Turning Points of WWII

1. Turning Points of WWII Major Events and Battles that Turn the Tide in Favor of the Allies

2. Background • War going badly for Allies • American fleet destroyed • Allied Asian territories being invaded by Japan • Hong Kong, Malay Peninsula • Rommel controlling North Africa • Soviets doing poorly vs. Germany

4. Early Air and Sea Allied (esp. British) German • Supplies by sea from American Lend-Lease Act • 114 ships sunk by 1939 • American naval fleet decimated by Pearl Harbor attack • U-Boats (submarines) threaten supply lines • Air • Attack suppliers • Battle of Britain

5. Battle of the Atlantic • Allies battle Germans for control of Atlantic Ocean – supply lines, troop movements, etc. • May 1941 – German Bismarksent into battle • May 23 – British navy finds Bismarkand others in Denmark Strait • British open fire – British navy badly damaged, Bismarkgets away • May 26 – Bismark seen off French coast

6. Battle of the Atlantic • Took 6 torpedo hits to sink Bismark • Ends German sea dominance • Will find ways to protect against U-boats

7. Early Air Attacks • Battle of Britain – Aug 1940 – Luftwaffe (German air force) begin bombing airfield and plane factories; air battles with RAF; night bombings of London; keeps Germany from land invasion of England • Allied offenses in Germany – 1941 – aimed at factories, railroads, dockyards, cities/town • To destroy war industry and weaken morale

8. stalingrad

9. Stalingrad • July 1942 – Soviets retreating, Germans closing in on the city of Stalingrad • Highly industrialized (need economically) • Named for Stalin (need for morale/pride) • Stalin STILL wants Allies to open a western front to take pressure off of USSR/east – Churchill refuses in Aug 1942

10. Stalingrad • Sept – Soviet counterattack, cut German supply lines • Hitler refuses to allow retreat • Umm…..winter?? • Feb 1943 – German surrender of troops • Germany: 100,000 dead, 80,000 captured, equipment seized HUGE blow to the German army

11. The War in Africa REASONS Axis Dominance Vichy Control Threat to Egypt “Soft Underbelly” Access to Italy

12. North Africa • Jan 1942 – Allies struggling against Erwin Rommel • Aka “Desert Fox” • Spring – Rommel pushes British 2/3 way back to Egypt (out of Libya – part of Vichy France) • May – continuing to battle and push British further east

13. North Africa • July 1942 – British Gen. Bernard Montgomery stops German advances at El Alamein • October – Brit counterattack = Germans forced back into Libya • British follow • January 1943 – British capture Tripoli (capital)

14. North Africa O P E T R O A R T C I H O N

15. North Africa • 1942 – Allies land in Morocco and Algeria to fight Rommel • Both part of Vichy France • Plan: trap Rommel by closing in from both East (British out of Egypt) and West (US/Brit) • “Pincer” strategy • Meet strong resistance from Vichy • Nov 194 – Allied commander Dwight D. Eisenhower gets Admiral Francois Darlan (Vichy) to sign armistice

16. North Africa • Results of Armistice • Ends Vichy resistance • Charles de Gaulle brings soldiers from Free France to join allies • Allows Allies to begin “closing their pincers” • Rommel sees that the end is near… • Flies to Berlin to tell Hitler that situation is hopeless • Hitler disagrees – bans Rommel from returning to Africa • May 1943 - New German commander surrenders

17. Invasion of Italy

18. Invasion of Italy • January 1943 – Casablanca Conference • Allied leaders discuss next move – invade Sicily to gain access to mainland Italy

19. Invasion of Italy • July 1943 – air and sea attack on Sicily led by Eisenhower • Initially meet little resistance – fighting intensifies as Germans/ Italians escape into Italy • Beginning of the End of Mussolini • July 25, 1943 – King Victor Emmanuel III fires and arrests Mussolini • New PM dissolves fascist party • SEPT 3, 1943 – SURRENDERS TO ALLIES • Secretly.

20. Invasion of Italy • Sept 3 1943 – Allies land on Italian mainland • Surrender is announced • Sept 5 - Germany occupies Rome and Northern Italy • Rescue Mussolini and put him in charge of North • 1943-early 1944 – Allies fight up the Italian Peninsula • Difficulty penetrating Monte Cassino – needed for road to Rome • Heavy artillery and 5 months needed to remove Germans from mountaintop monestary • June 4, 1944 – Allies enter Rome

21. Pacific War

22. Pacific War • Japan controls most of Southeast Asia • Kill civilians, steal property = resistance • Gains made by Allies • May 1942 – Battle of the Coral Sea = Allied victory • June 1942 – Battle of Midway = MASSIVE air and naval battle; ends Japanese naval dominance

23. Pacific War Battle of Midway

24. Pacific War • Allied Plan – “Leapfrogging” or “Island hopping” • Begins with Guadalcanal • General Douglas MacArthur attacks Japanese on land while Admiral Chester Nimitz attacks from sea • 6 month battle = Allied victory • Series of island battles en route to Japan • Capture islands or cut off their trade routes

25. Leap- frogging or Island Hopping

26. Pacific War • Japanese unwilling to surrender • November 1943 – begin using kamikaze pilots • Volunteer pilots willing to crash their planes into Allied bases/ship • Suicide missions