4. us enters wwii (through italy)

7/30/2019 4. US Enters WWII (Through Italy)

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Section 6-4

US enters the Fight (WWII)

Mr. Klein

Spring 2013


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Prologue

War at Sea Battle of the Atlantic

Sept. 1941 1945(Before Pearl Harbor)


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Battle of the Atlantic

Longest battle of war (1940-1945)

Wolfpacks of subs vs. Allied convoys

US enters before Pearl Harbor (Sept. 1941)

Neutrality Patrols and Shoot on Sight

Allies win but heavy losses

3,500 Allied ships vs. 771 Nazi Submarines


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Where to Fight?

First question for US is whether to fight

against Nazis orJapanese first?

Which do you think FDR prefers? Why?


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Arcadia Conference (Dec. 1941)

FDR and Churchill meetin D.C. to strategize

Dec. 22, 1941

Jan. 14, 1942

Determine that defeating

Hitlermust be firstpriority

CalledEurope First

Strategy


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Arcadia Conference

ProducesDeclaration of United Nations

Signed by 26 allied nations

Nations agree to principles ofAtlantic Charter

Earlier (1941) agreement between US and GB

Use all resources to defeat Axis

No separate peace

Occupied nations decide own futures once freed

Basis forUnited Nations of today (1945)


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But Where to Attack in Europe?


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Europe 1941-1943

To win the Europeancampaign, 2 different

plans were proposed

The U.S. wantedto attack across

Nazi-controlled

France by 1943

England wantedto attack Italyfrom Northern

Africa in 1942


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Second Washington Conference

FDR and Churchill reconvene June 20, 1942

Where attack in European Theater?

FDR wants to invade France ASAP

Start second front which will please USSR

Churchill favors North Africa

Hitler has reinforced Italys armies

Hitler Wants to take Egypt (Suez Canal) and cut off

oil to Allies


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Second Washington Conference

FDR and Churchill reconvene June 20, 1942

Where attack in European Theater?

FDR wants to invade France ASAP

Start second front which will please USSR

Churchill favors North Africa

Hitler has reinforced Italys armies

Wants to take Egypt (Suez) and cut off oil to Allies

Believes not feasible to invade FR at present

N. Africa gives launching point to invade Italy

Soft Underbelly of Europe


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Who is Allied Military Commander?

Gen Dwight D. Eisenhower

Commanding General, European

Theater of Operations


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North African Campaign

Nov 8, 1942 May 13,1943


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N. Africa before US Arrives

IT trying to expand East from Libya

into GB controlled Egypt

After IT fails in 1940, Hitler sends

armoredAfrika Corps (tanks) to

assist in Feb 1941

Take Egypt = own Suez Canal

and cut offoil supply

Rommel pushes 100 miles into

Egypt

Gen. Erwin RommelThe Desert Fox


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Battle of El Alamein

GB must stop RommelAND

Rommel is short of supplies

Montgomery gets intercepted battle

plan of Rommel to attack to the

South in Fall of 1942

GB resists tank assault and

bombers destroy large number of

GER tanksGER must retreat

Montgomery does not pursue

(waiting for US Sherman Tanks)Field Marshall

Bernard Montgomery (GB)


18/40M-4 Sherman Tank


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Battle of El Alamein

TURNING POINT inN. Africa!!!!!

Montgomery tricks Rommelfakes

attack to south.

Attacks to North instead!

Wins long bloody battleAfrika

Corps largely destroyed

Hitler orders to fight to last man

BUT Rommel refuses and retreats

further into Libya on Nov 2, 1942

Field MarshallBernard Montgomery (GB)


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U.S. Lands in N. Africa

U.S. armored troops arrive in

WESTERN N. Africa on Nov 8, 1942

Operation Torch

With GB in EAST, goal is to catch

Axis in pincers of 2 armies

U.S. lands inAlgeria, and Morocco

(Vichy French)

Lt. Gen George Patton

Old Blood and GutsCommander Western Task Force


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U.S. Lands in N. Africa

U.S. armored troops arrive in

WESTERN N. Africa on Nov 8, 1942

Operation Torch

With GB in EAST, goal is to catch

Axis in pincers of 2 armies

U.S. lands inAlgeria, and Morocco

(Vichy French)

Vichy mount armed opposition to USforces in Morocco and Oran

NOT inAlgiers French Resistance

overthrows Vichy Government

Hitler occupiesALL of France

Lt. Gen George Patton

Old Blood and GutsCommander Western Task Force


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Res lts of Operation Torch


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Results of Operation Torch Rommel forced to retreat all the way to Tunisia

cannot retreat further West

Tries to convince Hitler that holding N. Africa

not possible

Hitlerreplaces Rommel

GER fight in Tunisia for 2 more months - forced

to surrender230,000 men on May 13,1943

Allies Control North Africa!!

What will Allies do next?????

C bl C f


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Casablanca Conference(January 1943)

Henri Giraud (Free French Forces), FDR, Charles de Gaulle (FFF), Churchill

Casablanca Conference


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Casablanca Conference

(January 1943)

US, GB and FrenchResistance leaders in

Morocco

Determine next steps in War FDR still pushing forcross-

channel invasion

Churchill wins dayItaly first

Agreement that Allies will

fight toUnconditional

Surrender of AxisCharles de Gaulle


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Invasion of Sicily and ItalyJuly 1943


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Invasion of Sicily

US and GB (plus Canadian)forces will make

amphibious landing on island ofSicily

US forces commanded by Patton

Operation Torch begins night ofJuly 8-9, 1943 Paratroopers dropped onto island to seize strategic

bridges and roads

Seaborne landing next day (surprise due to badweather)

VERY smooth landing (Italians not prepared to

resiston beaches)


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Si il F ll


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Sicily Falls

Sicily was occupied by both IT and GER forces

Allied forces take Sicily in 38 days

All Axis forces evacuated back to Italy

HUGE repercussions in Italy

July 24, 1943 : Mussolini DEPOSED as dictator

King restored to power

Fascist party DESOLVED

Mussolini imprisoned (but in mountain resort)

S N Wh t i It l ???


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So Now What in Italy???

Non-FascistItalian govt wants to negotiatepeace with Allies

Come to agreement that Italy will surrender

Agreement reached September 3, 1943

Italian forces will surrender to Allies upon invasion

Try to keep agreement SECRET from Germany(Will not announce surrender until Sept. 8)

Sounds Easy.BUT.


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Italy Still Must be Conquered

GER Troops had been invited to Italy

Occupy much of the country (esp. north)

Germany hears about Italian surrender:

Immediately prepares to capture positions held

by Italian troops

NO INTENTION OF SURRENDER

I i f It l (S t 3 1943)


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Invasion of Italy (Sept 3, 1943)

Landing easy because Italians planning to

surrender

Allies land on toe of book and mid-shin

Hope to draw Germans south and trap them


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I i f It l (S t 3 1943)


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Invasion of Italy (Sept 3, 1943) Landing easy because Italians planning to

surrender Allies land on toe of boot and mid-shin

Hope to draw Germans south and trap them

Germany does not fall for plan

Captures Italian troops and positions

Moves North outside of Allied net

Resistance is FIERCE

Fighting will last until 1945

190,000 Allied casualties 500,000 Axis

Wh t h t M li i?


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What happens to Mussolini? HitlerIRATE that Italians betray him

Breaks Mussolini out of captivity and sets himup as King of a Northern Italian Socialist

Nation

Mussolini later captured by Italians trying to

flee Allied advance

Executed on April 28, 1945 with 7 otherFascist leaders

Bodies hung on public display at gas station

Shot, spat upon, beaten, etc.


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