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Major Battles of World War II. Station #2. Three “Theatres” of the War. North Africa: El Alamein Europe: Battle of Britain ,Stalingrad, Normandy Landings (D-day) Pacific: Pearl Harbor, Midway, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. War Matchups.
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Major Battles of World War II Station #2
Three “Theatres” of the War • North Africa: El Alamein • Europe: Battle of Britain ,Stalingrad, Normandy Landings (D-day) • Pacific: Pearl Harbor, Midway, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, Hiroshima and Nagasaki
War Matchups • Allied Powers (after Germany invaded Poland in 1939) • Great Britain • France • Soviet Union • Canada • Australia • Later the United States in 1941 after Pearl Harbor • Axis Powers • Germany • Italy • Japan
War Strategies • Allies • In Europe: • Defeat Hitler first • In Pacific: • “Island Hopping” • Axis • In Europe: Germany • Take Soviet Oil Fields • Defeat Great Britain before US enters (bombing raids) • Submarine warfare on war supplies to Great Britain from US • In Pacific: Japan • Take over main islands of Pacific: Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, Hawaii
El Alamein: North Africa • August-November, 1942 • Location: Deserts of North Africa • Germans, led by “Desert Fox” Erwin Rommel, attempting to overtake Suez Canal and cut Allied supply lines. • Key Allied victory. • Hitler attempting to control Middle Eastern Oil and attack Soviet Union from South. • This Ally victory kept the supply lines open and stopped German advance on the Soviet Union from the South.
Battle of Britain: Europe • July 10, 1940-October 31, 1940 • Air attack by the Germans over the G.B. • After taking France the German forces moved north on Great Britain. • The British Royal Air Force (RAF) was able to fight off the German Air Force (Luftwaffe). • This victory for the British delayed Hitler’s amphibious land invasion and turned his focus to the Soviet Union in 1941.
Stalingrad: Europe • Winter of 1942-1943 • Located in Russia • Hitler, full of pride, desires to take the city because of the name (Stalin-grad). Named after their leader Joseph Stalin. • Thousands of German soldiers died. • Germany attempting to overtake Soviet oil fields. • Hitler’s military stopped by the harsh winter and lack of supplies in the Soviet Union. • This battle stopped German control in Eastern Europe.
Normandy (D-day): Europe • June 6, 1944 • Location: Beaches of France (Omaha Beach) • Led by Dwight Eisenhower (future President after the war) American and Allied troops attack German controlled beaches of France. • Hundreds of American casualties. • Victory stopped German control of Western Europe • France liberated from German control.
Pearl Harbor: Pacific • December 7, 1941 • Japanese surprise air strike against American base in Hawaii in early morning hours on a Sunday. • Japanese attack Americans over an embargo (ban on trade) placed on Japan of oil and steel. • Japanese needed this to fuel their take over of China. • United States declares war on Japan
Midway: Pacific • June, 1942 • Location: Midway Island in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Japan. • After Pearl Harbor attacks. • Japan attempting to seize control over entire Pacific Ocean (control trade). • American victory started “Island Hopping” campaign to get closer to Japan. • Americans would take island by island getting closer to Japan.
Iwo Jima, Okinawa: Pacific • Feb. 1945 • Part of the “Island Hopping” Campaign • Located: Islands of Japan • Key airfields located on these islands. • Victories for Americans here brought us closer to Japan for future bombing raids. • Ended Japanese control over the Pacific Ocean • Thousands of casualties on both sides. Among the bloodiest battles. • Japanese soldiers and civilians committed suicide , known as “Kamikazes” rather than surrender or become POW’s.
Atomic Bombs: Hiroshima, Japan • Monday, August 6, 1945 • First city: Hiroshima • Atomic bomb nick-named “Little Boy” • 2/3 of Hiroshima was destroyed • 70,000 died instantly • Another 70,000 within 5 years of radiation poisoning.
Atomic Bombs: Nagasaki, Japan • After Japan refused to officially surrender. • 3 Days, later, August 9th, the Americans drop another atomic bomb on the city of Nagasaki • Americans threaten Japan with continued bombings unless a formal surrender is issued. • The Japanese surrender…