1. World War II
European Theatre

2. German Advancement by 1942 Leningrad Battle of the Bulge Normandy
Stalingrad
Rome
Anzio
The Soft Underbelly
Sicily
Tunisia
Morocco
Egypt

3. Leningrad
September 1941 – January 1944
seize lasted for 872 days - almost 2 ½ years !
1,500,000 casualties
Under-trained, under-supplied Russian troops defended city valiantly for 872 days
Brutal Winter in
Supply lines cut for long periods of times
Stalin BEGGED FDR and Churchill to open a second front on the west to draw out the German troops
Russians opened a road over a lake to get supplies and people in and out “road of death”

4. Leningrad
September 1941 – January 1944
1,400,000 evacuated
Relentless German bombing for 2 ½ years, but they never took the city.
- many died from starvation -
Germans tried to starve citizens (like a genocide)
Reports of cannibalism after all rats, birds, and pets were eaten by survivors
Special police units formed to combat cannibalism

5. Stalingrad German Dead: 300,000 Russian Dead: 1.5 million
September 1942 – February 1943
Bloodiest battle in history of modern warfare
German Dead: ,000
Russian Dead: 1.5 million
Civilians Dead: ,000
TOTAL: 2 million
Hilter and Stalin both ordered “fight to last man”
Germans exterminate all civilians captured

6. Stalingrad Germans start with massive air bombing, destroying city.
German Goal: Huge Oil fields NEAR CITY
Germans start with massive air bombing, destroying city.
Soviets use the rubble to hide and fortify positions.
Becomes a 6 month hand-to-hand battle in the streets.
1,000,000 Soviet troops surround German Army and trap them in city
Ultimately 91,000 German troops surrender
(only 6,000 make it home)

7. TUNISIA (NORTH AFRICA)
February 1943 – May 1943
Battle of kasserine pass
1st American battle against Germans
Embarrassing loss:
Lasts only 2 days
7000 US dead
Gen. Rommel (Germany) discredits US as being weak and a non-threat
Eisenhower immediately fires General Fredendall and replaces him with General George S. Patton

8. TUNISIA (NORTH AFRICA)
February 1943 – May 1943
second battle in tunisia– lasts 2 months
Gen. Erwin Rommel
vs.
Gen. George S. Patton
“Desert Fox”
under new leadership, allies regroup and push germany out of africa
first major u.s. victory in wwii

9. Casablanca Conference
January 1943
Roosevelt and churchill meet to plan stages of war
1. bomb germany
“the progressive destruction of the German military, industrial, and economic system, and undermining of the morale of the German people.”
2. Attack sicily
“soft underbelly”
Italians will quit the war if Allies Invade their homeland
deGaulle, Roosevelt, Giraud, Churchill
France, US, French Gen, Britain

10. Battle of Anzio
January 22, 1944 – June 4, 1944
Allies landing of 110,000 troops on the beaches of Anzio catch Germans completely by surprise.
Gen Lucas makes mistake of waiting to consolidate all troops on beach
He doesn’t attack for 6 days:
Germans set up their defenses
Turns into five month battle.
Allies finally capture Rome on June 4, 1944
ITALY SURRENDERS
Total American casualties in Italy: 300,000
Bloodiest campaign of the war for US.

11. MUSSALINI EXECUTED
January 22, 1944 – June 4, 1944
MUSSALINI captured and executed by Italian communists along with 14 other Fascists and his mistress
Bodies were hung in square for public to see.

12. General Dwight D. Eisenhower heads mission to invade France
Normandy Invasion
OPERATION OVERLORD
General Dwight D. Eisenhower heads mission to invade France
D-Day
June 6, 1944

13. Normandy invasion Beach separated into five landing zones: Utah Omaha
Gold
Juno
Sword
Prior to amphibious landing, sent in paratroops behind enemy lines

14. Normandy invasion

15. Normandy invasion

16. Normandy invasion

17. Normandy invasion Statistics: Troops: 1,000,000 Tanks: 5,500
OPERATION OVERLORD
Statistics:
Troops: 1,000,000
Tanks: ,500
Artillery: ,400
Ships: ,600
Assault Crafts: ,000
Casualties: ,400
US Casualties: ,500

18. final german offensive
Battle of the Bulge
final german offensive
December 16, 1944 –
January 8, 1945
American troops surrounded.
Gen. Patton’s unit comes and breaks German lines
100,000 German Casualties

19. WAR ENDS IN EUROPE
V-E Day
May 8, 1945