When the U.S. entered WW2 in late 1941, victory seemed remote
Germany controlled almost all of Europe
Axis armies controlled
Northern Africa & threatened
the Suez Canal
Germany pressed into Russia
Japan dominated the western half of the Pacific Ocean
But…over the next 2 years, the U.S. & the Allies began to win the wars in Europe & the Pacific
Europe 1941-1943
To win the European campaign, 2 different plans were proposed
The U.S. wanted to attack across Nazi-controlled France by 1943
England wanted to attack Italy from Northern Africa in 1942
In 1942, U.S.-Anglo troops began the Italian campaign
& Stalin was ANGRYIn 1943, the Soviet army won at Stalingrad; Germany was never again on the offensive
USSR “freed” Poland, Hungary, Romania
The Allies began to win the Battle of the Atlantic in 1941 with Lend-Lease aid, but took control in 1943
with America’s entry into the war
Tehran Conference, 1943■ 1943: FDR, Churchill, Stalin met in Tehran,
Iran for 1st of 3 wartime conferences:
– US, UK, USSR coordinated war strategy
– FDR & Churchill committed to Stalin’s demands to open a western front (D-Day)
– Discussed plans to create a “general intl org” to promote “peace & security” (UN)
By agreeing to “Operation Overlord” (D-Day), Allies would divide Axis
military across two fronts
FDR proposed future UN dominated by 4 “policemen” (US/UK/China/USSR) w/power to “deal immediately with any sudden emergency”
Long-awaited 2nd front came on June 6,
1944 with D-Day
US/UK/Can troops landed at 5 strategic points
Europe 1944-1945
Yalta Conference – Feb 1945 ■ “Big 3” met at Yalta (modern Ukraine)
to discuss post-war Europe:
–Stalin refused to give up E Euro but did agree to “self-determination”
–Stalin agreed to send troops to Pacific after the G surrender if they could keep Manchuria
Soon after the Yalta Conference in Feb 1945, FDR died…and Harry Truman became president
In late April 1945, the Allies broke through the Eastern & Western Fronts forcing both
Italy & Germany to surrender
The Doolittle Raid on Tokyo on April 18, 1942 was a morale boost
U.S. victory at Midway in 1942 gave the Allies naval supremacy
“Island-hopping” allowed the Allies to win strategic islands without investing precious
time, resources, & American lives
The Japanese refused to play by according to the Geneva Convention “rules” of war
Victories at Saipan in 1944 & Iwo Jima & Okinawa in 1945 allowed for bombings on Japan
The German surrender in May 1945, allowed US to turn its full attention towards Japan
The Decision to Drop the A-Bomb■ With no definitive end it sight, how
would Allies defeat Japan?–US military favored full-scale
invasion of Tokyo by 1946–Japanese refused to surrender &
armed civilians for Allied invasion –Potsdam Conference (July 1945):
Truman gave the order to use the atomic bomb
Enrico Fermi at the University of Chicago
Triumph & Tragedy in the Pacific■Aug 1945: US dropped 2 atomic
bombs – Hiroshima & Nagasaki■Effect of the A-bomb:
–Saved hundreds of thousands of US (& Japanese) lives?
–Revenge for Pearl Harbor –Showed USSR that US had
ultimate weapon•Began Cold War arms race
HiroshimaNagasaki
It’s Finally Over!
Conclusions■ WW2 was largest & deadliest war in
history & changed the US
–War industry ended Great Depression, expanded size of federal gov & ushered in affluent decade
–US emerged as world superpower, developed a nuclear arsenal & engaged a Cold War against USSR
