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Executive Order 8802
One incredibly influential aspect of the war, on the homefront, was the issuing of Executive Order 8802. While this did not directly affect the war being fought, it had great influence in America. This order was put in place by FDR and it ensured fair hiring practices for government funded jobs. This meant African Americans would now face less discrimination. This small victory was just the beginning of the civil rights movement to come. -
Wannsee Conference
The Wannsee Conference was very influential in Germany's treatment of Jews. At this conference, an SS leader named Reinhard Heydrich presented his ideas. He had found a way to kill 11,000,000 Jews in Poland alone. His plan included carbon monoxide and Zyklon B. The result of this conference was the deaths of many innocent people. -
Battle of Midway
Battle of Midway was a major event in the war in the Pacific. Midway was a naval base that was very important for the defense of Hawaii. The US destroyed the Japanese while sustaining very little damage. This was what "turned the tide" in the pacific. This battle was the most important of all the naval battle in this war. -
Stalingrad
Stalingrad was a city in Russia that Hitler sent some of his army to. Hitler became very focused on Stalingrad and less of the other targets. He forced his troops to continue fighting even in the face of starvation and illness. This was a turning point in the war. Hitler now realized his chances of dominating Europe were slim and the Nazi's retreated. -
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the plan to invade France and head towards Germany. General Eisenhower, General Montgomery, and General Bradley were all isntrumental in this plan. It included American, British, Polish, and Canadian divisions. The plan involved the beaches in Normandy but also a fake army "lead" by General Patton. This all culminated in D-Day. -
D-Day
D-Day was when Operation Overlord went into action. It began with troops landing at five beaches in Normandy starting at 6:30 in the morning. The beaches were Omaha, Juno, Gold, Utah, and Sword and only Omaha was heavily opposed. The troops had to work their way up the beach while being battered with bullets and bombs. Eventually, the troops made it up and this gave the Allies a way into Germany. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was Hitler's means of a counterattack after D-Day. The Germans surprised the Allies which led to them almost being successful. The Germans attacked the line that the Allies had now created. But, one town, called Bastogne, the Allies managed to keep.The Allies eventually continue on to push to victory. -
Okinawa
The American forces had been utilizing the tactic of island hopping in the war in the Pacific. This led them to the island of Okinawa. Okinawa was home to a vital airbase. In this battle, the US lost 50,000 troops. The island was obtained though, and the US continued on to Japan. -
Death of Hitler
Hitler had been leading the war effort for awhile. This took a physical toll on him. He experienced tremors, paranoia, and sleep problems. He had lost any credibility and power. He committed suicide with some other Nazi leaders and friends. His death led to the surrender of Germany. -
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was what the atomic bomb project was called. It was lead by Groves and Oppenheimer. It was incredibly expensive but employed many Americans. There was one facility to work on it in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This project eventually created the bomb that was dropped on Japan.
