The Course of World War II

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The Course of World War II

• The first years of the war were in Germanys
  favor until the US joined and make an agreement
  with the Allies to fight until the Axis are
  defeated

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German soldiers leaving for the east,
September, 1939 The handwritten inscription on
the rail car in between crude pictures of Jews
reads"We are off to Poland to thrash the Jews
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Europe at War

• Germany used blitzkrieg to gain control of
  western and central Europe
• Offensive
• initial bombardment (surprise)
• followed by the movement of mobile forces
• attack with speed along with the initial surprise
  in order to prevent meaningful defense.
• Stuns Europe with lightning war and panzer
  division
• Broke through Polish lines and Poland surrendered
  
• Germany and Soviet Union divide Poland
• Hitlers Early Victories
• Hitler attacks Denmark and Norway and one month
  later attacked Netherlands, Belgium, France,
  Luxembourg

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Blitzkrieg lightning war
Panzer (tanks) move swiftly
Dive bomber attacks
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France and Britain enter the scene

• Purposes
• To avoid a surprise attack and to give alarm.
• To cover the mobilization of the French Army
• To save manpower
• To protect Alsace and Lorraine.
• To be used as a basis for a counter-offensive.
• To push the enemy to circumvent it while passing
  by Switzerland or Belgium

• France built Maginot Line along German border
• Had concrete and steel fortifications and
  artillery
• French and British forces were taken by surprise
• Germany goes around line and attacks from Belgium
  
• This spilt the Allies armies

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Inside the Maginot Line

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France and Britain enter the scene

• French and British troops were trapped on Dunkirk
  beaches
• Left the French to stand alone against a renewed
  German assault southwards
• France signed armistice that gave 3/5s of France
  to Germany
• an authoritarian regime called Vichy France was
  in the remainder of the country and under German
  control - leader Henri Petain
• Britain manages to escape and then looks to the
  US for help
• Boost to British morale

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Miracle at Dunkirk
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Great Britain turns to the US

• FDR denounced aggressors but follow the policy of
  isolationism and remain neutral
• Neutrality Acts prevent US from taking sides
• FDR feels that this only encourages Axis powers
  to act more aggressively and wants acts repealed
  - Why?
• Americans and FDR decide best effort is to
  support Great Britain with food, ships and
  planes, and weapons

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Battle of Britain

• Germany decides air warfare is best option to
  defeat Britain
• Britain supported by effective radar system
• What did this do for them?
• Germany now will focus on stepping up the attacks
  and to bomb cities What did they hope?
• hoping to break their morale - What did it do?
• This allowed Britain to recover their military
  supply
• After Britain becomes strong again, they turn to
  attack Germany
• never invaded Britain again

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Battle of Britain Churchill in the House of
Commons
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Soviet Union Attack

• Germany decides to attack the Soviet Union -
  Why?
• so it cannot help Britain and will not be a
  threat to Germany anymore Spring 1941
• We have only to kick in the door and the whole
  rotten structure will come crashing down. 
• Hitler
• Plan is delayed because of problems in the
  Balkans and Mussolinis failure to secure Greece.
• In the East, the vastness of space will  permit
  a loss of territory  without suffering a mortal
  blow to Germanys chance for survival. Not so in
  the West! If the enemy here succeeds 
  consequences of staggering proportions will
  follow within a short time. 
• Hitler

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Soviet Union Attack

• After Balkans are secured, invaded Soviet Union
  - June 1941
• Determined not to be a long war
• Sent is massive amounts of forces which focused
  on capturing two major cities
• largest and most powerful invasion force in
  human history
• Why was this start date a problem?
• Early winter and fierce Soviet resistance forced
  Germans to be stopped and then counterattacked

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Battle of Stalingrad turning pt
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Soviet UnionWinter
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Japan at War

• Japan takes over most of western Pacific and
  Southeast Asia
• attacks the Philippines and began advancing
  toward Malaya, British colony
• invades Dutch West Indies and occupied a number
  of Pacific Ocean islands
• attacked on Pearl Harbor in 1941
• US enters the war

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Japans New Community

• The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
• Region under Japanese control
• Liberate colonial areas
• Extract resources for Japanese war machine

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Global War

• Japan wants to destroy American forces
• Is surprised by American unification
• Thought US people were soft
• What helped to unify Americans? Why?
• Think 9/11
• Americans now join European nations and
  Nationalist China to defeat Japan
• Hitler declares war on the United States
• Why?
• Thought being involved in Pacific would make them
  ineffective in Europe

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The Allies Advance

• Allied forces stop the German and Japanese
  advance
• Agreed to stress military operations and ignore
  political differences
• Fight until the Axis Powers surrender
  unconditionally
• Allied forces now joined by the United States
  become known as the Grand Alliance
• Great Britain, US, and Soviet Union

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The European Theater

• Germans and Japanese were both active on their
  fronts
• German forces were active in Europe and North
  Africa as they broke through British forces
• Japanese were busy in SE Asia
• The war then turns against the Germans

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The Tide Turns for Germanyin North Africa and on
the Eastern front

• In North Africa France
• British forces were able to stop German forces
  in North Africa
• Britain and American forces invade French areas
  in November
• Finally June 6, 1944 they landed on the Normandy
  beaches (D-Day)

• On Eastern Front
• Hitlers generals want him to focus on Caucasus
  and oil fields
• Hitler wants to take Stalingrad to be taken first
  industrial need weapons
• Soviets launch counterattack against the Germans
  stopping their supply lines in the midst of
  winter
• forcing the Germans to surrender
• Hitler realizes the Soviet Union cannot be
  defeated

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The Asian Theater

• Battle of Coral Sea
• American forces stopped Japan before taking over
  Australia
• Battle of Midway Island
• US planes destroy Japanese aircraft carriers
• US destroys Japans and is now superior
• Fall of 1942
• MacArthur will move toward Philippines
• US Army, Marines, and Navy would attack other
  islands to eventually attack Japan
• island hopping capture some / skip some
• Japanese fortunes were fading quickly

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Last Years of the War

• Allied victories forced Germany and Japan to
  surrender
• Beginning in 1943 Germany, Italy, and Japan were
  losing
• Axis powers surrendered while Allies crossed the
  Mediterranean and into Italy

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The European Theater Italy

• After Sicily fell, King Emmanuel II fired
  Mussolini
• Germany made Mussolini the head of a puppet state
  in Northern Italy
• Germans set up defense lines in Rome but Allies
  crossed peninsula to take Rome
• Allied forces now turn attention to western front
  in Europe

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The European Theater Western Europe

• Allied forces liberated Paris by end of August
  and then advanced into Germany to connect with
  the Soviet Unions
• Soviets are in better position now and are moving
  toward Baltic areas, occupy Warsaw, and entered
  Berlin
• After swept through Hungary, Romania, and
  Bulgaria

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Hitler is Failing and Germany Surrenders

• Hitler moves into bunker under Berlin
• Blamed the Jews for war
• Committed suicide two days after Mussolini is
  killed
• Germany surrendered two weeks later and the war
  is over in Europe May 1945

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The Asian Theater

• Truman ponders whether they should use new atomic
  weapons or invade Japan?
• An invasion would be deadly for many Americans
• There are two bombs that could be use
• Truman turns toward the bombs
• 1st bomb dropped on Hiroshima on 8/6
• 2nd bomb dropped on Nagasaki on 8/9
• Both cities were destroyed, thousands died when
  the bombs fell, and thousands later because of
  radiation
• Japan surrenders and the war is officially over

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