major themes and events of world war ii · early stages of the war in europe and north africa ......

MAJOR THEMES AND EVENTS

OF WORLD WAR II

Here we go.

September 1939 to 1942

Early Stages: Europe and North Africa


I. Early Stages of the War in Europe and North Africa (September 1939 –mid 1942)

A. German and Soviet Conquests in 1939 (based on their agreement)

1. In September, the Nazi Blitzkrieg (“lightning war”) resulted in a total takeover of western Poland within a few weeks.

*. Britain and France could not mobilize fast enough to save Poland from Nazi takeover

2. The Soviet Union also took over some territory

a. Soviet Troops occupied the eastern half of Poland

b. The Soviet Union also established military bases (and control) over Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania

Map of German and Soviet invasion of Poland, 1939.

Destruction of Warsaw after German blitzkrieg.


c. Finland resisted Stalin’s attempts at setting up military bases there, so a brief conflict resulted (which the USSR won by early 1940)

B. The “Sitzkrieg” or “Phony War” of September 1939 – April 1940

1. After the takeover of Poland, the Germans, as well as the British and French waited

2. In Early April, 1940 the British Navy took steps to protect Norway from German takeover (and prevent trading with Germany) by mining its waters


*. Using this action to (falsely) claim that the Allies were going to attack Scandinavia, Hitler issued an ultimatum to both Norway and Denmark to accept Germany’s “protection” or else be considered an enemy.

a. Denmark accepted (and was occupied on April 9, 1940)

b. Norway refused

C. Massive Attacks in Western Europe by the Germans begin in April and May, 1940

1. On April 9, the German army enacted a Blitzkrieg attack on Norway (conquered in 1 day)

*. Soon after this, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain stepped down

Note that he is unaccompanied by guards. King Christian was a symbol of

national sovereignty and resistance during the German occupation.

King Christian X rides through the streets of Denmark in 1940.


2. On May 10, the German forces enacted Blitzkrieg attacks on the “Low Countries” and quickly moved toward France

a. The Netherlands – it took 5 days for Germany to conquer Holland

*. This is the first large-scale paratrooper assault in military history

b. Luxembourg

c. Belgium – in spite of the presence of French and British troops in Belgium, the German forces were quickly victorious

*. On this same date, Winston Churchill became the new British Prime Minister

Churchill, shortly after becoming Prime Minister.


3. By May the German army had pushed the French, British and Belgian armies into the Northwestern French port of Dunkirk

a. For one reason or another– possibly weather-- Hitler ordered his army to stop

b. This allowed the massive evacuation of many the Allied soldiers from Dunkirk to Great Britain on May 26, 1940

4. By June of 1940, France surrendered to Germany and was divided

a. Germany officially occupied the Atlantic coast and Northern France

Some troops stood in chest-high water for hours, trying to flee the shore and reach

the rescue vessels. Others, like the soldiers pictured above, created make-shift

bridges out of lifeboats to reach safety.

British troops evacuating at Dunkirk.


b. The Germans set-up a separate, puppet country in Southern France, known as Vichy France (because its capital was the city of Vichy)

*. Its president was Henri Petain, a French military leader

c. Not all French people supported this situation or ceased fighting

1. The French Resistance, a secretive group of “underground” fighters continued to fight against German occupation throughout the war

2. A “Free French” government, led by Field Martial Charles de Gaulle, a French tank commander, was headquartered in Great Britain

Looks like a Tarantino movie, yeah?

Women of the French Resistance.

Map of Occupied France and the Vichy Government.

Petain, the leader of Vichy France, shaking hands with Hitler.


D. America helped, but remained neutral (for now) – In 1940, Congress approved two policies to help Great Britain hold out against Germany

1. Cash-and-carry Policy – Great Britain traded cash for American food and war materials and were responsible for transporting the goods themselves

2. Lend-Lease Act – Congress passed a law allowing the president to directly “loan” supplies and war materials to any country whose protection was deemedimportant to the preservation of the USA

*. In August, 1941, Great Britain and the USA signed the Atlantic Charter, which called for an end to “Nazi tyranny”

Yep. Dr. Seuss was ALL about politics. And he had some serious racial prejudices,

too. (But he changes! Dr. Seuss redeems himself, I promise.) Hang in there long

enough, and I’ll ruin Horton Hears a Who and Cat in the Hat for you as well.

Political cartoon by Theodor Geisel critiquing U.S. isolationist policy.

Geisel encourages U.S. support for the Allies in Europe.

Dr. Seuss didn’t pull his punches.

Text: “…and the Wolf chewed up the children and spit out their

bones… But those were Foreign Children and it really didn’t matter.”


E. The Battle of Britain

1. Hitler quickly began making plans to invade Great Britain

*. In order to successfully invade Britain, Hitler decided that he needed to

1. gain air superiority over the English Channel and Britain itself

2. soften-up British defenses and cities

2. Hitler and Goering’s strategies and the air war over Britain (August – November, 1940)

a. First Stage – Bombing of the southern coast of England

*. Only resulted in minor losses for the British

Civilian volunteer watching the skies above London.

German bombers flying over the Channel.

Spitfires flying over the British countryside.


b. Second Stage - Direct aerial attacks on the Royal Air Force

*. Resulted in heavier losses for the Luftwaffe.

c. Third Stage – massive night bombings of British Cities

(especially London)

*. Results – much of London damaged, but British

resistance and spirit strengthened

*. Overall result: German failure to gain air superiority

and Britain was never invaded

Everybody likes propaganda, right?

Video clip.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/focuson/film/film-archive/archive.asp?catID=2&subCatID=7

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/focuson/film/film-archive/archive.asp?catID=2&subCatID=7


F. War in Southern Europe

1. In October, 1940 Mussolini ordered his troops into Greece

a. The Greeks managed to successfully hold off the Italians

b. Britain sent in troops to assist the Greeks in early 1941

2. The German Army managed to conquer Hungary and Romania in 1940 and Bulgaria in 1941

3. Realizing that the Italians failure in Greece posed a risk to his conquests in Southern Europe, Hitler sent in the German Army

*. Greece and Yugoslavia were conquered by Germany by April, 1941


G. War in North Africa

1. In December, 1940, British forces attacked the Italians in Libya

2. Realizing that the Italians needed help, Hitler sent tank divisions (later called the Afrika Korps) led by General Erwin Rommel

a. The Germans pushed the British forces out of Libya by April, 1941

b. The Afrika Korps managed to push the British forces into Egypt and win several battles there through May of 1942

*. Rommel earned the nickname “The Desert Fox” because of this

Rommel (left) on the North African campaign.


H. The German Battleship, the Bismarck, was sunk by British ships in May, 1941 (which eventually helped the allies gain naval superiority)

I. Operation Barbarossa (Germany’s Invasion of The USSR)

1. On June 22, 1941, breaking the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, Hitler ordered his forces into the Soviet Union

*. Within a few days, the invading German forces had pretty much destroyed the Soviet air force and captured 1/2 million Soviet soldiers

2. Stalin quickly ordered his army to undertake the patented Russian Scorched-Earth Policy (the same one that worked on Napoleon)

The Bismarck (before).

The Bismarck (after).

Idea, very bad.

See Russia, invasion of. (Also cross-referenced under Napoleon.)

Map of the German invasion of the USSR.

Soviet town engulfed in flames in advance of German troops.


3. By November, 1941:

a. The Germans had control of about 40% of the Soviet population

b. Had advanced to within striking distance of Moscow

c. Had captured or laid siege to several cities (including Kiev and Leningrad)

4. By December, 1941, the fierce Russian winter and the Soviet resistance began to take its toll on the German army (which began to retreat from the Moscow area)

5. By the Summer of 1942, the German army was on the advance again in Southern Russia

*. The Germans began the battle of Stalingrad in August, 1942

Soldiers during the winter of 1941.

Soviet troops use the ruins of a building as cover at Stalingrad.

December 1941 to 1942

Early Stages of War in the Pacific

Early Stages: Pacific

II. Early Stages of the War in The Pacific (December 1941 – Mid 1942)

A. Lead in to War

1. As you may recall, the Japanese and Americans were growing hostile towards one another

a. When Japan finally invaded part of French Indochina in 1940, the USA placed a trade embargo on the sale of metal to Japan

b. Japan responded by signing the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy on September 27, 1940 – which was a mutual protection Agreement

Japanese forces move into Saigon.


2. Japanese forces invaded the southern part of Indochina in July 1941, the USA took more drastic measures

a. Froze Japanese assets in the United States

b. Placed an embargo on the sale of oil to Japan

3. By late 1941, negotiations between Japan and the USA had reached a halt

a. The Japanese had secretly planned on attacking the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in order to cripple American presence and allow Japan to more freely take over territory in Southeast Asia and the Pacific

b. Thinking that the Japanese may attack Southeast Asia, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered many of the US Pacific fleet to leave Pearl Harbor

Text: “Gimme some kerosene, some excelsior and a blow torch. Ma

wants to bake a cake.”


B. Pearl Harbor attacked on December 7, 1941

1. In a 25-minute surprise aerial attack (launched from aircraft carriers), the USA lost 19 ships, 188 airplanes, and about 2400 men

2. The next day, the USA declared war on Japan

3. On December 11, Italy and Germany declared war on the USA

4. Many Latin American nations quickly followed suit and declared war on the Axis powers (for some reason Costa Rica was the first to do so)

Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941.

View of the attack on Pearl Harbor from Japanese plane.

The USS Arizona explodes.


C. Early Battles and Actions in the Pacific Theatre

1. By the spring of 1942, the Japanese had taken over Burma, Thailand, French Indochina, Malaysia, The Dutch East Indies, the Philippines, and several small island groups in the Pacific

a. The Japanese referred to all of their controlled territories as the Great East-Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

b. In spite of initial joy about being “liberated” by the Japanese, the people of these conquered places soon are dominated and mistreated by the Japanese

2. Two Major Naval Battles between the Allies and Japan in the South Pacific in 1942 – both serve to end Japanese Naval superiority

a. May 1942 - The Battle of the Coral Sea

b. June 1942 – The Battle of Midway

Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere

1942 to 1945

Later Stages: Europe and North Africa


III. Later Stages of the War in Europe and North Africa (mid 1942 –May 1945)

A. The tide turns in the USSR

1. In September 1942, the Soviet forces launched a counteroffensive at Stalingrad

2. By February 1943, German forces at Stalingrad, damaged by the Russian winter and the Soviet counterattack, surrendered

a. Overall, the Germans had 180,000 men killed or captured

b. Many historians see Stalingrad as the major turning point of WWII

Soviet medic works while the battle continues.

German helmets discarded in the snow.

Soviet soldier waving the flag of the USSR at Stalingrad.


B. The tide turns in Northern Africa

1. In July 1942, the British army, led by General Bernard Montgomery, defeated the German Afrika Korps at El Alamein, Egypt

2. The British then launched a major counteroffensive against the Afrika Korps in October and November 1942, pushing the Germans out of Egypt

3. Operation Torch and the Pincers Strategy

a. Operation Torch – the Americans landed in Vichy French-held Morocco and Algeria in November 1942 in order to advance on the Afrika Korps from the West

Map of Operation Torch.


1. Initially, the Americans were met with heavy resistance by the Vichy French defenders

2. Later that month, the American commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, made a deal with Francois Darlan, the military governor of (Vichy) French North Africa

a. The Americans would support Darlan’s rule in North Africa

b. Darlan’s forces would offer no more resistance

c. With this treaty in place, De Gaulle and the Free French forces arrived in North Africa to fight with the Americans

3. The Americans and Free French continued their move eastward


b. The Pincers Strategy – The Afrika Korps would be enveloped and attacked from the West by the Americans and Free French as well as the British from the East

1. By January 1943, Montgomery and the British army in North Africa had captured Tripoli, Libya and continued their advance Westward into Tunisia

2. The advancing Americans defeated the Germans at the KasserinePass in northwestern Tunisia in February 1943

3. In May 1943, the Germans were defeated by the combined Allied forces in North Africa


C. The Casablanca Conference of January, 1943

1. This was a meeting in Morocco of Allied

military and political leaders (including

Roosevelt, Churchill, and De Gaulle) to decide

upon strategy for continuing the war

2. Major decision - Invade Sicily to put pressure

on Mussolini and Hitler

Giraud, Roosevelt, de Gaulle, and Churchill at the Casablanca Conference.


D. The Allies invaded Sicily in July and August 1943

1. Mussolini removed from power and Italy switched sides King Vittorio

Emmanuele III removed Mussolini from his position as Prime Minister and

had him imprisoned in northern Italy

*. Hitler later sent in commandos and rescued Mussolini – setting

him up as the puppet leader of an Axis controlled portion of

northern Italy

2. The new Prime Minister, Pietro Badoglio dissolved the Fascist Party

and signed a surrender agreement with the Allied forces on September

3, 1943

Pietro Badoglio

German soldiers and Mussolini (in black) after the rescue.

A rain-soaked Mussolini reviews the troops after his rescue.

…Yes, madam, I am finished. My star has fallen. I have no fight left in me. I work and

I try, yet I know that all is but a farce… I await the end of the tragedy and– strangely

detached from everything– I do not feel any more an actor. I feel I am the last of the

spectators.”

“Seven years ago, I was an interesting person. Now, I am little more

than a corpse…


2. Also on September 3, 1943 Allied forces arrived in mainland Italy

3. The Germans quickly occupied Rome (causing the Italian King and

Prime Minister to flee to the south of Italy)

4. The Allied forces advanced northward towards Rome

E. Two Allied Conferences in Late 1943

1. The Cairo Conference (November 22-26, 1943)

a. Roosevelt and Churchill met with Chinese leader Chang

Kai-shek (Jiang Jieshi)

Canadian forces advance in Italy.

Allied soldiers in Rome.

Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-shek), Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill.

Cairo Conference


b. The major decisions were to

1. Strip Japan of all of its territorial gains after

the war was over

2. Elevate China to a position of greatness and

power on the world stage after the war

2. The Tehran Conference (November 28 – December 1, 1943)

a. Roosevelt and Churchill met with Stalin

b. The major decisions


1. Launch Operation Overlord – the invasion of the

European mainland across the English Channel through

France

2. Soviet forces would advance towards Germany

3. Once Germany was eliminated from the war, the USSR

would join the fight against Japan

F. By Late May and Early June, 1944 the Allies had “liberated”

most of Italy (including Rome) From German control

Josef Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill.

Tehran Conference


G. Operation Overlord and D-Day

1. In the Spring of 1944, Allied forces trained in Britain for a massive

invasion of Northern France

2. On June 6, 1944, Allied forces landed in Normandy (in Northern

France) and attacked German fortifications there - - This is D-Day

a. Using their victory in Normandy as a stronghold, the

Allied forces began a major offensive designed to “liberate”

France and advance into Germany

Map of the “Atlantic Wall,” 1942-1944

German defenses along the Normandy coast.

Map of the Allied invasion force for Operation Overlord

Australian soldiers carrying an inflatable tank.

Dummy aircraft.

American soldier and member of the French resistance.

American soldiers approaching Omaha beach.

Canadian forces landing at Juno beach on D-Day.

Landing forces move onto the beach under heavy fire.

Notice the barrage balloons and columns of supply trucks forming on the beach.

Tank landing ships unloading supplies on Omaha Beach

Map of the eastward push of Allied troops.


1. On August 25, 1944 Allied forces (led by the Free

French) entered Paris - France was “liberated”

H. The Soviet Advance in Eastern Europe in 1944

1. Simultaneous to the British/French/American advance in

Italy, the Soviets had launched an offensive in the East

2. By the Summertime, Soviet forces had recaptured all

Soviet territory and had advanced into Eastern Europe

towards Germany

Liberation of Paris, 1944.

American soldiers celebrating in Paris, 1944.


I. The Battle of the Bulge (December 1944 – January 1945)

1. In order to try to stop the Allied advance from the

West, Hitler ordered an offensive on the center of the

advancing Allied line

*. This created a “bulge” in the line

2. After months of heavy fighting, the Allies stopped the

German advance in Belgium and continued their advance

towards Germany

Map of the Battle of the Bulge.


J. The Yalta Conference of February 1945

1. Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin met at the Soviet Black Sea port of

Yalta, on the Crimean Peninsula, to discuss postwar Europe

2. The major decisions

a. Germany and Berlin would be divided into four zones of

occupation-- American, British, French, and Soviet

b. The USSR would declare war on Japan - - and would get

some Japanese territory at the end of the War in return

Yalta Conference


c. Stalin agreed to hold free elections in Eastern Europe

*. Stalin would soon break this promise

d. The Soviet Union allowed to keep the eastern part of

Poland

*. Poland would be given part of Germany at the

end of the War

*. This meeting set the stage for the Cold War

K. Germany was invaded from both sides in March 1945

Soviet soldiers celebrate over the ruins of the city.


1. As both forces moved through German-held territories, they

“liberated” the concentration/death camps - - many troops did not

realize what had been happening until they got to the camps.

2. Soviet and American troops met-up at the Elbe river in April, 1945

a. Hitler killed himself in his bunker in Berlin on April 30,

1945

3. V-E Day - On May 7, 1945 Germany surrendered (celebrated

May 8)

Notice that the camps become more frequent further to the east, and that the

majority of the extermination camps are in Polish territory.

Map of Concentration and Extermination Camps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3SCSouI8WE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3SCSouI8WE

1942 to August 1945

Later Stages of the War: Pacific

Later Stages: The Pacific

IV. Later Stages of the War in The Pacific (mid 1942 – August 1945)

A. In August 1942, the Allies began their “leapfrog” campaign to

liberate Japanese-held islands in the Pacific and move closer to

Japan

1. Guadalcanal (August 1942 – January 1943) – The

Americans undertook a ground offensive and a naval

bombardment

2. From 1942 – 1944, New Guinea was the site of many

battles between Allied and Japanese forces


3. In November 1943, the Allies resumed their island hopping campaign by

attacking the Solomon and Gilbert Islands

a. Famous battle – Battle of Tarawa

b. New warfare strategies by both sides start at about this time

1. Americans utilized submarine warfare to sink Japanese

military and merchant vessels

2. Japanese pilots began their Kamikaze attacks on Allied

ships

Japanese Kamikaze pilots.

Casualties at Tarawa atoll.

American forces and tank in the Solomon Islands, 1944.

Casualties at Guadalcanal on the Solomon Islands.


4. In February 1944, the Allies advanced into the Marshall Islands

5. In the Summer of 1944, the Allies advanced into the Mariana Islands

a. Famous Islands in this group – Guam and Saipan

b. With the capture of Saipan, the Allies now had a base that was in

range for its bombers to strike Japan, which the Americans

immediately began to do

6. In September 1944, the Allies advanced on Peleliu in the Palau Islands


B. Further advances and attacks on Japan

1. Throughout the course of the War in the Pacific, the

Japanese army fought against the Chinese forces

(supplied by the Allies) - - this served to further weaken

the Japanese forces

2. By February 1945, after months of fighting, the

Philippines were recaptured by Allied forces

*. This allowed the Americans to more easily and

quickly bomb Japanese cities and military targets


3. Tokyo was firebombed by American bombers in March 1945

4. Two key islands close to Japan were captured by Allied forces

a. Iwo Jima in February 1945

b. Okinawa in April 1945

5. Fighting in Burma (now known as Myanmar)

a. In order to supply the Chinese forces fighting against Japan, the Allies built

a road across the Himalayas – completed in January 1945

b. After months of fighting, combined American, British (including Indian

colonial soldiers), and Chinese troops captured Rangoon in May 1945

Aerial photograph of firebombed Japanese city.

U.S. Marines landing at Iwo Jima.

Marines raise the American flag on Iwo Jima.


C. The Potsdam Conference of July 1945

1. Meeting of the Allied Leaders

a. Stalin met with the leaders of Great Britain and the USA

b. Two new leaders:

1. Harry Truman, who replaced Roosevelt after his death

in April

2. Clement Atlee, who replaced Churchill as Prime

Minister due to parliamentary elections in July

2. Main Decision – Demand the unconditional surrender of Japan


D. The End of the War in the Pacific

1. Japan refused to surrender

2. President Truman had two choices

a. Ground invasion of Japan (probably

resulting in heavy casualties for both

sides)

b. Use the Atom Bomb (to hopefully end

the War more quickly)


3. Two Japanese cities Atom Bombed in 1945

a. Hiroshima on August 6

b. Nagasaki on August 9

4. Japan surrendered on August 14, 1945

*. V-J Day celebrated by Allies on

September 2 – that is the day that the

peace treaty was signed on the deck of

the USS Missouri

Mushroom cloud over Hiroshima, Japan.

A man surveys the remains of Nagasaki.

Signing of the surrender documents on board the USS Missouri.

Japanese soldiers surrender their rifles.

Sailors at Pearl Harbor listen as the news of Japan’s surrender comes

across the radio.

Crowds gather in Times Square to celebrate V-J Day.

The celebrations get a little – personal.

Rise of the Cold War.

Immediate Aftermath

Immediate Aftermath

V. The Immediate Aftermath of the War

A. 55 million soldiers and civilians dead worldwide

B. War Crimes Trials for German, Japanese and Italian leaders

*. The most famous - - The Nuremberg trials

C. Origins of the Cold War

1. Germany divided

2. Eastern Europe dominated by the USSR

Immediate Aftermath

D. Japan occupied and weakened

1. Japan had a new constitution in 1947

a. Emperor had to renounce his divine status

b. The Diet was made into a totally representative parliament

c. The cabinet was reformed – modeled after that of Great Britain

d. A bill of rights passed protecting all Japanese people

e. Japan was (and still is) not allowed to have a military

2. Japanese agriculture and industry privatized

*. Japanese economic recovery was very swift – thanks to

millions of dollars of funding from the USA

major themes and events of world war ii · early stages of the war in europe and north africa ......

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