Post on 03-Jan-2016
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Major Battles of WWII
Invasion of Pearl Harbor
Battle of the Bulge
D-Day (Normandy)
Iwo Jima
Atomic Bombings of Japan
Eisenhower
• November 1943 – FDR and Winston
Churchill want to take back Europe from Hitler
– US General Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes Supreme Commander of Allied Troops
• Total Control over all troops in Europe
Invasion of Pearl Harbor
• Dec. 7, 1941: Franklin Roosevelt deemed the day, “a date that will live in infamy.”
• The Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, destroyed almost the entire U.S. Navy’s Pacific fleet (5 of 8 battleships completely destroyed) which had been placed in Hawaii as a threat against Japan’s desire to expand into the South Pacific.
• The attack at Pearl Harbor caused the United States to enter WWII the next day on Dec. 8, 1941.
U.S. Fleet on Day of Pearl Harbor Attack
Attack on Pearl Harbor
USS Arizona Memorial
• Memorial is the final resting place of 1,177 men who died on the USS Arizona.
• Sloped middle of viewing plaza represents Pearl Harbor as a low point in U.S. history; ends of building stand tall to represent the U.S.’s ultimate victory in the war.
• U.S. Navy operates the memorial with many veterans serving as guides.
USS Arizona Memorial
USS Arizona Memorial
USS Arizona Memorial
USS Arizona Memorial
Battle of Normandy (D-Day)
• Blitzkrieg War planned by the Americans against Hitler in occupied France.
• Invade France using:– 6,900 ships loaded with troops– 4,100 battleships– 12,000 aircraft– 10,000 TONS of bombs
• Operation Bodyguard (fake war)
• Attack the Atlantic Wall– Nazi barricade
along Atlantic Coast
Battle of Normandy
• Eisenhower schedules battle for June 5th, but due to bad weather on the 4th, he pushes it back a day
• June 6, 1944
• Largest military attack of all time– Omaha and Utah Beaches – America– Gold and Sword Beaches – British– Juno Beach - Canadians
Battle of Normandy
• Fighting ended at Midnight 24/25 July, 1944• By far, the biggest German defeats of the War• 218,000 Dead/Wounded (Allies); 200,000
Dead/Wounded (Axis) + 200,000 captured (Axis)
Saving Private Ryan (Rated R)- Most realistic depiction of war, very disturbingThe Longest Day- Old movie with John Wayne
Battle of the Bulge
• After Battle of Normandy, the allies were advancing faster than anticipated
• Germans wanted to trap the Americans
• Americans had few troops on the German/Belgium border (Ardennes Mountains)…good place to attack
• December 16, 1944
• Coldest, snowiest days
Battle of the Bulge
• Although the attack was a total surprise, the Americans held the line until reinforcements arrived
• Germans defeated• January 25• Only created a “bulge” in the line of
American troops• Many solders from both sides were killed
from the weather
Battle of the Bulge
• American: 89,987 casualties(19,276 dead, 23,554 captured or missing,47,493 wounded)
• British: 200 dead, 1400 wounded and missing
• German: 84,834 casualties(15,652 dead, 27,582 captured or missing,41,600 wounded)
Battle of the Bulge
• Band of Brothers (Bastogne)
• Patton
• Battle of the Bulge (PBS Documentary)
• A Midnight Clear (Rated R)
Hitler’s Death
• Allies destroy Germany army in Europe– VE Day May 7/8, 1945
• Eventually Hitler commits suicide (April 30, 1945)– Shoots himself– Cyanide poisoning
• Battle in Europe is over• War in Japan continues• Gen Douglas MacArthur becomes
Supreme Allied Commander in the Pacific
Battle of Iwo Jima• Even after the War in Europe• Island off the coast of Japan• Eight square miles• Mt. Suribachi (high ground)• US Marines faced heavy fire
from Japanese who had dug tunnels underground.
• Rough conditions• Battle 2/19-3/26 1945
Battle of Iwo Jima
• The climb up Mt. Suribachi was fought by the yard. Every inch counted!
• Gunfire was almost ineffective against the Japanese soldiers.
• Flame throwers and grenades used• On Feb 23, 1945 the top of the mountain was
secured by the Americans.• An American flag was raised by the troops,
signaling the end of the battle– One of the most famous photographs of all time
Battle of Iwo Jima
• Over a quarter of the Congressional Medals of Honor awarded to the Marines were given to veterans of the Battle of Iwo Jima
Ira Hayes
• From Sacaton, Arizona• Native American (Gila
River)• In famous “flag raising”
picture• Became a national hero• Died of alcohol poisoning
President Roosevelt’s 4th Term
• In 1944, Roosevelt wins a fourth term in office
• Meets Winston Churchill (England) and Joseph Stalin (USSR) for a conference in Yalta (Ukraine)– Chain smoking, paralysis,
stress, high blood pressure, heart disease
• Declining health• Returned visibly aged,
people shocked
FDR Dies
• On the morning of April 12th, FDR complains of a headache
• Dies of a cerebral hemorrhage• Roosevelt’s mistress was with
him– Wife, Eleanor was naturally
upset
• Public not aware of his health issues
• Incredible shock across the country
• Served 12 years as president (Great Depression through defeat of Germany)
Harry S Truman• Vice President Harry S
Truman becomes president• Middle name is the letter S• Little known senator from
Missouri – Second “Missouri
Compromise”– VP for only 82 days
• Had little information about what was going on
Manhattan Project• United States secretly developing
atomic warfare– Enriched uranium bomb, nuclear
fission– Robert Oppenheimer – Director of
Manhattan Project– Albert Einstein’s physics
equations used in development of bomb, though Einstein was opposed.
• Los Alamos, New Mexico• Three bombs created
– One test bomb, Fat Man and Little Boy
• Kept secret from Truman until just before its use.
• Fear that Nazi Germany was working on the same technology
• Atomic bombs originally intended for Germany but never used
Manhattan Project• Trinity test (July 16, 1945)• White Sands Missle Range
– Near Alamogordo, NM
• 5:29 AM detonated• Left a crater 10 feet deep. 1,100
feet wide– Melted sand; left radioactive glass
in its place (Trinite)– Vaporized everything in its path
• Illuminated mountains brighter than daylight for several seconds
• Could be felt/seen over 150 miles away
• Beginning of the “Atomic Age”
Hiroshima• President Truman wanted
to bring a quick end to the war.
• Called for unconditional surrender of Japan or face “prompt and utter destruction” (Potsdam Declaration)
• Japanese thought it was a bluff; rejected declaration
• City of Hiroshima was the first target of bombing.
“Little Boy”
Hiroshima
• August 6, 1945 Hiroshima bombed
• Enola Gay (airplane)• Over 90,000 people
killed instantly• Total destruction of
city with the exception of a few buildings.
Nagasaki
• After the Hiroshima bombing, President Truman announced, "If they do not now accept our terms, they may expect a rain of ruin from the air the likes of which has never been seen on this earth."
• Japan did not respond quickly enough, considering terms of a surrender
• Truman orders Nagasaki to be bombed.
“Fat Man”
Nagasaki• August 9, 1949• 70,000 people killed
instantly• United States planned
more atomic bombs for Japan
• Japan surrenders August 15, 1945– VJ Day
VJ Day• Huge celebrations
across the country• Famous photographs
from Times Square in New York City