1. Global Struggles
Unit 7

2. America and World War II
Pushing Back the Axis
Chapter 21 Section 4

3. Striking Germany and Italy
Casablanca Conference
FDR and Churchill met in Morocco to set up a plan to bomb Germany
Goal: Progressive destruction of the German military, industrial, and economic system, and the undermining of the morale of the German people

4. Striking Germany and Italy
Strategic Bombing
Great Britain’s Royal Air Force and the United States’ Eighth Army Air Force had been bombing Germany every month
This bombing campaign did not destroy Germany’s economy or undermine their morale but. . .
It did cause a severe oil shortage and wrecked the railroad system and destroyed many aircraft factories

5. Striking Germany and Italy
Striking the Soft Underbelly
The idea was to attack Italy – if we attacked Italy then Italy would pull out of the war
General Eisenhower commanded the invasion
July 10, 1943
Invasion of Italy began
Allied troops made it ashore with few casualties
American troops smashed through enemy lines and captured the western half of Sicily

6. Striking Germany and Italy
Striking the Soft Underbelly
August 18 the Germans left the island
Italians did not like the turn of events so they decided to get rid of Mussolini
The King invited Mussolini to his place and told him he was no longer in charge
The King had Mussolini arrested and Italy began negotiating with the Allies to surrender
Germany seized control of Rome and reestablished Mussolini

7. Striking Germany and Italy
Striking the Soft Underbelly
Anzio
The Germans surrounded the Allied Troops
Allies took 5 months to break the German Lines
2 weeks later the Allies captured Rome
Fighting still lasted another year

8. Striking Germany and Italy
The Tehran Conference
Stalin, FDR, and Churchill met in Iran
Stalin promised to launch a full scale offensive against the Germans
Roosevelt and Stalin agreed to divide Germany
Stalin promised to help the US against Japan

9. Landing in France
Roosevelt and Churchill met to discuss an invasion of France
Commander of the Invasion – General Eisenhower

10. Landing in France Planning Operation Overlord
Hitler fortified the coast along the English Channel
Germany did not know where the Allies would land
The Allies placed dummy equipment in an area the Germans thought they would land
The real target was further south along the Normandy Coast

11. Landing in France Planning Operation Overlord Picking a time to attack
Invasion had to be at night
Invasion had to at low tide
Low tide had to be at dawn
Invasion needed a moonlit night
Weather had to be good
June 5-7 was picked
June 5 – heavy cloud cover, strong winds, high waves
June 6, 1944 – Eisenhower gave the ok to begin the attack

12. Landing in France The Longest Day
7,000 Ships holding more than 100,000 soldiers headed for the coast of Normandy
23,000 Paratroopers dropped behind the lines
At dawn allied warships began a tremendous barrage

13. Landing in France The Longest Day The Result
The American landing went well – less than 3 hours the troops had captured the beach and moved inland
British and Canadian landings also went well
Omaha Beach was a different story
General Omar Bradley began making plans to evacuate
The American troops began to slowly take down the Germans
2,500 Americans were either killed or wounded
Operation Overlord or D-Day was a success

14. Driving Japan Back American Plan was to develop a two pronged attack
Pacific Fleet would advance through the Central Pacific by hopping from island to island
Another set of troops would advance through the Solomon Islands, capture the coast of New Guinea and then retake the Philippines

15. Driving Japan Back Island Hopping in the Pacific
We were ready in the fall of 1943 to begin the island hopping campaign
The geography of the land was a problem – the area was covered in coral reefs
The Landing Craft hit the coral reef the marines had to wade ashore in shoulder deep water
Only one marine out of 3 marines made it to the beach

16. Driving Japan Back Island Hopping in the Pacific
Amphtrac – boat with tank tracks
More than 1000 marines died on Tarawa
American troops were able to capture the majority of all islands in the Pacific that led us to Japan and we were able to start bombing Japan

17. Driving Japan Back MacArthur Returns
The American troops began by attacking Guadalcanal
MacArthur secured various islands and then went to the Philippines

18. Driving Japan Back MacArthur Returns
More than 700 ships sailed for Leyte Gulf
After MacArthur landed in the Philippines he announced to the people “I have returned”
Japanese sent four aircraft carriers to the Philippines to stop the Americans

19. Driving Japan Back MacArthur Returns Leyte Gulf
The other Japanese aircraft and warships raced to the gulf and met the Americans there
Kamikaze Attacks – First time the Japanese used this tactic
Divine Wind
Japanese Commander believed more ships were on the way so he ordered a retreat
The Philippines are now in the Allies Hands