World War II World War II Battles and Battles and StrategiesStrategies

Axis War StrategyAxis War Strategy

Strategies - EuropeStrategies - Europe

• BlitzkriegBlitzkrieg – fast, lightning attacks on your enemy before they can recover

• Invade and conquer France

• Use German Air Force to bomb Great Britain until they surrender

Strategies - EuropeStrategies - Europe

• Destroy Munich Pact and quickly defeat Soviet Union

• Take complete control of Europe before US got involved in the war

Strategies - PacificStrategies - Pacific

• Japan wanted full military and economic control of Pacific

• Felt US needed to recognize their power in Pacific

Strategies - PacificStrategies - Pacific

• Attack US Pacific Ocean military base and then invade Australia and Hawaii

• They thought US would rather respect them than fight a long, costly war

Pearl HarborPearl Harbor

• Dec 7, 1941 Japan attacked the US military base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

• Destroyed US Pacific fleet of warships

Pearl HarborPearl Harbor

• Dec 8 – US declared war on Japan

• Dec 10 – Germany and Italy declared war on US

• US now fully involved in World War II

Allied StrategyAllied Strategy

Strategy - EuropeStrategy - Europe

• Defeat Hitler first

• Most US resources were sent to Europe and Africa to fight Germany and Italy

• Attack Hitler from all directions and push back toward Germany

Battles – Europe Battles – Europe and Africaand Africa

Battle of Britain (Aug 1940)Battle of Britain (Aug 1940)

• British cities were relentlessly bombed by German Air force

• Churchill refused to allow British citizens to give up

El Alamein (Nov 1942)El Alamein (Nov 1942)• German forces threatening to seize Egypt

and the Suez Canal were defeated by the British.

• Importance– Prevented Hitler from gaining access to

Middle Eastern oil and attacking the Soviet Union from the south.

– Allies got access to Germany from the South

Stalingrad (Sept 1942) Stalingrad (Sept 1942) • Hundreds of thousands of German

soldiers were killed or captured in the Russian city of Stalingrad.

• Importance

– This defeat prevented Germany from seizing the Soviet oil fields

– Allies got access to Germany from East

Normandy (D-Day) June 6, 1944

• Allied troops under Gen. Dwight Eisenhower landed in German-occupied France

• Importance– Despite intense German opposition and

heavy American casualties, the Americans were able to liberate France.

– Allies were able to attack Germany from the west

V-E Day (May 8, 1945)V-E Day (May 8, 1945)• US and Russian forces closed in

on Germany from all sides

• Adolph Hitler killed himself before he could be captured

• German forces surrendered, ending the war in Europe