WORLD WAR II

BATTLE OF STALINGRAD June 1941 – January 31, 1943 Germans violated nonaggression pact with Soviet Union and attacked Hitler hoped to captured Soviet oil fields Germans nearly won Controlled 9/10 of the city Winter of hit

BATTLE OF STALINGRAD CONT…. Hitler forced Germans to stay put Soviets used to their advantage and won Soviets lost over 1 million people in this battle More then the U.S. for the entire war Turning point in WWII From that point on, Soviet army began to move westward towards Germany

NORMANDY INVASION (D-DAY) June 6, 1944 During this time, Soviet Union was pushing into Poland and Allies were pushing North in Italy Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower and George Patton influential in leading attack 3 million Allied troops to attack

NORMANDY INVASION CONT… After 7 days of fighting, the Allied forces had an 80 mile stretch of beach on August 25, 1944 France was liberated from 4 years of German rule By September, Belgium and Luxembourg were freed

BATTLE OF THE BULGE December 16, 1944 German tanks broke through American lines 80 mile front Fought in Belgium – Germany was trying to capture Antwerp Very brutal war – one of the most extensive of U.S. military 120 American GIs ( soldiers) captured Germans were winning in the beginning

BATTLE OF THE BULGE CONT… 120,000 Germans died Also lost 600 tanks and guns and 1,600 planes – leading to defeat 80,000 Americans died Americans won, but were close to losing Due to German loses, they had to retreat

YALTA CONFERENCE Took place February 1945 before WWII was over Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill met in Yalta in the Soviet Union to discuss post WWII

YALTA COMPROMISE Divided Germany temporarily into 4 zones Americans, British, Soviet Union, and France Stalin agreed to free and unfettered elections in Poland and other Soviet Union occupied countries Stalin agreed to join war effort against Japan The United Nations is formed

APRIL 12, 1945 At the beginning of his 4 th Term, President Franklin D. Roosevelt passes away from a stroke The U.S. went through a major grieving period Harry S. Truman, as Vice President, takes the role as 33 rd President

THE END OF HITLER April 30, 1945 Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide Gun shot and cyanide Bodies burned in street

THE END OF MUSSOLINI Attempted to escape the advancing Allied army by hiding in a German convoy headed toward the Alps Found and captured Executed on April 29, 1945 with 15 leading Fascists Hung at a gas station

V-E DAY May 8, 1945 General Eisenhower accepted a surrender by the Third Reich V-E day = Victory in Europe Day 1 st part of War was over

NUREMBERG TRIALS International tribunal court tried Nazi officials Over 23 nations tried Nazi war criminals in Nuremberg, Germany 12 of the 24 defendants were sentenced to death 200 other officials were found guilty, but given lesser sentences People responsible for their own actions even in times of war

STAMP SET ASSIGNMENT On four separate notecards, create a commemorative stamp set that shows how World War II affected the people of the United States. Follow these guidelines when creating your stamp set. Your stamp set must include two stamps. One stamp should commemorate one group: members of the military, the government, consumers, women, Japanese Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, or Jewish Americans. One stamp should commemorate one major battle in World War II. Each stamp should include images or symbols to represent the impact of World War II on the group or the importance of the battle. Each stamp should be colored and contain a short caption that explains the stamp