THE WORLD AT WAR

WW II Mobilization

61 countries 75% of the world’s population is involved

Country: Total Mobilized ….At one timeUSA: 16m…. 12.2mGermany: 17m…. 10.9mUSSR: 22-30m. 12.5mUK: 8.7m… 8.7mJapan: 7.2m… 7.2m

Objective…

• Identify the military turning points of World War II in both Europe and Asia.

• Describe the significance of each turning point within the context of the war.

The first priority…Defeat Hitler & use a defensive

strategy in the Pacific.

Class Activity:

The Task: In your small group research your assigned topic & reach a common agreement about the information you will present to the class.

Identify…

• The event or battle along with the date(s)• Location: Europe or Asia• Identify the event or battle on the map provided• Casualties: Japanese, American or Allied lives lost• Three interesting facts related to the event or battle

• Significance related to the overall war effort

Fighting WW II:Think of the war in 6 phases…

I. Battle for the Atlantic (1942-43)II. The North Africa Campaign (1942-43)III. The Italian Campaign (1943-44)IV. Europe: Eastern Front (1941-45)

-The Germans attack the USSR…-Battle for Stalingrad… -The westward Soviet Offensive…

V. Europe: W. Front (1942-45)-Long range bombing (1942-1945)-D-Day / Normandy / Operation Overlord (June, 1944)-Battle of the Bulge (Dec, 1944 – Jan, 1945)

VI. The Pacific (1942-45) - Doolittle's Raid (April, 1942)

- Battle for The Coral Sea (May, 1942) - Battle of Midway (June, 1942) - Battle of Guadalcanal (Aug, 1942-Feb, 1943)

- Iwo Jima (Feb-March, 1945) - Battle of Okinawa (April- June 1945)

I. The Battle for the Atlantic1942 – 1943

Why was winning the Battle for the Atlantic so crucial to the war effort?

• The problem:-3,000 mile supply lines-The “Wolf-packs”…

June, 1942: 172 ships lostMarch, 1943: 400 U-boats

• The solution…

The Battle for the Atlantic

German U-boat on patrol…

“Wolf Packs”…

DAS BOOT Clip hunting a convoy…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATEjQhdfA8U

Significance …

What solutions to the “Wolf-pack” problem are represented in these pictures?

Regained control of the Atlantic; increased war supplies to the UK; and insured the safety of American troops traveling to Europe.

The Battle for the Atlantic

II. North Africa Oct., 1942 - May, 1943

• Geographic importance for…Axis Powers…Allied Powers…

The significance…An early victory… Stopped Hitler’s attempt to control Middle East oil

III. The Italian Campaign July,1943 – June,1944

• The Allies invaded Italy

• The Italian Army collapses

• Mussolini is removed from power

• Germany defends Italy

Bloody Anzio:

- 25K Allied casualties

- 30K Axis casualties

Significance… Opened a new front in Europe; Added pressure to Germany… Mussolini is taken

out of power

Mussolini & mistress captured & executed by the Italian people in April,

1945.

IV. Europe: Eastern EuropeDec., 1941 – May, 1943

• The invasion of Russia – Operation Barbarossa…• What played the most important factor in the Russians

defeating the Germans?

Significance…A crushing defeat & Hitler’s greatest military mistake

What was the significance of the Battle for Stalingrad?

-The Soviet’s held the German Army.-From this point the Germans are retreating.

V. Western EuropeJune 1942 – May, 1945

Significance… Control of the skies and take the war to Hitler.

The 99th Pursuit SquadronAKA:

The “Red Tail Angels” - Tuskegee Airmen

•First Black military airmen • 1,000 Black pilots•15,553 sorties•Two Unit citations awarded

D-Day – Operation Overlord June 6, 1944

• D-Day: Operation Overlord - …• The goal: Gain a foot hold back on mainland Europe• The “Phantom army at Calais”…

The D-Day Landing: -1M Allied troops -9K casualties

The Atlantic Wall

D-Day - Normandy Invasion June 6, 1944

What was the significance of D-Day invasion?•The Allies get a foothold on the continent of Europe & roll back the German conquest of Europe… In 3 months they take back Paris …11 months Berlin•The largest military operation in US history.

The significance of the Battle of the Bulge? Dec, 1944 – Jan, 1945

• The Allies advanced deep into Germany… Russians advance west• A “last gasp” offensive to stop the Allied advancement.• The Germans lost men, equipment & the offensive left them weak

& beaten.

Liberation of the death camps…

VI. The Pacific Theater1942 – 1945

•Doolittle's Raid - (April, 1942)• Battle for The Coral Sea - (May, 1942)• Battle of Midway - (June, 1942)• Battle of Guadalcanal - (Aug, 1942 - Feb, 1943)• Iwo Jima - (Feb-March, 1945)• Okinawa - (April-June 1945)

Lt. Colonel Doolittle led a 16 plane raid on Tokyo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxqU_WH8Cd0

The significance of Doolittle’s Raid… Demonstrated US determination / A psychological victory for the home

front / Demonstrated the war would be costly for Japan.

Doolittle's Raid – April, 1942

The Battle for the Coral Sea May, 1942

• The first aircraft carrier battle• The first naval battle in which neither side's ships saw

or fired upon the other.

Halted the Japanese Naval advancement towards Australia…Enforced a defensive perimeter

Significance?...

The Battle of MidwayJune of 1942

Midway is the most significant naval battle in the Pacific Campaign. The battle occurred 6 months after Pearl Harbor .

“…the most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare."

Significance…. Destroyed the Japanese fleet, ended the Japanese threat against Hawaii and the US mainland.

The Battle of Guadalcanal (Aug, 1942 - Feb, 1943)

Following Pearl Harbor Japan aggressively expanded

• The Japanese started building an airfield on Guadalcanal …a major threat to Australia.

• The US Marines took the airfield quickly …holding the airfield provided for some of the most costly fighting in the war.

Over 6 months: 7,100 American died 31,000 Japanese died27 US Naval ships were lost

Significance … Stopped Japanese expansion

Guadalcanal

General MacArthur & Admiral Nimitz

“Island hopping” or “leap frog-ing”

Kamikaze (meaning "Divine wind")…

• Suicide attacks by Japanese aviators against Allied ships.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hziFBOx4yqc&feature=related

Iwo Jima Feb - March 1945

• The goal was to capture 3 airfields • Heavy fortification… bunkers, artillery & 11 miles of

tunnels. • Considered the fiercest fighting in the Pacific…. 18K

Japanese soldiers dead or MIA… 216 prisoners.

Significance…Advanced Allied forces towards Japan… The first attack on the Japanese home Islands

Okinawa - April – June, 1945

• The battle for Okinawa…-1,900 Kamikaze attacks

-30 US ships sunk

-12.6K Americans KIA

-200K died at Okinawa

Significance…Okinawa was the last island between the Allies and the assault on mainland Japan. Demonstrated that the final phase of

conquering and getting Japan to surrender would be very difficult.

Japanese Biological Warfare Unit 731

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mfAAmTTi0Q