1. THE UNITED STATES IN WORLD WAR II
Allied forces, led by the United States and Great Britain, battle Axis powers for control of Europe and North Africa.

2. Learning Objectives: Section 2 - The War for Europe and North Africa
1. Summarize the Allies’ plan for winning the war.
2. Identify events in the war in Europe.
3. Describe the liberation of Europe.

3. The War for Europe and North Africa2
SECTION
The War for Europe and North Africa
The United States and Britain Join Forces
War Plans
Churchill convinces FDR to strike first against Hitler
The Battle of the Atlantic
Hitler orders submarine attacks against supply ships to Britain
- wolf packs destroy hundreds of ships in 1942
Allies organize convoys of cargo ships with escort:
- destroyers with sonar; planes with radar
Construction of Liberty ships (cargo carriers) speeds up
NEXT

4. SECTION 2: THE WAR FOR EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA
Days after Pearl Harbor, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrived at the White House and spent three weeks working out war plans with FDR
They decided to focus on defeating Hitler first and then turn their attention to Japan

5. THE BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC
After America’s entry into the war, Hitler was determined to prevent foods and war supplies from reaching Britain and the USSR from America’s east coast
He ordered submarine raids on U.S. ships on the Atlantic
During the first four months of 1942 Germany sank 87 U.S. ships
The power of the German submarines was great, and in two months' time almost two million tons of Allied ships were resting on the ocean floor. Efforts were soon made to restrict German subs' activities.

7. ALLIES CONTROL U-BOATS
In the first seven months of 1942, German U-boats sank 681 Allied ships in the Atlantic
Something had to be done or the war at sea would be lost
First, Allies used convoys of ships & airplanes to transport supplies
Destroyers used sonar to track U-boats
Airplanes were used to track the U-boats ocean surfaces
With this improved tracking, Allies inflicted huge losses on German U-boats
ALLIES CONTROL U-BOATS
U-426 sinks after attack from the air, January Almost two-thirds of all U-boat sailors died during the Battle of the Atlantic.

9. The Eastern Front and the Mediterranean2
SECTION
The Eastern Front and the Mediterranean
The Battle of Stalingrad
Hitler wants to capture Caucasus oil fields and destroy Stalingrad
Soviets defeat Germans in bitter winter campaign
- Over 230,000 Germans, 1,100,000 Soviets die
Battle a turning point: Soviet army begins to move towards Germany
The North African Front
General Dwight D. Eisenhower commands invasion of North Africa
Afrika Korps, led by General Erwin Rommel, surrenders May 1943
Continued . . .
NEXT

10. THE EASTERN FRONT & MEDITERRANEAN
Hitler wanted to wipe out Stalingrad – a major industrial center
In the summer of 1942, the Germans took the offensive in the southern Soviet Union
By the winter of 1943, the Allies began to see victories on land as well as sea
The first great turning point was the Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad was a huge Allied victory

11. Wounded in the Battle of Stalingrad
For weeks the Germans pressed in on Stalingrad
Then winter set in and the Germans were wearing summer uniforms
The Germans surrendered in January of 1943
The Soviets lost more than million men in the battle (more than twice the number of deaths the U.S suffered in all the war)
Wounded in the Battle of Stalingrad

12. THE NORTH AFRICAN FRONT
“Operation Torch” – an invasion of Axis -controlled North Africa --was launched by American General Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1942
Allied troops landed in Casablanca, Oran and the Algiers in Algeria
They sped eastward chasing the Afrika Korps led by German General Edwin Rommel
American tanks roll in the deserts of Africa and defeat German and Axis forces

13. Allied troops landed in Casa-blanca, Oran and the Algiers

14. FDR and Churchill in Casablanca
CASABLANCA MEETING
FDR and Churchill met in Casablanca and decided their next moves
1) Plan amphibious invasions of France and Italy
2) Only unconditional surrender would be accepted
FDR and Churchill in Casablanca

15. GUIDED READING: The War for Europe and North Africa
Feb-1943
End of Battle of Stalingrad
Prevented Germany from ta1dng over the Soviet Union; marked the point from which the Soviet Army began to move west­ ward toward Germany
May-1943
End of Operation Torch
Placed the Allies in control of North Africa; gave the Allies a place to launch an attack against Italy
Mid-1943
Victory in Battle of the Atlantic
Safeguarded Allied shipping of war materials to Europe

16. The Italian Campaign Heroes in Combat 2
SECTION
continued The Eastern Front and the Mediterranean
The Italian Campaign
Allies decide will accept only unconditional surrender from Axis
Summer 1943, capture Sicily; Mussolini forced to resign
1944 Allies win “Bloody Anzio”; Germans continue strong resistance
Heroes in Combat
African Americans —Tuskegee Airmen, Buffaloes—highly decorated
Mexican-American soldiers win many awards
Japanese-American unit most decorated unit in U.S. history
NEXT

17. ITALIAN CAMPAIGN – ANOTHER ALLIED VICTORY
The Italian Campaign got off to a good start as the Allies easily took Sicily
At that point King Emmanuel III stripped Mussolini of his power and had him arrested
However, Hitler’s forces continued to resist the Allies in Italy
Heated battles ensued and it wasn’t until 1945 that Italy was secured by the Allies

18. TUSKEGEE AIRMEN
Among the brave men who fought in Italy were pilots of the all-black 99th squadron – the Tuskegee Airmen
The pilots made numerous effective strikes against Germany and won two distinguished Unit Citations

19. On May 31, 1943, the 99th Squadron, the first group of African-American pilots trained at the Tuskegee Institute, arrived in North Africa

20. The Allies Liberate Europe2
SECTION
The Allies Liberate Europe
D-Day
Allies set up phantom army, send fake radio messages to fool Germans
Eisenhower directs Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day June 6, 1944
The Allies Gain Ground
General Omar Bradley bombs to create gap in enemy defense line
General George Patton leads Third Army, reach Paris in August
FDR reelected for 4th term with running mate Harry S. Truman
Continued . . .
NEXT

21. ALLIES LIBERATE EUROPE
Allies sent fake coded messages indicating they would attack here
Even as the Allies were battling for Italy, they began plans on a dramatic invasion of France
It was known as “Operation Overlord” and the commander was American General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Also called “D-Day,” the operation involved 3 million U.S. & British troops and was set for June 6, 1944

22. D-Day was an amphibious landing – soldiers going from sea to land
D-DAY JUNE 6, 1944
D-Day was the largest land-sea-air operation in military history
Despite air support, German retaliation was brutal – especially at Omaha Beach
Within a month, the Allies had landed 1 million troops, 567,000 tons of supplies and 170,000 vehicles
D-Day was an amphibious landing – soldiers going from sea to land

23. OMAHA BEACH 6/6/44

24. Landing at Normandy

25. Planes drop paratroopers behind enemy lines at Normandy, France

26. Losses were extremely heavy on D-Day

27. FRANCE FREED
By September 1944, the Allies had freed France, Belgium and Luxembourg
That good news – and the American’s people’s desire not to “change horses in midstream” – helped elect FDR to an unprecedented 4th term
General George Patton (right) was instrumental in Allies freeing France

28. VS.

29. GUIDED READING: The War for Europe and North Africa
June-1944
D-Day
D-Day: Allied invasion of Europe; the liberation of Europe begins
July-1944
Liberation of Majdanek
Majdanek: First death camp liberated by Allied forces
Aug-1944
Liberation of France
France: Freed the country from four years of Nazi occupation
Oct-1944
Capture of Aachen
Aachen: First German town captured by the Americans

30. Liberation of the Death Camps2
SECTION
continued The Allies Liberate Europe
The Battle of the Bulge
October 1944, Allies capture first German town, Aachen
December German tank divisions drive 60 miles into Allied area
• Battle of the Bulge—Germans push back but have irreplaceable losses
Liberation of the Death Camps
Allies in Germany, Soviets in Poland liberate concentration camps
- find starving prisoners, corpses, evidence of killing
Continued . . .
NEXT

31. BATTLE OF THE BULGE
In October 1944, Americans captured their first German town (Aachen)– the Allies were closing in
Hitler responded with one last ditch massive offensive
Hitler hoped breaking through the Allied line would break up Allied supply lines

32. The Battle of the Bulge was Germany’s last gasp
The battle raged for a month – the Germans had been pushed back
Little seemed to have changed, but in fact the Germans had sustained heavy losses
Germany lost 120,000 troops, 600 tanks and 1,600 planes
From that point on the Nazis could do little but retreat
The Battle of the Bulge was Germany’s last gasp

33. LIBERATION OF DEATH CAMPS
While the British and Americans moved westward into Germany, the Soviets moved eastward into German-controlled Poland
The Soviets discovered many death camps that the Germans had set up within Poland
The Americans also liberated Nazi death camps within Germany

35. Unconditional Surrender2
SECTION
continued The Allies Liberate Europe
Unconditional Surrender
April 1945, Soviet army storms Berlin; Hitler commits suicide
Eisenhower accepts unconditional surrender of German Reich
May 8, 1945, V-E Day: Victory in Europe Day
Roosevelt’s Death
FDR dies April 12; Vice President Harry S. Truman becomes president
NEXT

36. ALLIES TAKE BERLIN; HITLER COMMITS SUICIDE
By April 25, 1945, the Soviet army had stormed Berlin
In his underground headquarters in Berlin, Hitler prepared for the end
On April 29, he married his longtime girlfriend Eva Braun then wrote a last note in which he blamed the Jews for starting the war and his generals for losing it
The next day he gave poison to his wife and shot himself

37. V-E DAY
General Eisenhower accepted the unconditional surrender of the Third Reich
On May 8, 1945, the Allies celebrated V-E Day – victory in Europe Day
The war in Europe was finally over

38. Famous picture of an American serviceman celebrating the end of the war

39. FDR DIES; TRUMAN PRESIDENT
President Roosevelt did not live to see V-E Day
On April 12, 1945, he suffered a stroke and died– his VP Harry S Truman became the nation’s 33rd president

40. GUIDED READING: The War for Europe and North Africa
Jan-1945
End of Battle of the Bulge
Bulge: From this point on, Germany could do little but retreat.
Spring 1945
End of Italian campaign
Italian: Resulted in freedom for Italy and the execution of Mussolini
May 1945
V-E Day
V-E Day: The unconditional surrender of Germany; the end of war in Europe