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"Battle of the Atlantic"
-Following Pearl Harbor, Hitler ordered submarine raids against American ships on the east coast to prevent war and food materials from reaching Great Britain or the Soviet Union.
-The first four months, Germans destroyed 87 American ships.
-Seven months in, German wolf packs destroyed 681 Allied ships in the Atlantic.
-Then, the Allies organized cargo ships into convoys along with airships and the use of radar to sink German U-boats faster than they could build them. -
"Germany First"
-Germany /Italy declares war on the U.S.
-Germany and Italy were a greater threat than Japan.
-Prime Minister Churchill was at the white house making war plans on December 22, 1941.
-Churchill convinced Roosevelt to make a the first attack against Hitler. -
"Operation Torch"
-During the takeover of Stalingrad, Stalin wanted America and Britain to open a second front wanting an English channel to drive the German forces out of Stalingrad. Tuskegee Airmen also participated.
-Instead, General Dwight D. Eisenhower led an invasion of North Africa, controlled by the Axis, called Operation Torch.
-Allied troops landed in Casablanca, Oran, and Algiers North Africa travelling east to chase the Afrika Korps led by General Erwin Rommel.
-The Afrika Korps surrendered May, 1943. -
"Battle of Stalingrad"
-Since June, 1942, the Germans have been at war with the Soviet Union.
-The following summer, the Germans wanted to capture oil fields and Stalingrad, an industrial center.
-German air forces bombed Stalingrad, by the end of September, they conquered nine tenths of the city.
-The Soviet Union sent tanks to surround the city to cut off connection from supplies.
-The German commander surrendered on January 31, 1943, and two days afterward his troops surrendered as well. -
"Operation Overlord"
-General Dwight D. Eisenhower commanded Operation Overlord (D-Day). The first invasion would take place in Normandy in Northern France.
-Allied commanders made a false request to attack the French Port, Calais. Hitler then sent his generals and army to Calais where they were attacked by the Allies.
-This was the largest land-air-sea operation ever seen in warfare. Germans retaliated brutally at Omaha Beach from the massive land, air, and sea bombardment. -
"Allies Gain Ground"
-Within a month of D-Day, the Allies had control of most of France.
-General Omar Bradley raided the enemy at St. Lo by land and air attacks. George Patton and the Third Reich lost on August 25 as the French Capital was liberated.
-By September 1944, the Allies freed France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. -
"Battle of the Bulge"
-In October 1944, Americans captured a German town Aachen.
-Hitler then wanted to separate Allies lines, so he wanted to send 8 tanks driving 60 miles into Allies territory creating a great bulge to recapture the Belgian port of Antwerp.
-December 16, 8 German tank divisions broke through weak American defences. Germans captured 120 American G.I.'s.
-After a month, the Germans pushed back and lost irreplaceable war needs. The Nazi'shad to retreat. -
"Liberation of the Death Camps" (Buchenwald)
-Allied troops move east while the Soviets moved west only to find a Nazi death camp in July, 1944.
-SS guards tried to burn and bury all of the evidence, but they didn't have enough time; when the Soviets arrived at Majdanek they found a plethora or evidence.
-Buchenwald was liberated on April 4, 1945 -
"V-E Day"
-April 25, 1945, The Soviets invaded Berlin, meanwhile on April 29, Hitler married his wife Eva Braun and blamed the Jews for the war. The both killed themselves, and their bodies were burned at his request.
-A week later, The Third Reich surrendered to General Eisenhower.
-On May 8, 1945, The Allies celebrated V-E Day to celebrate the victory of Europe.
-President Roosevelt died of stroke before V-E Day on April 12, 1945. Harry S. Truman proceeded him as the nation's 33rd President.
