World War II

World War II• World War II began on September 1, 1939 When Nazi Germany lead by Adolph

Hitler invaded Poland

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8dW3zSd4EAGermany Invades Poland-France and Britain Declares War - YouTube

• Allies- Great Britain, France, and Russia and later the United States• Axis Powers- Germany, Italy, and Japan

• Russia would begin the war on the side of the Axis Powers

• After conquering Poland Germany attacked Belgium, Holland, and France and by the end of 1940 controlled all of mainland Europe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jS7-dWwio8 Belgium and Holland invaded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkVpDbMpf0c France invaded

Goes to War• The United States entered World War II

December 8, 1941

• This happened after Japan bombed pearl harbor on December 7, 1941

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK8gYGg0dkE Declaration of War Speech

The U.S. also declared war on Germany and Italy on December 11, 1941

D-Day• On June 6, 1944 the Allies lead by the U.S. invaded

Normandy, France in the first effort to take back Europe

http://www.army.mil/d-day/slideshow.html Pictures from Normandy

• This attack was planned and lead by ally general and Texan Dwight D. Eisenhower

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEyCjN9riiY Eisenhower’s speech

• This attack was the beginning of the allies starting to win the war

• After D-day Germany would have no more major military victories

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pySPScgw-OQ D-day newsreel

Victory in Europe• The Soviet Union, United States, and Great Britain slowly pushed toward Germany

in order to capture Berlin

• In April of 1945 allied forces had entered Germany

• In May of 1945, with Hitler dead, Germany would be forced to surrender

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sizo0APsLkY Churchill announces surrender

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Znbr23RQ7o The War is Over

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyyUjyOIITk Russian celebration parade

U.S. in the Pacific• On June 4-7, 1942 just six months after Pearl Harbor the U.S. won its first major battle

in the Pacific capturing Midway Island

• This is considered to be the turning point in the Pacific during World War II

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqzu7MGIWMw Battle of Midway

• By March of 1945 the U.S. controlled the Pacific except the mainland of Japan

• On August 6, 1945 an airplane named the Enola Gay dropped the first ever atomic bomb, Little Boy, on the Japanese city of Hiroshima

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t19kvUiHvAE first A-bomb

• On August 9, 1945 the second atom bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki • These two attacks would force the Japanese emperor to surrender thus ending World War II

World War II Ends• On August 15, 1945 the Japanese surrendered bringing an end to the 7 year world war

• The official surrender was signed aboard the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcjwtTHdAZI&feature=related Truman read surrender

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkXh6Ke15WM surrender papers are signed

Texans in World War II• Over 30 Texans would receive the highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor

• The most decorated soldier of WWII was Audie Murphy form Farmersville, Texas who received 33 military awards for his bravery in Europe

• Johnnie Hutchins also received the Medal of Honor for steering a ship out of the way of an oncoming Torpedo, he died still holding onto the steering wheel

• African American and Texan Doris Miller manned a machine gun at Pearl Harbor and was later killed in action

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PstvNQVP3Zk Audie Murphy Interview