorated combat unit in
U.S. history
Members of the 442nd hiking through France, late 1944
• All-black combat unit formed in 1941
• 99th Fighter Squadron formed in AL
• Escorted bombers over central
Europe
• Proved superior or equal to white pilots
Airmen Marcellus G. Smith and Roscoe
C. Brown in Italy, 1945
Kursk the largest tank battle in
history, involving some 6,000 tanks,
2,000,000 troops, and 4,000 aircraft.
Last German offensive in Russia.
Germans lost 230,000 men, 2400
tanks, and 1200 planes
1944 – 1945
The last major Nazi offensive against the
Allies in World War Two.
A last ditch attempt by Hitler to split the
Allies in two and destroy their ability to
supply themselves.
The Germans had to abandon their
vehicles due to a lack of fuel and
surrender, or make their way back to
Germany on foot.