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Lesson 1 War in Africa and Europe
Lesson 1 worksheet
The first plan of attack for the Allies began in North Africa to drive the Axis powers out of North Africa and the Middle East. This would allow them to secure the Mediterranean Sea, which was vital for the movement of resources from the Middle East to the Allies in Europe.
Operation Torch was the plan, in which the American Forces were led by Dwight D. Eisenhower, helped to sandwich the Germans African corps (under the leadership of Erwin Rommel) between themselves and the British.
Following the year long attempt to remove the Axis from North Africa, the Allies began for the invasion of Europe. Thinking Italy was vulnerable, the Allies invaded Sicily (Operation Husky) hoping to take Italy since Benito Mussolini had been capture. However, Hitler redirected German troops, rescued Mussolini and the fight for Italy slowed down.
While fighting was under way in North Africa, the Russians were in the thick of battle against the Germans. The German army was racing through the Soviet Union killing everyone in their path. However, the were defeated in their attempt to take Moscow. However, they were not deterred. In August of 1942, the German army becomes entrenched at Stalingrad and for the next five months, the Battle of Stalingrad is fought. During the battle, the Germans were not prepared for the cold winters and were running low on supplies. After five months the German army surrendered. This became a turning point in the War in Europe. From this point on, the German never regained their superiority.
While the sluggish fighting for Italy was underway, the Allies were planning for the invasion of Europe. Dwight D. Eisenhower had been named Supreme Allied Commander in Europe and devised the plan to liberate France then the rest of Europe. Operation Overlord was the code name for the invasion of Normandy.
D Day, June 6, 1944, was the largest amphibious landing ever undertaken. Over 175,000 men landed on the beaches of Normandy (Omaha, Utah, Juno, Gold, and Sword). The D Day invasion was the launching point for the liberation of France and the rest of Europe. Had Hitler not overslept or had Rommel not been in Berlin, the outcome could have been much different.
Following the success of the D Day invasion, the Allies gained a foothold in France on their way to Berlin. As a result of the success in Europe, FDR is elected to an unprecedented fourth term as President.
Despite the mounting German losses, they managed one last major offensive in the Battle of Bulge (December, 1944 to January 1945). Catching the Allied lines off guard, the Germans advanced in the Ardenne Forests and managed to trap Allied forces. However, General George S. Patton brought the US 3rd Army from the south of France and forced the Germans to retreat. From there, Patton and his army became the first Allied soldiers to enter Germany and the race to reach Berlin was on.
Unfortunately, President FDR did not get to see the end of the war. On April 12, 1945, FDR died and his Vice President, Harry S. Truman, sees to the end of the war and the surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945, which became known as V-E Day (Victory in Europe).
As the Allies entered Germany, they discovered one of the worst atrocities ever found - the victims of the Nazis concentration camps. The mass murder of over 6 million Jews and over 5 million others is known today as the Holocaust. Although we were not able to study this topic in depth (not necessarily appropriate for this age group), it is important to discuss and to make sure students are aware of this horrible time in human history.
While the war in Europe was raging, was also occurring in this the Pacific. This second theater of war consisted mainly of the Navy and the Marines fighting against the Japanese. This part of World War 2 was significantly different because the terrain was mainly island fighting and the opponent did not believe in giving up or surrendering.
The first Battle of the Pacific occurred in the Battle of the Coral Sea. While this battle is considered a draw, the United States prevented Japan from invading Australia, which was a British colony at this time, making it an ally of the United States. However, this battle was unique because it was the first aerial battle in which planes were launched from an Aircraft Carrier.
From the Coral Sea, the United States Pacific Fleet races north to intercept the bulk of the Japanese Fleet. After breaking the naval code the Japanese used, U.S. analysts knew where and when the Japanese Fleet was heading. The Battle of Midway became a turning point in the War in the Pacific. Under the command of Admiral Chester Nimitz, the US Pacific Fleet engaged the Japanese carriers, who were without the protection of their Battleships and Destroyers (which was part of Yamamoto's plan). During the course of the four day engagement (June 4-8, 1942) the Japanese suffered heavy losses, four of their carriers were sunk and approximately 250 planes were shot down. Following this battle the Japanese navy was crippled and was put on the defensive for the rest of the war.
After the Battle of Midway, the Allies began their island hopping strategy. In this plan, they would attack lightly defended islands as they hopped to Japan. Two years of island hopping led to the battles of Leyte Gulf (Philippines), Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Because of the harsh conditions and the fierceness of the Japanese defending these islands, the invasion of Japan would be more difficult than imagined.
President Truman made the difficult decision to use the atomic bombs, which had been created under the top secret Manhattan Project, led by Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer. The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. 'Little Boy' was a 15 kiloton bomb that killed 90,000 people and destroyed most of the city. Despite the ultimatum given by President Truman, Japan refused to surrender and a second atomic bomb was used. On August 9, 1945, the second atomic bomb, 'Fat Man,' was a 20 kiloton bomb that killed 35,000 people. Following this second atomic attack, Japan agreed to surrender, five days later, on the condition that Emperor Hirohito remain a sovereign ruler. August 15, 1945, became known as V-J Day (Victory over Japan). The official end of the war was not until September 2, 1945, where Allied and Japanese diplomats signed the peace treaty on board the USS Missouri.
