Luxemburg Luxembourg is about half the size

Luxemburg • Luxembourg is about half the size of Delaware

U. S. A in WWII

Mobilization • Selective Training and Service Actrequired all males aged 21 -36 to register for military service. • U. S. began to boost its defense spending from $2 billion to $10 billion in less than a year.

G. I. • More than 16 million Americans served in WWII • They were called G. I. s which meant “Government Issue”

American Diversity • 300, 000 Mexican Americans • 25, 000 Native Americans i. e. “code talkers” • Nearly 1 million African Americans i. e. Tuskegee Airmen • 350, 000 women

“Waking the sleeping giant” • 1942 - War Production Board (WPB) directed the conversion of peacetime industries to industries that produced war goods • Wartime production lowered unemployment

Paying for the war • Spending increased from $8. 9 billion in 1939 to $95. 2 billion in 1945 • Higher taxes paid for about 41% of the war • National debt rose from $43 billion in 1940 to $259 billion in 1945

• Shortages and rationing limited goods that people could buy • Metal to make zippers or typewriters instead went into guns • Nylon for stockings went into parachutes • Supply of food also fell short Home front

• 1942 - Office of War Information hired artist to create posters and ads that stirred Americans patriotic feelings • Victory gardensvegetable gardens that could add to the home food supply and replace produce sent to the soldiers Public Support

• Victory gardens produced about 1/3 of the countries vegetables

European Theatre

December 1941 • U. S. enters the war • Allies in dire need of relief • Axis had extended control over most of Europe • In North Africa Germany and Italy were fighting British forces

Naval Control • Control needed for America to send aid to England • German U-boats made the transport difficult • In 1942 nearly 175 allied ships had been sunk by U-boats

North Africa • 1942 - Gen. Erwin Rommel “The desert fox” was taking control of British and French territories in Africa • 1942 - Allied troops, largely American, landed in Morocco and Algeria began to push Rommel back • By 1943 Allied forces had Axis forces in N. Africa trapped. • Hitler’s order was to fight to the death, but about 240, 000 Germans and Italians surrendered

G 2

The next move • Control of N. Africa allowed the Allies to plan for their next move • 1943 - Gen. George S. Patton invaded Italy *1943 - With Italy control in jeopardy Mussolini was removed from power by the King of Italy *September 1943 - Italy surrenders to the Allies *October 13, 1943 Italy declared war on Germany

June 22, 1941 After loosing the Battle of Britain Hitler planned to invade the U. S. S. R. The nonaggression pact was broken and Germany invaded the Soviet Union 3. 6 million Germans moved into the U. S. S. R. 3 million Red Army troops mobilized

German advancement • Soviet citizens who suffered under Stalin welcomed the Nazis as liberators • Their enthusiasm faded when German troops introduced forces labor camps and began to execute civilians

Stalin’s plan • Controlled retreat • Stalin told the Soviets, “In case of a forced retreat of the Red Army all stock must be evacuated; the enemy must not be left with a single engine, a railway car, not a single pound of grain or gallon of fuel. ” • German armies advanced deep into Soviet territory

Winter in the Soviet Union • 1942 - The Red Army decided to make a stand at Stalingrad • Germans began firebombing and shelling the city. This lasted more than two months • Soviet and German troops engaged in house to house combat • Taking advantage of the harsh winter, the soviets surrounded the German army • Jan. 31, 1943 - 90, 000 German surrender to the Soviets

• Frozen soldier Stalingrad 1942

Stalingrad • Germany lost 330, 000 troops • Soviet losses are estimated at 1. 1 million • The Battle of Stalingrad is the turning point of the war on the Soviet Front

Allies on the offensive • 1943 - Allies begin bombing tactical German targets i. e. factories, railways, and bridges • Carpet bombing- when planes scattered large numbers of bomb over a wide area • July 28, 1943 - Firebombing of Hamburg turned the city into a massive fire • 40, 000 civilians died • The allies apologized

Invading Europe • 1943 - Allies agreed to attack German forces occupying France • “Operation Overload” - would be launched from G. B. • Dwight D. Eisenhower would be supreme allied commander

D-Day • D-Day- The invasion of Western Europe • June 6, 1944 - 4, 600 invasion craft and warships moved across the English Channel • 1, 000 Royal Air Force bombers bombed German defense at Normandy • 23, 000 airborne parachuted behind enemy lines • 150, 000 Allied troops landed in Normandy, France • Allies experienced heavy casualties

Pushing back the Nazis • 1944 - Nazis begin to loose numerous battles • The Nazis are pushed back to the original German boundaries • Battle of the Bulge- The German counterattack on the allies that pushed the lines back

Battle of the Bulge • American units were cut off from the rest of the Allies • They held on against overwhelming odds • Patton raced to the Americans aid to stop the German advance • The Battle of the Bulge was the largest battle in Western Europe • • 600, 000 Gis 80, 000 were killed, wounded or captured 100, 000 Germans were lost This was the beginning of the end on the Western front

Final Days of the War • March 1945 - Allies begin to bomb Germany into submission • American forces from the west and Soviet forces from the east race to Berlin • Eastern Front- (1941 -1945) 11 million Soviet and 9 million German soldiers died. More than 2/3 s of total casualties in WWII

Germany Surrenders • Soviets surround Berlin • April 30, 1945 - Hitler commits suicide in his underground bunker • May 8, 1945 - Germany surrenders • Celebration broke out “V-E Day” (Victory in Europe)

Yalta Conference • February 1945 - Churchill, Stalin and Roosevelt meet in Yalta, Soviet Union • They figured out how to shape postwar Germany • They split Germany into 4 Zones • They split Berlin into 4 Zones as well • Stalin promised to allow Democratic elections in Soviet Germany

Yalta • Stalin did not fulfill his promise and Eastern Europe fell under Communist rule • Critic believe Roosevelt and Churchill did not do enough to prevent Soviet domination in half of Europe

Pacific Theatre

Japanese Expansion • Admiral Yammamoto Isoroko- Leader of the Japanese Navy • 1941 - Japan hit Pearl Harbor to gain military control of the Western Pacific • By 1942 the Japanese had gained control of Hong Kong, Malaya, and Singapore (England) and the East Indies (Dutch)

The Philippines • 1942 - 76, 000 Americans and Filipinos running low on ammo and food surrendered to the Japanese • Gen. Mac. Arthur said “I shall return” as he left the Philippines • Bataan Death March- POWs were forced to march 60 miles to the railroad junction. They were denied water, some were beaten and tortured. 10, 000 prisoners died. Many were executed.

Rules of War • Geneva convention- The international standards of conduct toward prisoners of war.

War in the Pacific • Battle of the Coral Sea- 1942 the American Navy engaged a superior Japanese fleet in the Coral Sea. The battle was a draw, but it prevented the Japanese from invading Australia • New naval warfare, first naval battle carried out entirely by aircraft. Aircraft and aircraft carriers played a central role in navel battles.

Allied take the offensive • Battle of Midway- June 4, 1942 - A battle fought entirely from the air. American planes surprised Japanese carriers and sank four of them. • This was devastating to the Japanese navy. After the battle, Japan was unable to launch any more offensive operations in the Pacific • Turning point of the war.

Battle of Guadalcanal • Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands • 1942 - 11, 000 Marines landed on the island. They fought the Japanese in “jungle warfare”. Allies conquered their first Japanese controlled territory. • Island hopping- a military strategy of selectively attacking specific enemy-held islands and bypassed others. This allowed the Americans to move quickly to Japan.

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Island Hopping • Island hopping- a military strategy of selectively attacking specific enemy-held islands and bypassed others. This allowed the Americans to move quickly to Japan. • Gen. Mac. Aurthur- leader of the Allied Navy • 1944 - Allied troops moved towards Japan. They decided to retake the Philippines.

The Philippines • 160, 000 American troops invaded the Philippines. More than 280 warships engaged in a three-day battle. • 80, 000 Japanese defended the Philippines, only 1, 000 surrendered.

Kamikazes • Kamikazes- Suicide planes. Pilots loaded their planes with bombs and the deliberately crashed into US ships.

Iwo Jima • 700 miles from Japan • 1945 - 110, 000 American troops fought 25, 000 Japanese. • America won the battle • 216 Japanese surrendered

Battle of Okinawa • 350 miles from Japan • 100, 000 Japanese troops willing to fight to the death • 180, 000 GIs • The battle had nearly 2, 000 Kamikaze attacks against the Allies • Banzai charges- attacks where soldiers tried to kill as many of the enemy as possible until they are killed

Manhattan Project • A top secret program to develop an atomic bomb. • Reasons for Dropping the Bomb 1. Invasion of Japan expected to cost 1 million Allied casualties 2. The bomb would allow for the unconditional surrender of Japan

Hiroshima and Nagasaki • Hiroshima August 6, 1945 - 80, 000 died • 90% of the city was destroyed • Nagasaki August 9, 1945 the Allies dropped another atom bomb • August 14, 1945 Japan surrendered • VJ Day- “Victory Japan”