WWII Battles Part 1

Strike Hitler First...Well Kinda

▪ December 1941, FDR and Churchill met

to discuss a plan of action.

▪ Churchill convinced FDR Germany was

the biggest threat.

▪ The U.S. teamed with Britain to put a

dent in the Nazi Empire.

Battle of the Atlantic

▪ Britain and Soviet Union depended on

supplies shipped through the Atlantic
Ocean.

▪ German Wolf Packs destroyed hundreds

of ships.

▪ The Allies organized convoys to protect

large freighters (ships that carried
supplies).

Battle of Stalingrad

▪ Germany began fighting in the Soviet

Union in June 1941, but by winter the
extreme cold stopped them.

▪ August 1942, Nazis began their take-over

of the city of Stalingrad.

▪ Once again the bitter-cold stopped them

and the Soviets forced a surrender.

▪ It proved to be a turning point in 1943.

North Africa

▪ Axis Powers controlled Northern Africa.
▪ Stalin urged the Allies to attack Germany

from the West, they went to North Africa
first.

▪ Operation Torch was led by Dwight D.

Eisenhower.

▪ The Allies took control of North Africa by

May 1943.

Italian Campaign

▪ FDR and Churchill debated on a full

attack on the Nazis in
France→Germany→Italy.

▪ They decided to attack Italy in Summer

1943.

▪ Benito Mussolini resigned along with

King Victor Emmanuel III.

▪ Germans continued the fight with the

Battle of Anzio into 1944…Italy wasn’t
officially free until 1945.

Early Attacks in Pacific

▪ Spring 1942, Doolittle Raid is payback for

Pearl Harbor.

▪ Battle of Coral Sea—Japan set their sight

on Australia. U.S./Australian
counter-attack was done by aircraft in the
sea.

▪ Battle of Midway—U.S. were able to

fend-off a Japanese invasion of the small
island.

Island Hopping

▪ U.S. began attacking the various islands

Japan occupied throughout the Pacific.

▪ It took American several months and

heavy casualties to defeat the Japanese
at Guadalcanal.

▪ Iwo Jima—U.S. took over the small

island near the Japanese mainland in
1945.