1. US Entry into WW II

2. Allies Strategy to win war Defeat Hitler and save Europe and then focus on defeating the Japanese in the Pacific. Accept only unconditional surrender from the enemy.

3. Battle of the Atlantic After Pearl Harbor, Hitler orders his wolf packs to begin sinking US ships along the East Coast Hitler wants to prevent war materials from reaching Br & USSR. Br. Would be completely cut off if Germ. can cut off supply lines. 87 US ships sunk in first few months 681 w/i 7 months. CONVOYS-

4. Eastern Front – Hitler’s Operation Barbarosa Spring 1942- Soviets sorched earth policy is preventing Nazis from living off the land. Hitler is running low on oil – moves toward Caucus mountains Summer ’42- Hitler wants to cut off supplies to Moscow by cutting off USSR control of the Volga River. He moves his troops to Stalingrad.

5. Battle of Stalingrad For 3 months the Germ. Army besieges the city, conquering it house by house. Stories of occupation. Nov ’42- Soviets launch counter attack. Winter is one of the worst in history. -44 degrees (tanks wont start, rifles misfire, food freezes) Dec ’42- Nazis are surrounded inside of the city and forced to surrender. 91,000 Nazis forced to surrender (POWs) Soviets lose 1.25 million people defending the city Turning point in the war on the Eastern Front After this the Soviets begin to push back the German army.

6. Invasion of North Africa = Operation Torch Nov ’42 – Allies begin to invade Nazi occupied territory in N. Africa (Casablanca, Oran, Algeries) – General Dwight D. Eisenhower As the Allies push toward the center of Africa resistance is only from Mussolini’s troops who were reinforced by Germ Gen. Erwin Rommel= Desert Fox. Afrika Korp- El Alamien- May 1943- Allies secure N. Africa.

7. Italian Campaign By securing N. Africa the Allies can now concentrate on the “soft underbelly of Europe” (Italy, Yugoslavia,etc.) King of Italy summons Mussolini and arrests him. Hitler promptly sends 100 parachuttists to the mountain prison to rescue Mussolini to Munich. Sept 1943- Allies invade Italy at Salerno and Anzio to begin the take over of Italy. 18 months of the most brutal fighting of WW II. April 1945- Mussolini is recaptured and shot by Italian resistance army.