1. World War II
Chapter 15

2. Section 1: The Allies Turn the Tide
The Axis powers do not have a coordinated strategy to defeat the Allies
Hitler wanted to dominate Europe and eliminate “inferior” peoples
Mussolini harbored dreams of an Italian empire from the eastern Adriatic Sea to East Africa
Tojo wanted Japanese control of the Western Pacific and Asia
The Allies unify their strategy and decide to take a “Europe First” approach, making sure that until Hitler was defeated, the Pacific would be a secondary priority

3. Section 1: The Allies Turn the Tide
The Battle of Stalingrad: The starting point of Hitler’s plan invade the Soviet Union and then take over all of Europe
Soviet forces trapped Nazi troops and the Nazi armies were forced to retreat
Photo on page 467 in textbook
Allies then go to North Africa to force the Germans out of this area
American officer General Dwight Eisenhower (known as Ike), commanded the Allied invasion of North Africa

4. Section 1: The Allies Turn the Tide
Allied forces struggled fighting in desert conditions and needed aggressive officers and troops better trained for desert fighting
Read “Focus on Geography” on page 468
Eisenhower put American forces in North Africa under the command of George S. Patton, Jr.
Patton was known as “Blood and Guts Patton”
Read quote from Patton on page 469
“You usually will know where the front is by the sound of gunfire, and that’s the direction you should proceed. Now, suppose you lose a hand or an ear is shot off, or perhaps a piece of your nose, and you think you should walk back to get first aid. If I see you, it will be the last…..walk you’ll ever take” –George S. Patton, Jr. 1943

5. George S. Patton Video Clips
patton/videos/george-s-patton

6. Section 1: The Allies Turn the Tide
Germany was now on the defensive and the Allies wanted to keep it that way
Roosevelt and Churchill met in Casablanca, Morocco to plan their next move
Two important decisions were made: To increase the bombing of Germany and to invade Italy
The Allies invaded Sicily and then moved on to mainland Italy
After 38 days, Italy surrendered and the rule of Benito Mussolini came to an end
However, Hitler was not through with Italy

7. Section 1: The Allies Turn the Tide
Hitler rescued Mussolini from a mountain top fortress in Italy
Hitler then installed Mussolini as head of a puppet state in Northern Italy
In the southern part of Italy, German forces continued to fight against the Allies
Although the fighting continued in Italy until 1945, neither side gained ground due to heavy rains, mountain snow, and the criss-crossing rivers which made combat extremely difficult

8. Section 1: The Allies Turn the Tide
In early 1942 nonstop bombing attacks were launched on German cities
The attacks took place at night in order for the British planes to avoid being shot down
The goal of this “saturation bombing” was to inflict maximum damage on the Germans
During the day, American bombers targeted Germany’s key political and industrial centers
This was known as “strategic bombing”
An African-American fighter squadron, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, played a key role in this bombing campaign

9. Section 1: The Allies Turn the Tide
The Tuskegee Airmen escorted bombers and protected them from enemy fighter planes
They flew more than 1,500 missions over enemy territory in Europe, and they never lost a single bomber
This bombing mission cost the Allied forces dearly
Bomber crews suffered an incredibly high 20% casualty rate
This bombing campaign paved the way for an all-out Allied offensive
Infographic on pages

10. Bombing Campaign in Germany
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11. Section 1: The Allies Turn the Tide
Although the Allies were pursuing their “Europe First” strategy, they did not forget about what was going on in the Pacific
The Japanese continued to have unstoppable momentum
They had attacked American, British and Dutch colonies, winning control of several areas including The Philippines, Hong Kong and Guam
Admiral Yamamoto, commander of the Japanese naval forces in the Pacific had a plan to take over Midway, an American naval base in the Central Pacific that was the vital defense to Hawaii
Losing Midway would then force American defenses back to the California coast
Yamamoto also planned to establish a Japanese military presence in the Aleutians, a string of Islands in Alaska

12. Section 1: The Allies Turn the Tide
Luckily, US Navy code breakers intercepted the Japanese plan and the US Navy was ready!
The Japanese launched their attack on June 4, 1942; however, they lost the battle, as well as many of its most experienced pilots and aircraft
The US lost only one aircraft carrier
The battle of Midway was the turning point of the war in the Pacific, as it stopped the Japanese advance
Although Japan maintained a powerful navy, never again would they threaten Hawaii or dominate the Pacific
Japan was now on the defensive

13. The Battle of Midway
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14. Section 1: The Allies Turn the Tide
The US was now on the offensive
They first American offensive strike took place with an assault on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands
Read “Witness to History” on page 466
After 3 months of fighting, US Marines drove the Japanese off the Island
Guadalcanal was the first leg in a US strategy to approach Japan on two fronts
In the jungles, during monsoons and in the blistering sun, American servicemen began their slow painful trek toward Japan