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World War II European Theater. America Prepares For War. After Pearl Harbor 5 million young men volunteered for military service. Another 10 million were drafted in order to meet the war need. A Production Miracle. In Early February 1942, the last car rolled off the assembly line.
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World War II European Theater
America Prepares For War • After Pearl Harbor 5 million young men volunteered for military service. • Another 10 million were drafted in order to meet the war need.
A Production Miracle • In Early February 1942, the last car rolled off the assembly line. • Automobile plants retooled and began producing tanks, planes, boats, and command cars.
A Production Miracle • A mechanical pencil plant turned out bomb parts. • A soft-drink company filled shells with explosives.
War Production Board (WPB • The government needed to ensure that the armed forces and war industries received the resources they needed to win the war • The WPB organized nationwide drives to collect scrap iron, tin cans, paper, rags, and cooking fat for recycling into war goods.
War Production Board (WPB • In addition, a system for rationing, or establishing fixed allotments of goods deemed essential for the military.
War Production Board (WPB • Under this system, households received ration books with coupons to be used for buying such scarce goods as meat, shoes, sugar, coffee, and gasoline.
The U.S. Enters the War Franklin & Winston Roosevelt Churchill The twoleaders joined forces to 1st deal with Germany & Italy
The Battle Of The Atlantic • After Pearl Harbor Hitler ordered submarine raids on ships along America’s east coast. • The German goal was to prevent food & war materials from reaching Britain & Russia.
The Battle Of The Atlantic • In the first four months of 1942 subs sank 87 ships off the Atlantic coast, after seven months 681 ships lost.
The Allies responded by using a tactic from WWI. • They grouped ships together in convoys. By mid 1943, Germany was loosing more U-boats than they could build.
The North African Front • The USSR called for the U.S. to lead an invasion into Europe. • Instead Gen. Eisenhower was sent to Africa to defeat Rommel.
The North African Front • Operation Torch was launched to force Erwin Rommel “The Desert Fox” & the Axis powers out of N. Africa.
The North African Front • In November 1942 107,000 troops landed in Casablanca, Oran, and Algiers.
The North African Front • U.S. and British forces suffered several major defeats to Rommel’s tactics and superior tanks.
The North African Front • Hitler recalled Rommel back to Germany just prior to their surrender at Tunis, in May 1943.
The North African Front • Germans, Rommel, 100K men, 500 Tanks • British, montgomery, 200K men, 1000 tanks • Battle of El Alamein- Allied victory • Germans outnumbered, low on supplies, forced to surrender • This ended German occupation of North Africa
The Italian Campaign • Roosevelt wanted us to mass forces and attack Europe by crossing the English Channel.
The Italian Campaign • Churchill thought it smarter to attack Italy first.
The Italian Campaign • Sicily fell first and the Italian people called for the removal of Mussolini. • Mussolini was stripped of power and arrested on July 25, 1943.
The Battle of Stalingrad • The Germans had been fighting in the Soviet Union since June 1941. • Winter stopped the Germans outside of Moscow & Leningrad.
The Battle of Stalingrad • In the summer of 1942 the Germans went back on the offensive in southern USSR.
The Battle of Stalingrad • Hitler wanted to destroy Stalingrad as it was a major industrial city. • In August 1942 Germany began an all out attack on the city.
The Battle of Stalingrad • The Luftwaffe bombed the city night and day until every wooden building burned. Things were so bad the Soviet officers wanted to blow up the factories & abandon the city.
The Battle of Stalingrad • Stalin ordered the city, that carried his name, be defended at all costs. • The Germans were capturing the city house by house until winter arrived.
The Battle of Stalingrad • Stalin used the winter to roll in fresh tanks over the frozen ground. • They surrounded the city & cut off German supply lines. The war had turned & the Soviets headed west.
Turning Point Of The War • At Stalingrad the Soviets lost 1.1 million soldiers. • This was more than all American deaths in the entire war.
The Allies Liberate Europe • OperationOverlord was the plan to attack the German forces in France. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was put in charge of the invasion.
The Allies Liberate Europe • In England Eisenhower gathered together a force of 3 million troops.
The Allies Liberate Europe • Eisenhower planned to attack at Normandy in northern France.
The Allies Liberate Europe • Eisenhower also established a phantom army and headquarters. • Messages were sent ordering the phantom army to attack at the port of Calais, 150 miles away. • The messages were designed to be intercepted by the Germans.
The Allies Liberate Europe • Hitler ordered a large army to defend Calais.
The Allied invasion, code named D-Day was scheduled for June 5, but bad weather delayed the invasion.
The Allies Liberate Europe • The next day saw the largest land-sea-air attack in army history.
Even with massive numbers, the German retaliation was brutal. • Omaha Beach saw thousands die.
The Allies Gain Ground • Despite heavy casualties the Allies held the beachheads.
The Allies Gain Ground • After 7 days of fighting the Allies held an 80-mile strip of France. • Within a month they landed: • 1 million troops • 567,000 tons of supplies • 170,000 vehicles
The Allies Gain Ground On July 25, Gen. Omar Bradley through land & air raids at St. Lo, opened a hole in the German defenses & Gen. Patton moved right through.
The Allies Gain Ground • Gen. George S. Patton led the third army into France to the Seine River. • 2 days later the Allies liberated Paris.
The Allies Gain Ground • By September 1944, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg were free. • FDR was elected to a 4th term.
Battle Of The Bulge • This was a last desperate effort by Hitler to break through the Allied lines at Antwerp, Belgium.
Battle Of The Bulge • Germany's goal for these operations was to split the British and American Allied line in half, capturing Antwerp, Belgium.
Battle Of The Bulge • Then proceed to encircle and destroy four Allied armies, forcing the Western Allies to negotiate a peace treaty in the Axis Powers' favor. • This goal would fail.
