WWII: The US War in Europe
War on Two Fronts
• After Pearl Harbor, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States.
• The USA now had to fight a war on two fronts…– Develop a “Europe
First” policy with Great Britain.
War in North Africa
• November 1942 - Allied troops land in Morocco and begin pushing east.
• Under US General Dwight Eisenhower.
• Why North Africa?– Gain Experience– Help British
• 240,000 Italian and German troops surrender. – Rest flee to Italy.
Meanwhile: War in the USSR• Frustrated by the stalemate in the
Battle of Britain, Hitler turned his attention to the East.– June 22, 1941: Germany
launches a Blitzkrieg on Russia.• German troops advance east.• Soviet army retreats to interior of
USSR.– Stalin orders troops to destroy
supplies the Nazis may find useful.
– German advance is stalled between July 1942 to January 1943 at Stalingrad.
• 90,000 German surrender• 330,000 Germans dead• Over 1 million Soviets dead
– Stalin pleads with his new allies (US, British) to open a new front in Europe…
The Invasion of Italy• “The soft underbelly of
Europe” – Churchill.– Why?
• July to September 1943 - Allies invade Sicily followed by Italy.– As Allied forces invade, Italy
declares war on Germany!• Mussolini is removed and
arrested by King Victor Emmanuel.
– Germans smuggle him to N. Italy as they retreat.
• Progress stalls north of Rome - Allies will not take all of Italy until April, 1945.
– Mussolini killed, 1945
Where to launch an invasion?
1943: The Soviets are still pleading with the USA and Britain to open up a second front against “Fortress Europe.” The Allies want to launch an attack, but where?
Operation Overlord• Late 1943 – June, 1944
– Allies built up forces in southern England in preparation of a massive invasion.
• Utilize carpet bombing– Scattering a large number of
bombs over a large area.
– Germans fortified the French coastline with machine-gun nests, barbed-wire fences, land and water mines, and underwater obstructions.
Where should an invasion be launched from?
The Invasion of mainland Europe• June 6th, 1944 – “D-Day”
– Operation Overlord– Establish foothold in
mainland Europe.• Midnight:
– Warships depart from Southern England
» 1,000 RAF aircraft begin pounding German forces on Normandy coast.
» 23,000 British and American “airborne” parachute behind enemy lines.
• Dawn: – 150,000 Allied troops
come ashore.– Intense fighting ensues.
Paris Liberated!• Within a week, 2
million Allied forces were in Normandy.– Allied forces quickly
moved south-east.
• Paris was liberated, August 25th, 1944.
Operation Market Garden• September 1944 –
British plan to end the war by Christmas.– Drop paratroopers
in Netherlands, capture bridges and move army quickly ahead.
– Fails miserably.
Battle of the Bulge• December 1944
- Last-ditch effort by Germany to turn back the Allied advance.– Invade sections
of Allied controlled Belgium.
– Largest battle of the War.
• 100,000 German loses
• 80,000 Allied loses
The Invasion of Germany and Battle of Berlin
• Spring 1945 – – Allied forces
invade Germany– Soviet Union
takes Berlin.• Hitler commits
suicide, April 1945.
V-E Day: May 8th, 1945