The War for Europe and North Africa (Ch. 17, Sec. 2) - part 1

How did the US and Britain plan win back Europe?

• After Pearl Harbor, Germany tried to cut off 3,000 mile supply line from US to Europe using their submarines

• Roosevelt (US) & Churchill (Britain) devised a war plan to defeat Axis Powers

• Allies used convoy system (battleships-sonar and planes-radar) to escort ships across Atlantic

• By 1943, the US was building about 140 Liberty ships each month

• Allies planned all-out attack of France from across the British Channel

Why was the Battle of Stalingrad so important to the Allied effort?

• Allies needed to protect Stalingrad (major industrial city) & the oil fields in the Caucasus Mountains

• By end of Sept. 1942, Germany controlled most of Stalingrad (bombed out)

• But Winter set in & the Soviet army launched a counterattack (cut supply lines & trapped the Germans)

• Despite loss of 1 million Soviet men, the victory marked a turning point in the war

What happened in the fighting to liberate North Africa and defeat Italy?

• General Rommel and his Afrika Corps (tanks) had taken firm control of North Africa

• Under Eisenhower, the Allies were able to defeat Rommel & take North Africa

• In Italy, Allied troops took Sicily (Mussolini was arrested) & the Italian army gave up fighting

• However, Germany fought the Allies in a bloody battle at Anzio to hold control of Italy

The War for Europe and North Africa (Ch. 17, Sec. 2) - part 2

How did the Allies plan to take back control of France?

• The Allies decided on a massive land assault to take back France from German control

• Germany had controlled France since 1940, & had set up concrete fortifications along coast

• Germany knew an attack was coming, but did not know where the Allies would strike

• The Allies set up a huge dummy base that fooled the Germans & allowed surprise attack

How did the Allies finally liberate Europe from German control?

• The D-Day invasion included a large force of paratroopers landing behind enemy lines

• Then, a massive army attacked by crossing the English Channel & landing on France’s coast

• Omar Bradley’s men cleared a gap in the German defense, allowing the Allies to break out

• This allowed George Patton and his 3rd Army to liberate Paris from the Germans

How did the Allies finally liberate Europe from German control? (cont’d)

• By Sept. 1944, France, Belgium, & Luxemburg were freed from German control

• Hitler attempted to divide the Allied forces at Battle of the Bulge (German tanks pushed into Allied territory)

• After heavy losses (600 tanks, 1,600 planes), the Germans were forced to retreat

• On May 8, 1945 the Germans surrendered & their death camps were discovered