When the U.S. entered WW2 in late 1941, victory seemed remote

Germany controlled almost all of Europe

Axis armies controlled

Northern Africa & threatened

the Suez Canal

Germany pressed into Russia

Japan dominated the western half of the Pacific Ocean

But…over the next 2 years, the U.S. & the Allies began to win the wars in Europe & the Pacific

Europe 1941-1943

To win the European campaign, 2 different plans were proposed

The U.S. wanted to attack across Nazi-controlled France by 1943

England wanted to attack Italy from Northern Africa in 1942

In 1942, U.S.-Anglo troops began the Italian campaign

& Stalin was ANGRYIn 1943, the Soviet army won at Stalingrad; Germany was never again on the offensive

USSR “freed” Poland, Hungary, Romania

The Allies began to win the Battle of the Atlantic in 1941 with Lend-Lease aid, but took control in 1943

with America’s entry into the war

Tehran Conference, 1943■ 1943: FDR, Churchill, Stalin met in Tehran,

Iran for 1st of 3 wartime conferences:

– US, UK, USSR coordinated war strategy

– FDR & Churchill committed to Stalin’s demands to open a western front (D-Day)

– Discussed plans to create a “general intl org” to promote “peace & security” (UN)

By agreeing to “Operation Overlord” (D-Day), Allies would divide Axis

military across two fronts

FDR proposed future UN dominated by 4 “policemen” (US/UK/China/USSR) w/power to “deal immediately with any sudden emergency”

Long-awaited 2nd front came on June 6,

1944 with D-Day

US/UK/Can troops landed at 5 strategic points

Europe 1944-1945

Yalta Conference – Feb 1945 ■ “Big 3” met at Yalta (modern Ukraine)

to discuss post-war Europe:

–Stalin refused to give up E Euro but did agree to “self-determination”

–Stalin agreed to send troops to Pacific after the G surrender if they could keep Manchuria

Soon after the Yalta Conference in Feb 1945, FDR died…and Harry Truman became president

In late April 1945, the Allies broke through the Eastern & Western Fronts forcing both

Italy & Germany to surrender

The Doolittle Raid on Tokyo on April 18, 1942 was a morale boost

U.S. victory at Midway in 1942 gave the Allies naval supremacy

“Island-hopping” allowed the Allies to win strategic islands without investing precious

time, resources, & American lives

The Japanese refused to play by according to the Geneva Convention “rules” of war

Victories at Saipan in 1944 & Iwo Jima & Okinawa in 1945 allowed for bombings on Japan

The German surrender in May 1945, allowed US to turn its full attention towards Japan

The Decision to Drop the A-Bomb■ With no definitive end it sight, how

would Allies defeat Japan?–US military favored full-scale

invasion of Tokyo by 1946–Japanese refused to surrender &

armed civilians for Allied invasion –Potsdam Conference (July 1945):

Truman gave the order to use the atomic bomb

Enrico Fermi at the University of Chicago

Triumph & Tragedy in the Pacific■Aug 1945: US dropped 2 atomic

bombs – Hiroshima & Nagasaki■Effect of the A-bomb:

–Saved hundreds of thousands of US (& Japanese) lives?

–Revenge for Pearl Harbor –Showed USSR that US had

ultimate weapon•Began Cold War arms race

HiroshimaNagasaki

It’s Finally Over!

Conclusions■ WW2 was largest & deadliest war in

history & changed the US

–War industry ended Great Depression, expanded size of federal gov & ushered in affluent decade

–US emerged as world superpower, developed a nuclear arsenal & engaged a Cold War against USSR