Why it Matters In 1942 and 1943 the Allies turned back Axis advances In 1944 and 1945 they attacked Germany from the west and east US advanced across the Pacific and created a new weapon that would change warfare and global politics ID: 736970
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Victory in Europe and the PacificSlide2
Why it Matters
In 1942 and 1943 the Allies turned back Axis advances
In 1944 and 1945 they attacked Germany from the west and east
U.S. advanced across the Pacific and created a new weapon that would change warfare and global politicsSlide3
Planning Germany’s Defeat
Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin discussed starting a second front in France
In November 1943, they met in Teheran, Iran
Agreed upon opening a second front in France and defeating Germany by Land, Sea, and Air
Given the code name Operation OverlordSlide4Slide5
D-Day Invasion of Normandy
Eisenhower served as supreme commander
Landing on a 50 mile stretch of beaches in Normandy
Allies created a fictional army at Calais, west of Normandy, to deceive the Germans
It worked, Hitler sent his top tank division to CalaisSlide6
Beaches Code NamedSlide7
Heroes Storm the Beaches
June 6, 1944- D-Day- Allies hit Germany in force
Attempted to destroy Nazi transportation and communication and soften beach defenses
Four of the beaches saw low casualties
Omaha- an American assigned beach- had tough oppositionSlide8
Omaha
The Germans dug trenches and structures to fire heavy artillery
The beach was covered with deadly guns and mines
Some soldiers were dropped too far from the beach and drowned from heavy packs
Others were met with a rainstorm of bullets, shells, and death
Allies were able to gain a toehold in FranceSlide9Slide10
Liberation of Europe
Germany was now facing a two front war and losing lands they once dominated
August 1944- Allies liberate Paris
Hitler ordered the city be destroyed but his troops left the “City of Lights”
Rommel and other leading generals planned to overthrow Hitler, but the plot failed
Hitler refused to surrender Slide11
Battle of the Bulge
Hitler’s counter attack
Hitler did take the Americans by surprise by creating a bulge in the American line, but they were able to hold on
When the weather cleared, Allied forces were able to attack back and began pushing the Germans out of FranceSlide12
Allies Push to Victory
1945- Mussolini tries to flee to Switzerland but was captured and executed
Soviets, U.S., and British were making their way to Berlin
Positioned for an all out assault on the capital
Hitler was a physical wreck
He and his closest associates committed suicide on April 30, 1945Slide13
Victory in Europe
FDR did not live to see the day
He died April 12, 1945
Harry S. Truman became the
n
ew President
Germany surrendered May 7
Americans celebrated V-E day (Victory in Europe)Slide14
Advancing in the Pacific
American strategy of island hopping
Capturing some Japanese held islands and ignoring others on a steady path toward Japan
Each island was a struggle to take
Rather than surrender, many Japanese killed themselves
Kamikaze pilots deliberately crashed planes into American ships
The U.S. and MacArthur still pushed forwardSlide15
Iwo Jima
U.S. marines faced a determined enemy
36 days of fighting left 23,000 marines dead
But the U.S. was successful in taking the islandSlide16
Okinawa
Even deadlier than Iwo Jima
Contained a vital air base necessary for a planned invasion of Japan
Most complex and costly operation of island hopping strategy
50,000 casualties
Japan was low of fuel and ammunition and virtually defenseless Slide17
The Atomic Bomb
Albert Einstein wrote to FDR about the need to proceed with atomic development
The Manhattan Project-
code name for the program of development of an atomic bomb
J. Robert Oppenheimer- ran the scientific aspect of the project
July 16, 1945 the first atomic bomb was testedSlide18
Truman Makes His Decision
Truman understood the ethical issues of using the bomb
Axis powers also had nuclear capabilities and no way to tell how close they were to developing a bomb
Chief priority was to save American lives
the current campaign could cost up to 1,000,000 lives
The decision was not difficult for TrumanSlide19Slide20
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
August 6, 1945- U.S. pilots drop the first bomb on Hiroshima
Within 2 minutes more than 60,000 residents were dead or missing
August 9, 1945- Soviet Union declares war on Japan AND the U.S. drops the 2
nd
bomb on Nagasaki killing 35,000
https
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=t19kvUiHvAE&feature=fvst
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF4LQaWJRDgSlide21
Victory in the Pacific
On August 15, 1945 the Allies celebrate V-J Day (Victory in Japan)
Japan officially surrendered on September 2, 1945
The most costly war in history was over
As many as 60,000,000 people, mostly civilians, had died in the conflict