Chapter 11 Section 2 THE COURSE OF WORLD WAR II

OBJECTIVES: By the end of this lesson, you should be able to: 1) Explain the major events of the European and Asian theater of war 2) Explain the factors which caused the U.S. to join the war 3) Explain the factors which caused both Germany and Japan to be defeated

A. EUROPE AT WAR When Hitler invaded Poland, he used the Blitzkrieg (Lightning War) 1 st Planes, then tanks, then infantry Blitzkrieg took Poland in four weeks Sept., 28, 1939, Hitler and Stalin divided it Hitler’s Early Victories Winter 1939, called the Phony War Both sides waited for an attack that didn’t come April, 9, 1940, Hitler Blitzkrieged Norway and Denmark In May, Hitler took the Netherlands and Belgium

France had built the Maginot Line A line of fortresses and bunkers along the German border Nazis invaded France through the Ardennes Forest and simply walked around the Maginot Line Germany quickly raced across France and took Paris and 3/5 of the country The rest of the country cooperated w/ Nazi gov’t, called Vichy France France signed armistice w/ Germany on June 22,1940 Britain began to ask the U.S. for help

President Roosevelt denounced Hitler, but didn’t want to get involved Isolationism The Neutrality Acts of the 30s forbade U.S. from giving loans to warring countries FDR thought these acts encouraged Axis powers

Battle of Britain Hitler could not Blitzkrieg Britain (English Channel) Aug. 1940, Htiler’s Luftwaffe began bombing Britain British had radar and fought hard against Luftwaffe Hitler focused on civilian targets, allowing military personnel to regroup and fight back At the end of Sept., Hitler gave up invading Britain

Attack on the Soviet Union Hitler thought that Br. Had fought hard expecting help from USSR Hitler wanted to invade in Spring of 1941 Instead, Hitler had to fight and subdue Greece Hitler didn’t get to invade until June 1941 German troops tore through USSR rapidly One army invade through Ukraine, another took Leningrad, while a third attacked Moscow Winter came early, and the Nazis were halted, Germans had no winter uniforms

B. JAPAN AT WAR December 7, 1941 Japan bombed Pearl Harbor Same day, Japan took over the Philippines Japan then took Dutch East Indies and a number of Pacific Islands Japan had thought the U.S. was weak and would accept Japanese control of Asia Instead, the U.S. declared war on Dec. 8 German declared war on the U.S.

C. THE ALLIES ADVANCE Entry of the U.S. created a coalition w/ Britain, U.S., and Soviet Union Allies agreed to fight until the Axis Powers unconditionally surrendered The European Theater 1942, Hitler controlled much of Europe and looked as if he might succeed In North Africa, Nazi General Erwin Rommel the Desert Fox commanded the Reich’s Afrika Korps. Rommel invaded and took much of British controlled Egypt By summer 1942, British forces halted Rommel at El Alamein By November, American and British troops take back French North Africa

Hitler had taken much of Russia and now focused on the city of Stalingrad Major Soviet industrial center November 1942, Soviet Union launch a devastating counterattack on Hitler One of Germany’s best armies forced to surrender at Stalingrad By spring, 1943, Hitler realized he would not defeat the USSR Turning point in the war

D. THE ASIAN THEATER May 7, 1942, U.S. stops Japanese advance at the Battle of the Coral Sea Saved Australia from invasion Turning point of war in Asia was Battle of Midway U.S. planes destroyed 4 Japanese aircraft carriers U.S. est. naval superiority in Pacific Allied forces under command of Gen. Douglas MacArthur planned to take back Philippines U.S. plans also planned to “island hop” to Japan and take back Pacific Islands

E. THE LAST YEARS OF THE WAR Beginning of 1943, tide had turned against Axis Powers May 1943, Allies invade Italy The European Theater Allies take Sicily and Mussolini removed from power Italian campaign was bloody, by 1944, Allies take Rome June 6, 1944 Allied forces under command of Dwight D. Eisenhower landed on beach in Normandy Called D-Day

Battle to take Normandy was bloody Allies win and land 3 million troops in France Allies liberate Paris by August March 1945, Allies invade Germany and meet up with Soviet Army By 1945, Hitler had hidden in a bunker in Berlin April 1945, Hitler committed suicide 2-days earlier, Mussolini had been assassinated by Italian Partisans (resistance fighters) War in Europe was over

The Asian Theater U.S. advanced slowly toward Japan President Roosevelt had died and Harry S. Truman took over Had a difficult decision to make U.S. had just created the first atomic bomb Should we use it or try to invade? If U.S. invaded, they would suffer heavy casualties Truman decided to use the bombs Aug., U.S. hit Hiroshima Aug., 9 U.S. hit Nagasaki Both cities completely leveled, thousands killed instantly Thousands more died from radiation Aug. 14, Japan surrendered

WWII was over 17 million died in battle million civilians had been killed