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The Battles of WWII: 1942. Turning the Tide. The War in Russia. This is by far the most important front of the war 85% of the German forces fight here 1942, the Nazis attack southern Russia to capture the oil fields However, Hitler becomes obsessed with capturing the city of Stalingrad
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The Battles of WWII: 1942 Turning the Tide
The War in Russia • This is by far the most important front of the war • 85% of the German forces fight here • 1942, the Nazis attack southern Russia to capture the oil fields • However, Hitler becomes obsessed with capturing the city of Stalingrad • Both Hitler and Stalin make this battle a personal matter and both side throw everything they have into it. • Stalingrad is the most brutal battle of the war with intense street fighting (building to building, floor to floor, room to room battles)
Stalingrad • As the Germans slowly take the city, Russian forces to the North and South surround the city and trap a large section of the German Army inside • Hitler refuses the army’s request to have the trapped men break out • Instead, the trapped Germans slowly starve and eventually surrender • The turning point of the War • After this the Nazis never really recover
In Africa • The American Army attacks the Germans in Africa and drive them back • The German Army is defeated at the Battle of El Alemein by the British and flee Africa in 1942
Strategic Bombing • The USA, Britain and Canada begin to bomb Germany nightly with thousands of planes • Entire German cities are destroyed and hundreds of thousands are killed • Such much damage was done to German factories that German could not produce enough weapons and material for the war effort
In the Pacific • The USA wins a major Naval battle near the Island of Midway and crushes the Japanese Navy • The USA begins taking back territory captured by the Japanese using “Island Hopping” • The Japanese continue to fight very hard and the war tin the pacific is extremely bloody but after Midway, they had little hope of victory
Key Points • In 1942, the Allies start winning the war • The Germans lose key battles at Stalingrad and El Alamein • Germany is being burnt to the ground by US, British and Canadian Bombers • The Japanese lose the Battle of Midway and the USA slowly begins to push them back