1. Essential Question:
Should the United States have gone to war in Europe against Germany & Italy during World War II?

2. From 1939 to 1942, the Axis Powers dominated Europe, North Africa, & Asia

3. Germany used blitzkrieg tactics to dominate Eastern & Western Europe
England was wounded from German attacks in the Battle of Britain
Hitler broke the Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact & marched into Russia

4. The German & Italian armies dominated Northern Africa, threatened the Suez Canal & the oil fields in the Middle East

5. The Japanese dominated Asia, crippled the U. S
The Japanese dominated Asia, crippled the U.S. navy after the Pearl Harbor attack, & seized most Western colonies in the Pacific

6. However, U.S. entrance into the war in 1941 helped the Allies turn the tide and defeat the Axis by 1945
FDR & Churchill agreed that defeating Hitler was the top priority, but American troops would be deployed to fight Japan at the same time

7. To win in Europe, the U.S. had to secure the trans-Atlantic supply lines against German submarines
The Allies won the Battle of the Atlantic by breaking Germany’s coded communications, using sonar & convoy system

8. In 1945, Mussolini was captured & executed by the Italian resistance
American & British troops invaded Italy, took Sicily in 1943, seized Rome in 1944
The Allies defeated Germany at the Battle of El Alamein in 1942 & then pushed the Axis Powers out of Africa
When the USA entered WWII, Stalin wanted the Allies to open a Western Front & divide German army
In 1945, Mussolini was captured & executed by the Italian resistance
Instead, Britain & USA agreed to fight the Axis Powers in North Africa Operation Torch
(Stalin was angry )

9. The Soviets defeated the German army at the Battle of Stalingrad
Meanwhile, the Soviet army stopped the German attack at Moscow & Leningrad in 1942
The Soviets defeated the German army at the Battle of Stalingrad
The Soviet victory at Stalingrad was a turning point in World War II because the Russians began pushing towards Germany from the East by 1943

10. By 1944, the Allies decided to open a Western Front by invading Nazi-occupied France
Operation Overlord (called D-Day) June 6, 1944 was the largest land & sea attack in history

11. The Normandy invasion was deadly, but the Allied victory created a Western Front…

12. D-DAY June 6th 1944 https://youtu.be/mT3q8tba_lw
D-DAY-(OPERATION OVERLORD)
5 BEACHES
ALLIED BEACHES: BRITISH,
CANADIAN & FRENCH = GOLD, SWORD
& JUNO
U.S. BEACHES = OMAHA & UTAH
“BLOODY OMAHA”:
2,000 AMERICANS KILLED
5,000 CASUALTIES
8,000-9,000 ALLIED DEATHS IN
ONE DAY

13. American Cemetery Normandy, France

14. At the same time, the Soviet army pushed from the East
After D-Day the Allies could now push towards Germany from the West
At the same time, the Soviet army pushed from the East
Forced to fight a two-front war, Hitler ordered his last massive counter-attack at the Battle of the Bulge...but lost
By March 1945, the Allies were fighting in Germany & pushing towards Berlin

15. Stalin agreed to send troops to help the U.S. invade Japan
In February 1945, the “Big Three” met at the Yalta Conference to create a plan for Europe after the war was over
Stalin agreed to send troops to help the U.S. invade Japan
Big Three agreed to allow self-determination (free elections) in nations freed from Nazi rule
Big Three agreed to occupy Germany after the war
Big Three agreed to create & join a United Nations.
U.S. joins to help achieve world peace, unlike League of Nations

16. Nazi leaders would be tried during Nuremberg trials
As the Allies pushed into Germany & Poland, troops discovered & liberated concentration & death camps, after WWII
Nazi leaders would be tried during Nuremberg trials

17. Heroes of WWII

18. PATTON (U.S. “OLD BLOOD & GUTS”) vs ROMMEL (GERMANY “THE DESERT FOX”)

19. THE EUROPEAN THEATER AUDIE MURPHY:
SECOND MOST DECORATED SOLDIER OF WWII (26 MEDALS)
KILLED 50 GERMANS IN ONE BATTLE
EARNED CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR
STARRED IN TO HELL AND BACK (HIS OWN LIFE STORY)

20. MINORITY HEROES
TUSKEGEE AIRMEN “RED TAILS”, AFRICAN-AMERICAN 99TH & 332nd PURSUIT SQUADRONS
BUFFALO SOLDIERS: AFRICAN-AMERICAN INFANTRY
BLACK PANTHERS: AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARMORED DIVISION (761st BATTALION)
PURPLE HEART BATTALION: 442ND, JAPANESE-AMERICAN INFANTRY, MOST DECORATED UNIT IN HISTORY
NAVAJO CODE TALKERS:
NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE PACIFIC

21. TUSKEGEE AIRMEN

23. THE “RED TAILS”

24. BLACK PANTHERS (761st)

25. JAPANESE-AMERICANS 442nd & 100TH BATTALION “THE PURPLE HEART BATTALION”
14,000 MEN SERVED
18,143 AWARDS
9,486 PURPLE HEARTS
4,000 BRONZE STARS
560 SILVER STARS
21 MEDALS OF HONOR
8 PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATIONS

26. NAVAJO CODE TALKERS

27. On April 30, 1945, Hitler committed suicide
April 12, 1945, FDR dies
In April the Soviet army captured Berlin
On April 30, 1945, Hitler committed suicide
On May 9, 1945, the German government signed an unconditional surrender to the Allies
The world celebrated V-E Day (Victory in Europe)
May 8, 1945

28. EUROPEAN DEATH TOTALS