World War II (1931-1945) Lesson 6 The Allies Win World War II

Lesson 6 The Allies Win World War II Learning Objectives Analyze the planning and impact of the invasion of Normandy. Understand how the Allies achieved final victory in Europe. Explore the reasons President Truman decided to use the atomic bomb against Japan.

Lesson 6 The Allies Win World War II Key Terms Battle of the Bulge Harry S. Truman island-hopping kamikaze Albert Einstein Manhattan Project J. Robert Oppenheimer

Planning Germany’s Defeat In 1942 and 1943, the Allies turned back the Axis advances. In the last two years of the war, 1944 and 1945, they delivered the final, crushing blow. They attacked Germany from the west and east, and the United States advanced across the Pacific to the doorstep of Japan. In the process, Americans created a new form of weapon that would change both warfare and global politics.

Planning Germany’s Defeat A convoy of Allied troops drives through a nearly destroyed German village in April 1945. Interpret What does this photo suggest about the power of the Allied armies during the final years of the war?

The Invasion of Normandy Operation Overlord involved the most experienced Allied officers in Europe. American General Dwight D. Eisenhower again served as Supreme Commander. British General Bernard Montgomery served as commander of the ground forces, while General Omar Bradley led the American troops who would participate in the invasion.

The Invasion of Normandy General Dwight Eisenhower (left) and British General Bernard Montgomery (right) led the Allied invasion of Normandy.

The Invasion of Normandy Analyze Maps Summarize the Allied invasion of Normandy. Support your answer with evidence from the map.

The Invasion of Normandy On June 6, 1944, the Allies launched Operation Overlord, a massive assault on the beaches of Normandy. It was the largest invasion force in the history of the world, including thousands of aircraft and ships and more than 150,000 troops.

Defeat of Germany After D-Day, Germany faced a hopeless two-front war. Soviet soldiers were advancing steadily from the east, forcing German armies out of Latvia, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary. Mile by mile, Germany lost the lands it had once dominated and the natural resources it had once plundered.

Defeat of Germany An American soldier waves from his tank as the Allies enter Paris in August 1944.

Defeat of Germany Analyze Maps Use the information on the map to summarize the course of World War II in Europe from 1942 through 1945. Support your answer with evidence from the map.

Defeat of Germany The Congressional Medal of Honor is the highest military award given by the United States. Make Generalizations Why are Medal of Honor recipients important?

Americans Advance Toward Japan While war still raged in Europe, American forces in the Pacific had been advancing in giant leaps. Under the leadership of General Douglas MacArthur, they followed an island-hopping strategy, capturing some Japanese-held islands and ignoring others in a steady path toward Japan.

Americans Advance Toward Japan A two-man team of Navajo code talkers transmit secret orders over their radio. Summarize How did code talkers contribute to the American war effort?

Americans Advance Toward Japan Analyze Maps Use the information on the map to summarize the course of World War II in the Pacific from 1942 through 1945. Support your answer with evidence from the map.

The War Comes to an End Advances in technology helped determine the outcome of World War II. Allied and Axis scientists labored to make planes faster, bombs deadlier, and weapons more accurate. As always in warfare, specific military needs resulted in scientific discoveries and technological innovations.

The War Comes to an End Analyze Data How did advances in science and technology affect the war?

The War Comes to an End The world’s first atomic bomb, code-named Trinity, was detonated in the New Mexico desert on July 16, 1945. Hypothesize Why do you think it was important to the Allies that they successfully develop an atomic bomb before the Axis?