1. Ending World War II
USH-7.3

2. I. European Theater – Part 2
Stalingrad (Spring – Winter ‘42)
Germans push into USSR
Russians push back at Stalingrad
90,000 Germans surrender to the Soviets
Turning point in the Soviet Union
Nazis begin to retreat
Stalin begs Allies to open a second front in Europe
Make it harder for the Nazis to fight the Soviets

3. I. European Theater – Part 2
Operation Torch (May ‘43)
Allies push across N. Africa
Allies win decisive victory in N. Africa at El Alamin
Kick the Axis out of Africa

4. I. European Theater – Part 2
Allies invade Sicily (Jul ‘43)
“soft underbelly of Europe”
Cross over to Italy
Mussolini is removed
Italy surrenders (Sept ‘43)
Germans attacked Italy and fought the Allies

5. I. European Theater – Part 2
June 6, 1944 – D-Day
D-Day Invasion of Normandy, France
Operation Overlord
British, Canadian, Australian, and US troops attack France to fight Germans
France, Belgium, and Netherlands are freed (Aug/Sept ‘44)

6. I. European Theater – Part 2
German launched the Battle of the Bulge (Dec ‘44)
Last ditch effort to defeat the Allies
80,000 Allied and 100,000 German casualties
The beginning of the end for the Nazis

7. I. European Theater – Part 2
Soviets are pushing to Berlin from east and US/Britain from the west and south
Yalta Conference (Feb ‘45)
Big Three meet in Yalta to decide what to do with Europe after the war is over
USSR promises to help the US fight the Japanese
USSR reach Berlin (Apr ‘45)
They fight house to house
Hitler commits suicide

8. I. European Theater – Part 2
May 8, 1945
Germany surrenders
V-E Day

9. II. Pacific Theater – Part 2
Battle of Midway (June ‘42)
Won by the US over Japan
Turning point of the war
Island hopping begins in the Pacific (1943 – 1945)
US went from island to island to get closer to Japan
US begins to bomb Japan

10. II. Pacific Theater – Part 2
Focus turns to Japan
Manhattan Project has created the atomic bomb
Estimates say more than 1 million total casualties to take Japan
Potsdam Conference (July ’45)
Big Three sets up how the Japanese would be defeated
President Truman knows about the atomic bomb but tells no one

11. II. Pacific Theater – Part 2
August 6, 1945
The Enola Gay drops the 1st atomic bomb on Hiroshima
August 9, 1945
US drops 2nd atomic bomb on Nagasaki
September 2, 1945
Japan surrenders
V-J Day
WWII is over