World War II

Major Events

A Quick Review

  • Germany invaded several European countries
  • Japan attacked Pearl Harbor
  • The United States declared war on Germany and Japan
  • Japan and Germany declared war on the United States
  • World War II battles took place in two places at once – in Europe and in the Pacific.

WAR IN EUROPE

Allies Take North Africa and Italy

  • President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill agree to take out Germany in North Africa first. They are successful.
  • Next they launch an attack onSicily.
  • Finally they take out the Nazi’sin Italy. Now Germany stands alone in Europe.
  • Mussolini is captured and executed while attempting to escape from Italy.

D-Day

  • On June 6, 1944, the Allied troops invaded Normany, France to liberate the Western part of Europe fromGerman control.
  • This was the war’s largest sea invasion -known as D-Day.
  • Suprised the Germans; the Allies won.
  • On August 25, 1944 Allied forces freed Paris.

Battle of the Bulge

  • In December 1944 Hitler tried one more huge attack – The Battle of the Bulge.
  • The Allies finally defeated (beat) the Germans.

Yalta Conference

  • By February 1945, the Germans were losing ground everywhere.
  • The three Allied leaders, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin met at a conference in the Soviet Union called the Yalta Conference.

New President

  • In April 1945 just months after being sworn into his 4th term of Presidency, President Rooseveltdied and Harry Truman was sworn in as the President.
  • He continued effort.

Soviets take over Berlin

  • In late April 1945, the Russians the German capitol city of Berlin.
  • Hitler sensed the end of the war was near, so on April 30, 1945 Hitler (the man who conquered much of Europe) committed suicide (killed himself)

Victory in Europe

  • The Allies declared May 8, 1945, V-E Day (Victory of Europe Day).
  • The War in Europe was finally over.

WAR IN THE PACIFIC

Japan Expands its Empire

  • As Japan was attacking Pearl Harbor its military was attacking other countries throughout Asia.
  • They did not stop there – they eventually controlled lands throughout Southeast Asia.

Air Combat

  • The war was being fought by land, sea, and air.
  • In May of 1942, the U.S. Navy clashed (fought) with Japanese forces.
  • Enemy ships fought a battle without seeing each other.
  • War planes were used and the battle was won in the air.

The Allies Turn the Tide at Midway

  • The turning point to the War in the Pacific was with the Battle of Midway in June 1942.
  • The Americans the four day battle fought betweenairplanes based on carriers (ships).
  • The U.S. took control of the central Pacific.
  • The battle was won, but the war not over.

After Midway

  • Fighting moved from air to land fighting
  • The Americans captured islands to use them to attack closer to Japan.
  • Americans captured Japanese islands Okinawa and Iwo Jima.

Kamikaze’s

  • The Japanese took to a new way of fighting.
  • Fighters called kamikaze’s were pilots who volunteered for these suicidal missions.
  • Even kamikaze’s could not stop the Allied Advances.

Japan would not Surrender

  • Japanese continued to fight even after the war in Europewas over.
  • Allies were winning in the Pacific, but the Japanese would still not surrender.

Atomic Weapons Ends the Pacific War

  • The Americans were working on a top secret to build an atomic bomb.
  • President Truman told Japan that if it surrender it would face destruction.
  • Japanese refused to surrender.
  • President Truman had a difficult decision to make – either kill thousands of Japanese civilians with the atomic bomb or have more than 200,000 America soldiers killed on a land raid of Japan.

Atomic Bomb Dropped on Hiroshima

  • On August 6, 1945, the B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima.
  • Over 70,000 people were killed.
  • Still the Japanese refused to surrender.

Atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki

  • On August 9, 1945, the United States dropped a second atomic bomb on another Japanese city called Nagasaki.
  • That bomb killed another 40,000 civilians.

Japan surrenders.

  • On August 14, 1945, Japan surrendered ending the war in the Pacific.
  • This officially brings an end to World War II.