Major Battles and their effects Battles of WWII Major Battles and their effects
Review: Invasion of France France moral and country taken by Hitler/ Mussolini Vichy was the capital for the French “puppet government” set up to aid the Axis powers
Battle of Britain August- September 1940 London, England Only fought in the air Germans failed to take control of England Hitler postpone land invasion First defeat and failure of the Blitz Force Hitler to focus on knocking out Soviet Union first.
Operation Barbarossa September- June 1940-1941 Russia Hitler wants to knock out Russia Initial German success Stalled at Leningrad Soviets suffered, but stopped German advance Germans stopped before Moscow, never take eastern front Turning point
Pearl Harbor December 7 1941 Hawaii Japan attack US naval base Makes it a true world war Unites US and ends isolationism US declares war Axis and Allies clearly defined
Operation Torch/ El Alamein November-May 1942-1943 North Africa Allies attack North Africa (French Occupied) Stalled the European Front Ease way into major fighting Make a deal with Vichy US defeats and Fascists surrender- Mussolini ended
El Alamein Egypt/North Africa 1942 British stop German advancement into Africa Defeat of the dessert fox
Battle of Midway/Iwo Jima June 1942 Midway Island in Pacific Japan wanted the island to prevent US attack US victory and use it to move closer to Japan Decisive battle in Pacific Begin Ally strategy of “island hoping” Success at Iwo Jima
Bataan Death March 1942 Philippines Transfer of POW’s (American and Philippino) Horrendous conditions/ Japanese brutality Thousands die Brutality and death released to the public
Battle of Stalingrad August 1942- February 1943 Soviet Union Hitler wanted to end fighting before US fully entered the war Hitler captured 90% before Soviets stopped him Hitler defeated, never captured Soviet Union
D-Day/ Operation Overlord 1944 Normandy US and British forces attack Normandy in order to force Germany out of France Arrive on beaches and immediately fell under enemy fire Massive casualties- Omaha Beach Largest amphibious landing ever, 130,000 Create beachheads and then consolidate MAJOR German defeat
Battle Video Pearl Harbor Dday http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAnOtWm5OrM&feature=player_detailpage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cRIWmbrGps&feature=player_detailpage German footage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFYGHHS-iSg&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSyTV2gKWOE&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8GuRGfJE0Q&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31nt2fsMORU&feature=related Pearl Harbor Dday
Battle of the Bulge 1944-1945 December Ardennes Forest bw France and Germany Axis v. Allied Hitler's final attempt to defeat Allies Allies push German forces back Huge causalities, 100,000 on both sides Allied forces knock out Germany, severely weakened beyond repair
Battle of Berlin April, 1945 Hitler realize defeat Commits suicide in bunker (Mussolini captured and killed days earlier) German surrender comes shortly after in May, 1945
VE Day May 8, 1945 Victory in Europe day Ally forces officially accept surrender of Germany across Europe Allies able to focus on Japanese aggression in Pacific Germany divided bw Soviets and US
Nagasaki/Hiroshima August 9, 1945 Japan Allied forces recognize “island hoping” is not working Want to end WWII, with the surrender of Japan Potsdam Ultimatum Necessity or show of superiority? “Little boy” dropped on Hiroshima Aug. 6 Japan did not surrender, “Fat Man” dropped Aug. 9 on Nagasaki
Japanese Surrender August 15, 1945 The bombs killed as many as 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 80,000 in Nagasaki by the end of 1945, roughly half on the days of the bombings. Since then, thousands more have died from injuries or illness attributed to exposure to radiation released by the bombs. In both cities, the overwhelming majority of the dead were civilians WWII ended. *Only time in the history of warfare nuclear weapons used*