Main Events

 Germany, Italy, and Japan were allies.  Agreed not to interfere with each other’s plans for expansion.  Agreed to aid each other in the event that one was attacked.

 After Hitler began WWII by invading Poland in the Fall of 1939, he conquered several other European countries, including France, leaving Britain as the lone ally to fight against his advance.

 The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, and the USA joined Britain.  Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, and it joined the Allies.  In all the USA, USSR, and 23 other countries joined Britain by Jan. 1, 1942 to make up the Allied Powers.

What Happened At Pearl Harbor?  Japan wanted to take over the Pacific.  Japan started invading European territories, while European countries were busy fighting the war in Europe.  Knowing what Japan was doing, the USA refused to supply Japan with additional oil.  On Dec. 7, 1941 the Japanese bombed the USA’s Pacific Fleet in a surprise attacked at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

 Hitler invaded the USSR the summer of 1941, intent on gaining its natural resources.  A year later the Battle of Stalingrad was fought when Hitler tried to take Stalingrad, a port city where military equipment was made and shipped.  Soviet forces surrounded Hitler’s troops and winter set in.  The Germans in the USSR surrendered in 1943.

 The Suez Canal (Egypt) is a vital link Europe has to oil in the Middle East.  British forced had defeated the Italians there.  But, Hitler sent in troops to help the Italians.  The Allies managed to pull out a victory at El- Alamein, and by May 1943 Axis forces in North Africa had surrendered to Allied Forces.

 In June of 1942 (seven months after Pearl Harbor) Japan attacked the U.S. Island of Midway, just east of Hawaii.  Japan wanted to capture Midway and New Zealand and hoped pressure of war with Germany would force the U.S. to surrender the Pacific.  However, the U.S. was prepared and ready to surrender nothing.  This was a victory for the U.S. and turning point in the Pacific.  By Fall of the next year the U.S. was ready to begin an offensive campaign against Japan in the Pacific.

(Allied Offensive) The Island Hopping Campaign  Japan had control of the Solomon Islands northeast of Australia.  The Allies invaded, war went on for a year, but the Allies stole the Japanese air base there.  The Allied victory in this battle, Guadalcanal, was the first step in the Allied Island Hopping campaign to recapture Japanese held islands to move up closer to striking directly at Japan.

 Shortly after Pearl Harbor (Dec. 1941), the Japanese started bombing the Philippines, but the Allies, busy in Europe, did not send reinforcements.  In late 1944 the Allies went back and concentrated on the Philippines, managing to defeat the entire Japanese navy.

 176, 000 Allied forces were ferried across the English Channel to the beaches of Normandy, France.  Allies fought through underwater mines and heavy machine gun fire to break through German defenses. This victory is known as D- Day.  Within one month the Allies had freed France from German control.

End of the War in Europe  After freeing France, Allied forces moved east toward Germany and met up with the Soviets.  Axis armies began to surrender.  Mussolini had already been captured and executed.  Hitler committed suicide, knowing the Allies were surrounding him in Berlin.  Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945, and the day after is known as V-E Day (Victory in Europe).

End of the War in the Pacific  After V-E Day, the Allies concentrated on Japan.  By mid 1945 most of the Japanese navy was destroyed.  Japan still would not surrender, so President Harry Truman (USA) used atomic bombs against Japan.  Aug. 6 – Hiroshima  Aug. 9. – Nagasaki  Japan surrendered on Aug. 14,  The USA commemorates V-J Day on Sept. 2 (day official surrender documents were signed).