AMERICAN HISTORY WORLD WAR II IN EUROPE
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Fascism: complete control over country with the eye on Nationalism. “a country is nothing without conquest”
Hitler and Mussolini rise to power in Europe Il Duce and Der Furher mean “the leader”
Hitler tries to overthrow the German government
In prison writes “Mein Kampt” his philosophies
With depression world wide, Hitler gains support
For the Nazi Party by promising relief to the German people.
He assumes control of the government in mid 1930s.
Like Italy, Germany starts to expand first in the area known as the Rhineland.
Germany, Italy, and then Japan join to form the AXIS Powers.
Then annexing Austria, Britain and France don’t do anything about this until Hitler wants to occupy parts of Czech.
Germany, France, and Britain meet and with Hitler promising he wants no more expansion, the French and British appeasement allowing Germany to take over parts of Czech to keep the peace. Since Europe was not interested in another war.
Germany signs non-aggression pact with Russia and expands into Czech and then invades Poland using new military tactic known as blitzkrieg: the rapid deployment of troops and equipment. September 1939, after the invasion of Poland, Germany invaded Belgium, Netherlands, and France.
The blitzkrieg to the West was so swift it caught the British Army between the German Army and the English Channel. On the beaches of Dunkirk, the British soldiers were saved when 900 private boats ferried them across the Channel.
When the Germans captured Paris, the BATTLE OF BRITAIN began with The daily bombing of the English towns and factories. The Royal Air Force protected the English countryside. From December 1940 until June 1941 German bombers hammered England.
German controlled North Africa and the leader was Rommel, also known as the “desert fox”. With the British (Montgomery) and American (Patton) forces, Germany was forced out of North African and into Italy.
Soon after the United States entered the war, a very strong offensive began against the Russians by the Germans. This invasion was brutal and went as far as Stalingrad. Germans lost 330,000 men.
The Russians used the tactic of “scorched earth” burning every thing they left so the Germans would not be able to use it against the Russians. This broke the Germans and their advance to the East. While in 1944, the Allies were planning the great offensive in the history of military conflict.
The world’s greatest invasion was carried out on June 6, 1944. D-Day, or Normandy Invasion. The force of the invasion drove the Germans back into Germany until the Germans mounted an offensive to combat the Allied assault. Before the Normandy Invasion, the British started using a tactic known as carpeting bombing, which was bombing an area with having a particular target in the area.
When the Allies pushed through the German
lines, the German fought back. In Belgium and Luxembourg, the Germans almost
pushed through. This battle became known as the Battle
of the Bulge.
It was the largest battle in Western Europe during WW II and the largest ever fought by the Unites States Army.
In the East, Russia and German were fighting seriously, Russia lost 13.6 million men while German lost 3 million. The Russians pushed through to Berlin and captured the city.
May 8 1945, the Germans surrendered.
With Victory in the European Theater, America and the other Allies had to decide what to do in post war Europe.
Russia, United States, and England met in Yalta, a city near the Black Sea.
Here the discussion of dividing German into four sections was under way. The Yalta Conference, which was attended by the Big Three, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. Stalin agreed to allow free elections in the territory now controlled by Russia.
The beginning of the Cold War
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AMERICAN HISTORY WORLD WAR II IN THE PACIFIC
Japan is looking to come out of its depression as well as looking for place to locate its growing population.
1931, Japan seizes Manchuria, region in northern China, which is rich in natural resources.
By 1940, Japan controlled most of Eastern China. But continued to expand into the other countries of SE Asia and the Pacific.
Japan signed a neutrality act with Russia in 1940.
With the defeat of the French and the capture of Paris, Japan Demanded the French territories in the South Pacific.
The Japanese having made peace with Russia, had only the United States to fear.
With a surprise attack on the United States Navy at Pearl Harbor, the Japanese were said to have awaken the sleeping giant.
The Japanese attacked the Philippines with such force that the Commander Douglas MacArthur was forced to flee to Australia. His soldiers were captured after a tremendous display of courage and forced to march 60 miles. The Bataam Death March, which killed about 10,000 Americans and Filipinos.
Six Japanese were executed after the war for their part in this death march.
THE BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA was the first battle that was carried out by naval aircraft. The battles were almost a draw, however, the Japanese were prevented from invading Australia.
The Pacific Theater was under the command of Admiral Nimitz.
The most important battle of the Pacific Theater was The Battle of Midway. The United States navy fought the Japanese in another aerial battle. After the battle of Midway, Japan could only fight a defensive war.
The Battle of Guadalcanal gave the marines their first taste of jungle warfare.
After the United States won at Midway and Guadalcanal, a new strategy was used.
Island hopping, which meant to select, specific islands and not attack all islands held by the Japanese.
The Japanese fliers began using their planes as weapons, dying as they guided their aircraft into the allied naval vessels and strong holds. The Philippines were taken back and MacArthur returned as he had stated he would.
Two of the bloodiest battles were fought soon after at Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
110,000 Americans 25,000 dead or injured 25,000 Japanese 24,784 dead
Iwo Jima the picture of the raising of the American Flag
Okinawa was the costliest battle of the Pacific Theater. But it opened the way for the invasion of Japan.
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AMERICAN HISTORY WAR II IN AMERICA
Americans did not want to fight in a war in Germany or Asia.
Many were still upset about the lack of good the World War I did about ending differences between countries.
The United States was just starting to rebound from the Great Depression.
Wanting to maintain the idea of isolationism introduced by G Washington. The government passed the Neutrality Acts, which would withhold all weapons and loans from countries at war. Also non-military goods sold to countries at war would be on a cash and carry basis. 1939, after the war began, France and Britain could purchase weapons on a “cash and carry” basis.
The selective service act required 21 to 36 year old males to register for a peacetime draft.
LEND LEASE ACT provides weapons to countries deemed vital to the safety of the United States.
August of 1941, Churchill and Roosevelt meet aboard a battleship to discuss the goals of the war. THE ATLANTIC CHARTER was written which was the basis for the later United Nations.
Every thing the soldiers were given had the stamp “GOVERNMENT ISSUED”, so the soldiers started calling each other GIs.
After the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese
on December 7, 1941, the United States entered World War II.
The volunteers and enlisted men included Mexican Americans, African Americans, Native Americans, and Nisei (Japanese-Americans). Each minority contributed to the war effort in a variety of ways.
Native Americans, Navajos and Choctaws,
helped keep the enemy confused with their code
talking. African Americans were very
helpful and decorated during the war. Mexican Americans also helped with the
war, with many of this group winning medals of valor.
Women were also active in the United States war effort. Used in every possible way except fighting the enemy, women were present in the Air Force and Navy.
Churchill and Roosevelt decided to focus on winning the war in the European Theater before worrying about Japan.
Einstein and others worked on creating the atomic weapon.
The Manhattan Project was the United States attempt at discovering the use of nuclear weaponry.
Why did he agree to use the most destructive weapon in the history of mankind? He was trying to save the lives of American military personnel who were fighting in the war against Japan.
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