-
Setting the Stage
Stalin urging Allies to open a second front in Europe.
Wanted to relieve Soviets from German pressure.
Split the German army into fighting a two-front war. -
The Tide Turns on Two Fronts
Allies strike first in North Africa and southern Europe.
Soviets had to hold off Germans.
Allies could only offer supplies. -
The North African Campaign
Rommel captured Torbruk in 1942.
British send General Montgomery a.k.a. “Monty” to take control of British forces in North Africa.
Rommel and Monty meet at El Alamein.
Hitler orders Rommel to fight to the death.
Rommel retreated instead.
Operation Torch landed 100k Allied troops led by Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Rommel caught between Monty and Eisenhower.
German army crushed in May 1943. -
The Battle of Stalingrad
THE decisive battle on the Eastern front
After failed advances at Leningrad and Moscow, Hitler sent forces to seize the oil fields in the Caucasus Mountains
Also wanted to capture Stalingrad
Major industrial center on the Volga River
Luftwaffe started night bombing cityBy November 1942, Germans controlled 90% of the city -
The Battle of Stalingrad CONTINUED
Stalin ordered city to be defended to the death.
As Russian winter set in, Soviets launch a counterattack.
Encircled the Germans inside the city and cut off their supplies.
Desperate German army ordered to not retreat by Hitler. February 2, 1943 90k frostbitten half-starved German troops surrendered.
Germans lost over 240k soldiers.
Soviets lost over 1 million soldiers.
Stalingrad was 99% destroyed.
But the Germans were now on the defensive. -
The Invasion of Italy
Stalin still urging Allies to open second front in France.
Roosevelt and Churchill instead decide to attack in Italy.
July 10, 1943 - Allies land on Sicily and capture it a month later.
Sicily can be used as a jumping off point for invasion of Italy.
Mussolini is removed from power and arrested.
Italy “surrenders” on September 3, 1943.
Germans seized control of Northern Italy and reinstated Mussolini in charge