1. The War for Europe and North Africa World War II

2. US and Britain Join Forces  Agree to defeat Hitler first, then Japan  Battle of the Atlantic  Germany tried to prevent supplies from reaching UK  Convoys and sonar help US ships survive attacks  Allies gain control of the seas

3. Eastern Front and Mediterranean  Battle of Stalingrad (1941-1943)  First turning point in the war  Soviets trap Germans and cut off supplies  Germany surrenders 1/31/43  Soviets lost 1.1 million defending city

4. Eastern Front and Mediterranean  Operation Torch – November 1942  Allies attempt to take N. Africa  Led by Gen. Eisenhower  German Gen. Rommel surrendered May 1943  Morale for Allies

5. Eastern Front and Mediterranean  Italian Campaign  “Soft Underbelly” of Europe  Allies capture Sicily  Mussolini forced to resign  Allies don’t capture Italy until 1945

6. Eastern Front and Mediterranean  Decorated Minority Units  Tuskegee Airmen: African Americans  Japanese 442 nd Combat Team was most decorated unit in US history

7. Allies Liberate Europe  D-Day: June 6, 1944  Massive invasion of Normandy coast  Largest land-sea-air invasion in history  German retaliation was brutal  Allies work for 3 months to liberate France  August 1944: Paris liberated  September 1944: All of France liberated

8. Allies Liberate Europe  Battle of the Bulge  Hitler tried to cut off Allied supply lines  Germans push 60 miles into France  Germans forced to retreat, suffer heavy losses  Allies begin discovering concentration camps

9. Allies Liberate Europe  April 12, 1945: FDR dies in GA  Truman becomes President  Hitler shot himself to avoid capture  VE Day (Victory in Europe): May 8, 1945