7.4 Slides

Allied Strategy

●

Allies shared more unified
goals

●

Roosevelt, Churchill, and
Stalin considered Germany
the most dangerous enemy

●

Agreed to pursue a
“Europe First” strategy

War in the Atlantic

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German U-Boats patrolled the
Atlantic sinking more than 3,500
merchant ships

●

Finally, in mid 1943, the Allies
began winning the war in the
Atlantic

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Convoys and radar helped Allied
vessels locate U-Boats

Soviets and Nazis Battle for Stalingrad

Germany attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, sending
one army north toward Leningrad, a second east
towards Moscow, and a third south toward Stalingrad

●Hitlers forces were unable to conquer all three due
to brutal winter weather

●Narrowed his sights on Southern Soviet Union to
capture the rich oil field

●The struggle for Stalingrad proved to be ferocious
but the Soviets were able to counter and stop
Hitler

●True turning point of the war in Europe

War in North Africa

Meanwhile, another campaign was taking
place in the mountains and deserts of North
Africa

●British had been fighting the Germans
and Italians since 1940

●Stalin wanted the U.S. to open a second
front against Germany in Western
Europe

●North Africa presented special
challenges for the Allies

War in North Africa

In November 1942, the British won a
major victory in Egypt, and began to push
westward

●Prevented Germany from gaining
access to the Suez Canal and oil fields
in the Middle East

●About the same time, Allied troops
under the command of Dwight
Eisenhower landed in North Africa
taking down the Germans Afrika
Korps

Allies Take Over North Africa

The fighting in North Africa taught
American leaders they needed aggressive
officers and troops better trained for desert
fighting

●Eisenhower promoted George S. Patton
to take command of American forces

●Under Patton American forces
advanced east and forced the remaining
Germans and Italians in North Africa to
surrender

Axis Powers on the Defensive

Germany was now on the defensive

●

First, the allies decided to
increase bombing of Germany
and invade Italy

●

Second, Roosevelt announced
that the Allies would accept only
unconditional surrender

Italy Surrenders

After North Africa, the Allies next eyed
Italy

●

Island of Sicily was the target for an
invasion

●

Could invade Italy without risk of
German U-Boat and have aircraft
protection

●

Eisenhower hoped to trap Axis forces
on Sicily, but they escaped to the
mainland

Italy Surrenders

The 38 day campaign achieved
important results

●

Gave the Allies complete control
of the western Mediterranean

●

Paved the way for an invasion of
Italy

●

Ended the rule of Mussolini

Allied Bombers Attack Germany

Stalin continued his demand that Roosevelt
and Churchill open a second front in France.

●Bombed German cities at night inflicting
maximum damage- saturation bombing

●By day Allies targeted key political and
industrial centers- Strategic bombing

Allied Bombers Attack Germany

The bravery and contributions of
African American fighter squadron,
the Tuskegee Airmen played a key
role in the campaign

●

Escorted bombers protecting them
from enemies

●

In over 1,500 missions, the airmen
did not lose a single bomber

Turning Points in the Pacific

Japan continued to advance turning its
attention to Midway

●

American naval base was vital to
the defense of Hawaii

●

Allowing Japan to take Midway
would force the U.S. back to
California

Americans Triumph at Midway

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Navy code breakers intercepted
Japanese messages

●

Admiral Chester Nimitz sent his
only available aircraft carriers to
Midway, while the Japanese navy
was stretched out thousands of
miles

●

On June 4th, 1942, the Japanese
attacked Midway

Americans Triumph at Midway

●

U.S. dealt Japan a decisive
defeat

●

Midway was the turning point of
the war in the Pacific

●

Japanese forces would never
threaten Hawaii or dominate the
Pacific again

●

Japan was now on the defensive

Americans take the Offensive

●Americans lead an assault on the
island of Guadalcanal

●Guadalcanal was part of a U.S.
strategy to approach Japan from
both the southwest Pacific and
central Pacific

●Wanted to force Japan to fight a
two war front and capture bases to
attack