World War II - Final€¦ · World War II - Final. Attack on Midway Island ... General George...
Transcript of World War II - Final€¦ · World War II - Final. Attack on Midway Island ... General George...
World War II - Final
Attack on Midway Island
An attack on Midway Island–the last American base in the North Pacific west of Hawaii–was planned to lure the American fleet into battle to be destroyed by the Japanese
This would cut American supply lines to Australia
The plan failed because the United States had a team of code breakers based in Hawaii that broke the Japanese Navy’s secret code for conducting operations
The Turning Point
The turning point in the war came during the Battle of Midway when Americans shot down 38 Japanese planes and destroyed four Japanese carriers
This stopped the Japanese advance into the Pacific
Iwo Jima – another turning point, US victory important because US Could fly to Japan without stopping – allowed for bombing.
U.S. won
26,800 Japanese troops died
6,000 U.S. Marines died
North Africa
In July 1942, Roosevelt ordered the invasion of Morocco and Algeria–French territories indirectly under Germany control
On November 8, 1942, the American invasion of North Africa began under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower
General George Patton led the American forces in Morocco and captured the city of Casablanca
On May 13, 1943, German forces in North Africa surrendered
Battle of Stalingrad
Hitler wanted to defeat the Soviets
by destroying their economy
So he ordered his army to capture oil fields,
industries, and farmlands vital to the Soviet economy
The Germans tried to capture Stalingrad, but the
Soviets held their ground
The Battle of Stalingrad was a turning point in
the war because it put the Germans on the
defensive
D-Day
Operation Overlord was the code name for the planned invasion of France by the Allies
General Eisenhower was selected to command the invasion
The Allies had the advantage of surprise–the Germans did not know when or where they would strike
The invasion of Normandy began shortly after midnight on June 6, 1944
The Allied forces had little trouble capturing Utah Beach and moving inland
Omaha Beach
The American forces at Omaha Beach met
intense German fire
American commander General Omar
Bradley planned an evacuation of Omaha
Beach, but the American troops moved
forward against the Germans
The invasion succeeded
Focus Questions
What was the importance of the U.S. success at Midway Island?
Explain why having control of Iwo Jima was important for the U.S.
Why was the U.S. success in North Africa important?
Explain the significance of the Battle of Stalingrad.
What was Operation Overlord?
Explain the significance of D-Day.
What was V.E. Day and when did it take place?
Hitler Kills Himself
The United States won the battle and on
January 8, Germans withdrew with little left
to stop the Allies from entering Germany
The Ludendorf Bridge across the Rhine River
was still intact, allowing American troops to
cross and force the German defenders back
Adolf Hitler, realizing the end was near, killed
himself
V-E Day
His successor, Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz
tried to surrender to the Americans and the
British while still fighting the Soviets, but he
was forced to unconditionally surrender on
May 7, 1945
The next day was
proclaimed V-E Day,
for “Victory in Europe”
Nuremberg Trials
International tribunal court tried Nazi officials
Over 23 nations tried Nazi war criminals in
Nuremberg, Germany
12 of the 22 defendants were sentenced to
death
200 other officials were found guilty, but give
lesser sentences
The Manhattan Project
President Roosevelt died a month before the defeat of Germany. Vice President Harry S Truman became president
The American program to build an atomic bomb was code-named the Manhattan Project and was headed by General Leslie R. Groves
On July 16, 1945, the first atomic bomb was detonated near Alamogordo, New Mexico
Atomic Bomb
On August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, one of Japan’s important industrial cities
Truman elected to do so in order to save U.S. Soldiers lives.
Tens of thousands of people died instantly, and thousands more died later from burns and radiation sickness
V-J Day
On August 9, the Soviet Union
declared war on Japan
That same day, the United States
dropped an atomic bomb on
Nagasaki, killing between 35,000
and 74,000 people
On V-J Day, for “Victory in Japan”–
August 15, 1945–Japan surrendered
The war ended
Out of the depression
The U.S. economy began to
recover during WW II.
When the war was over, it was
obvious the U.S. was prospering
once again – suburbs were
growing and people were buying
more stuff again (Consumerism).
The baby boom began.
Focus Questions
What were the Nuremburg Trials?
Explain the impact of the Manhattan Project.
How did the U.S. get Japan to surrender?
How did WW II help the U.S. get out of the
Great Depression?
What was the major social change after WW
II?
Annotated Timeline Activity
Construct a timeline detailing WW II from
start to end.
The timeline must have a brief description of
each event mentioned – 20 items/events
needed.