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Objective: To examine the major battles from 1942 –1944. A Time of Peril. Germany: · Germany had conquered most of Europe and invaded the Soviet Union in 1941.
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A Time of Peril Germany: · Germany had conquered most of Europe and invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. · The Soviets retreated as the Germans advanced on Moscow, burning crops and farm equipment as they went in order to keep them out of German hands.
Operation Barbarossa: The German Invasion of Russia Hitler believed the Russian Army could be destroyed in 3 months 22 June 1941 - Hitler attacked (wanted to win before U.S. involvement) Initial German aims were to capture Russian oil fields and industrial areas in order to; Support Germany’s war in the west Break Russian economic power so she could not attack at some later date
Russian strategy Barter space for time; intended retreats Scorched earth policy; withdrew and forced the Germans to overextend their lines of communications and supply. Forced Hitler’s exposed army to spend the winter in -40 degree weather Partisan organizations were to prey on Germany’s lines of communications
German- Offensive Halted Supply lines were so long that they slowed the advance Vast area which had been taken was hard to control because of Partisan activity The massive size of Russia exhausted German troops The Russian winter set in and the Germans did not have adequate equipment to fight a winter battle Video- 20th Cent. Battlefields: Stalingrad
During the German siege of Leningrad, over one million Soviets were killed.
More than half a million victims are buried at the Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery.
Japan: • After attacking Pearl Harbor, the Japanese seized Guam, Wake Island, Hong Kong, Malaya, Burma and the Dutch East Indies. • The Japanese also defeated American and Filipino forces, led by U.S. General Douglas MacArthur, in the Philippines.
U.S. troops surrender to the Japanese in the Philippine Islands, May 6, 1942. A total of 11,500 Americans and Filipinos became POWs.
Bataan Death March Japan took over the Philippines, which were controlled by the US They surrounded and captured 75,000 American soldiers on the Bataan Peninsula Video- Ghosts of Bataan
Cruel Treatment The Japanese soldiers marched the prisoners to a POW camp The American soldiers were forced to march 70 miles, injured, with almost no food or water Anyone who became too weak was killed
The Tide Turns • The Allies enjoyed victories in the Pacific, North Africa, Italy and Russia. • In Italy, Mussolini had been overthrown and the new government joined the Allies. April 29, 1945 Mussolini and 15 other fascist leaders are executed and hanged at an Esso gas station in the Piazzale Loreto in Milan.
In 1943, the Allies invaded Italy from North Africa, eventually liberating Rome from Nazi control in June of 1944. Allied advance in El Guettar, Tunisia, North Africa, 3/21/43.
Help!! Attack the Nazis on the Western Front, quick! Opening a Second Front • In order to ease pressure on the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin asked the Allies to open a second front by crossing the English Channel and attacking the Germans in France.
Alright, but you’d better appreciate this! • The planned invasion of Europe was called Operation Overlord, and General Eisenhower was named commander of the Allied forces in Europe.
Eisenhower had to organize the eventual invasion of Normandy France, known as D-Day, which involved over 3 million Allied forces. General Eisenhower gives the order of the day "Full victory - Nothing else" to paratroopers in England just before they board airplanes in the first D-Day assault.
When? May 1942 Where? Coral Sea (Pacific) Results Japanese advancing towards Australia. Battle of Naval ships and planes. Japanese halted. Importance Battleships never came within shooting distance of each other. Aerial battle only. World War II: Major Battles (1942 – 1944)Battle of Coral Sea
World War II: Major Battles (1942 – 1944) When? – June 1942 Where? – Midway Island (Pacific Islands) Results? - The U.S. sank four Japanese aircraft carriers. Importance? – It limited Japan's ability to attack Hawaii again or other Allied positions.Turning point in the Pacific. Battle of Midway Island:
When? August 1942 Where? Stalingrad, Soviet Union Results After months of brutal warfare, the Russians wore down the German army Importance Soviets start to push Germans back. Millions die and a city is destroyed Stalingrad
Campaign for Guadalcanal: • When? – August 1942 • Where? Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands (Pacific Islands) • Results? – The U.S. defeated the Japanese, gaining control of the island. • Importance? – Guadalcanal became a military base from which to counterattack the Japanese. Video – Dogfight over Guadalcanal
Soldiers take a breather after making camp. The 25th Infantry Division was a large part of the effort to force the Japanese off Guadalcanal.
Battle of El Alamein: • When? – October 1942 • Where? - El Alamein, Egypt • Results? – British and U.S. forces drove the German army, led by General Rommel, from Egypt west into Tunisia. • Importance? – U.S. Gen. Eisenhower led the Allies in an invasion of Tunisia, from Algeria, forcing Rommel to surrender in May of 1943.
D-Day: • When? – June 6, 1944 • Where? – Normandy, France • Results? – A fleet of 4,000 ships carried Allied troops to Normandy in order to invade France in an attempt to defeat the Germans. • Importance? – On August 25, 1944, Allied forces liberated Paris from Nazi rule.Turning point for the Western Front.
American soldiers wading through water into Nazi machine-gun fire on the coast of France.
At Utah Beach, members of an American landing party help others whose landing craft was sunk by the Germans off the coast of France. The survivors reached Utah Beach, near Cherbourg, by using a life raft.
Crossed rifles in the sand placed as a tribute to this fallen soldier.
American assault troops of the 16th Infantry Regiment, injured while storming Omaha Beach, wait by the Chalk Cliffs for evacuation to a field hospital for further medical treatment. Collville-sur-Mer, Normandy.
Battle of the Bulge: • When? – December 16, 1944 • Where? – border areas near Luxembourg, France and Germany • Results? – The Germans began a counterattack against the Allies as the Allies attempted to drive the Germans completely out of France. • Importance? – This battle showed the desperation of the German forces. While the Germans were able to slow down the Allied advance, they could not stop it completely.Last battle for Germany.
The Battle of the Bulge:Hitler’s Last Offensive Dec. 16, 1944toJan. 28, 1945
Iwo Jima • When? February 1945 US forces landed on Iwo Jima, 750 miles south of Tokyo. The landings were heavily opposed by the Japanese, who fought to the death. The Japanese had dug hundreds of tunnels from which to attack. Nevertheless, the US Marines overwhelmed the defenders in a very hard fought battle that lasted for almost 30 days. It was one of the most bloody battles of the war. Ira Hayes
CHORUS: Call him drunken Ira Hayes He won't answer anymore Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian Nor the Marine that went to war Gather round me people there's a story I would tell About a brave young Indian you should remember well From the land of the Pima Indian A proud and noble band Who farmed the Phoenix valley in Arizona land Down the ditches for a thousand years The water grew Ira's peoples' crops 'Till the white man stole the water rights And the sparklin' water stopped Now Ira's folks were hungry And their land grew crops of weeds When war came, Ira volunteered And forgot the white man's greed Ballad of Ira HayesJohnny Cash
CHORUS: Call him drunken Ira Hayes He won't answer anymore Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian Nor the Marine that went to war There they battled up Iwo Jima's hill, Two hundred and fifty men But only twenty-seven lived to walk back down again And when the fight was over And when Old Glory raised Among the men who held it high Was the Indian, Ira Hayes CHORUS: Call him drunken Ira Hayes He won't answer anymore Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian Nor the Marine that went to war Ira Hayes returned a hero Celebrated through the land He was wined and speeched and honored; Everybody shook his hand But he was just a Pima Indian No water, no home, no chance At home nobody cared what Ira'd done And when did the Indians dance CHORUS: Call him drunken Ira Hayes He won't answer anymore Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian Nor the Marine that went to war Then Ira started drinkin' hard; Jail was often his home They'd let him raise the flag and lower it like you'd throw a dog a bone! He died drunk early one mornin' Alone in the land he fought to save Two inches of water in a lonely ditch Was a grave for Ira Hayes CHORUS: Call him drunken Ira Hayes He won't answer anymore Not the whiskey drinkin' Indian Nor the Marine that went to war Yeah, call him drunken Ira Hayes But his land is just as dry And his ghost is lyin' thirsty In the ditch where Ira died
Victory was never in doubt…What was in doubt, in all our minds, was whether there would be any of us left to dedicate our cemetery at the end, or whether the last Marine would die knocking out the last Japanese gun and gunner. Let the world count our crosses. MajGen Graves Erskine, CG 3d Marine Division, following the Battle for Iwo Jima What platoon are you guys? Platoon, hell! We’re the 2nd Battalion, 22d Marines, what’s left of us anyway. Exchange between Marines following the Battle for Sugarloaf Hill on Okinawa, May 1945
When? April 1945 American forces landed on the island of Okinawa. The Japanese changed their tactics and, instead of opposing US troops at the beaches, put up their defense away inland. At the same time, Japanese aircraft and ships made Kamakazi attacks on the US fleet. The attacks exacted a heavy price: over 7,000 US serviceman and 100,000 Japanese were killed on Okinawa. Okinawa
