Defeating the Axis Powers

Strategy

Europe 1941-42

Battle of the Atlantic

• Britain needs supplies.

• U.S. needs to get men and equipment to Britain.

• German U boats patrol the Atlantic and target Ally ships.

Battle of Atlantic

• U.S. use convoys to protect their ships.

• U.S. Destroyers have sonar to detect U boats.

• Germans hunt in “Wolf Packs” and attack over 3,000 ships

Taking on Hitler and Mussolini

• November of 1942

• Use your map and determine where you should invade.– Remember to protect you back and don’t get

outflanked.– Pick a place where the fighting should be

easier.

The North Africa Campaign

• Germans with General Erwin Rommel come to support the Italians in Libya and push towards North Egypt.

• British under General Montgomery win a decisive victory at El Almein.

• American Forces land and push East from Morocco and Algiers to trap the German forces and capture 240,000 prisoners in May of 1943.

North Africa

Invasion of Europe

• What territory do the allies control now?

• Where should you invade next?

• What is your final target?

• Casablanca Conference- January 1943, Roosevelt and Churchill agree to continue to fight the European War first, then devote energy to the Pacific.

Invasion of Italy

• July 1943, General George S Patton and the 7th Army push the Germans off of Sicily.

• Mussolini is voted out and flees to N. Italy.• September of 1943, Allies push into Southern

Italy. • January of 1944, Americans invade Anzio• May of 1944, Americans break through and take

Rome and much of southern Italy• April 1945, Allies take rest of Italy and Mussolini

is killed trying to cross the northern border.

Invasion of Italy

Italy is secured, what next?

• Mussolini is dead, and Italy is taken.

• What is the next move to take down Hitler?

• The southern front is secured.

• Lets look east.

Eastern Front

• Russia (U.S.S.R.) invaded by Germans in June of 1942.

• 3.6 Million Germans invade using the Blitzkrieg Strategy.

• Luftwaffe gained control of the air.

• Russians retreat using a “scorched policy”

• Germans push in to Leningrad, Stalingrad and Moscow.

Eastern Front

• Germans bomb Stalingrad during September of 1942.

• Soviets pushes back in November of 1942 and launches a counter attack in building to building fighting.

• Germans are cut off from supply lines and are forced to surrender in January of 1943.

• German losses total 330,000/Soviet losses estimated at 1,100,000.

• Stalingrad marked the high water point for Germany in Eastern Europe.

Western Front

• Look at your map, what’s the fastest Way in to Western Europe?

• Why not continue up through Italy?

Invasion of France

Operation Overlord

D-Day

• Midnight on June 6th, 1944• 4,600 Invasion craft• 1,000 RAF Bombers and 1,000 American

bombers.• 23,000 Airborne Soldiers parachute behind

enemy lines.• 150,000 Soldiers came ashore along 60 miles of

beach.• Within 1 week 500,000 men had come ashore.• By July 2 million troops had landed.

Images of D-day

Liberating France

• Patton charges across France and destroys German lines, using the Blitzkrieg strategy against the Germans

• August 25th 1944, France is officially liberated.

• September 1944, Belgium and Netherlands are liberated.

Battle of the Bulge

• December 1944• Nazi’s defend the

homeland at the Rhine river.

• German attack in Belgium and Luxembourg.

• Patton to the rescue.• Largest battle ever fought

by U.S.• 600,000 men, 80,000

died

Germany Falls

• Soviets drive West, Allied forces drive East, connect on April 25th.

• Soviets surround and bombard Berlin.

• April 30th 1945, Adolph Hitler commits suicide in a bunker in Berlin.

• May 8th Germany Surrenders

Yalta Conference

• Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill meet to discuss the end of the War.

• Split Germany and Berlin into four Zones

• Stalin Pledged to allow free elections in conquered countries.

• Stalin also pledged to enter the war with Japan within 3 months of Germany’s surrender.