Allies Turn the Tide

Why it Matters Pearl Harbor attack brought the U.S.

into WWII on the allied side In 1942 the Allies began to stop the

Axis powers The most aggressive threat the world

peace and democracy had been halted

Axis and Allies Plan Strategy

Axis powers had never coordinated a strategy to defeat the Allies• Common enemies but individual dreams

Hitler- dominate Europe and eliminate “inferior” people

Mussolini- dreams of an Italian Empire stretching from the eastern Adriatic to East Africa

Tojo- Japanese control of the Western Pacific and Asia

Europe First Allies had a common goal All considered Germany the most

dangerous enemy• Resources to bomb Britain, fight U.S. and

British navies, and invade the Soviet Union Allies agreed to fight and win a two-

front war and pursue a “Europe First” strategy

Turning the Tide in Europe Wolf Packs- of German U-Boats

patrolled the Atlantic to cut the lines between the U.S. and Britain

As in WWI, convoys protected Allied shipping

Radar helped Allied vessels locate U-boats on the surface at night

U.S. was able to bomb U-boats faster than German could manufacture them

Soviets Turn Back Nazis at Stalingrad

Germany attacked Russia in June 1941• One army to Leningrad, one to Moscow

Soviet resistance and a brutal winter stopped the German Advance

1942 Hitler’s goal was the Caucasus oil fields• He would have to capture Stalingrad

Soviets Turn Back Nazis at Stalingrad

Ferocious battle- Soviets counter attacked and trapped the Germans• Hitler refused to let his army retreat

Starving, sick, and frostbitten, the surviving German troops surrendered January 31, 1943

Battle of Stalingrad Stalingrad was the true turning point

of the war It ended any hopes of Hitler

dominating Europe Soviets were now on the offensive

Allies Drive Germans out of North Africa

November 1942- Allied troops land in Morocco and Algeria and begin to move towards German positions

General Dwight Eisenhower led the Allied invasion of North Africa

German General Erwin Rommel led his Afrika Korps against the Americans • Stopped by the Americans and forced to retreat due to

lack of supplies Commander George Patton advanced

confidently and forced German and Italian troops to surrender

Casablanca Conference Two important decisions

• Allies decide to continue bombing Germany and invade Italy

• FDR announced the allies would only accept an unconditional surrender Giving up completely without any concessions

Allies Invade Italy Eisenhower commanded American-

British forces Axis forces escaped Sicily to the

Italian mainland Gave Allies complete control of

western Mediterranean and ended the rule of Benito Mussolini• Hitler helped him escape and put him in

charge of a puppet state in northern Italy

Bombers Batter Germany Early 1942, Allied bombers launched

non stop attacks against Germany Saturation bombing- British planes

dropped massive amounts of bombs on German cities• Done at night

Strategic bombing- American bombers targeted Germany’s key political and industrial centers• During the day

Tuskegee Airmen African American fighter squadron

escorted bombers and protected them from enemy fighter pilots

In more than 1,500 missions over enemy territory, the Tuskegee Airmen did not lose a single bomber

Turning Point: Battle of Midway Admiral Yamamoto wanted to destroy

American aircraft carriers before the U.S. could retaliate for Pearl Harbor• Turned his attention to Midway• Would force Americans back to the California

Coast Navy code breakers had intercepted

Japanese plans• Admiral Chester Nimitz sent aircraft carriers

to Midway

Turning Point: Battle of Midway

In the most important naval battle of WWII, the U.S. defeated the Japanese• U.S. only lost 1 aircraft carrier

Battle of Midway became a TURNING POINT in the Pacific• Japan still had powerful abilities, but would

never again threaten Hawaii or Pacific domination

Americans Take the Offensive

August 1942 Americans take the offensive with an assault on Guadalcanal

U.S. drove Japanese off the island