WWII VUS 11b
Strategies and Major Battles Chart
1. What was the overall strategy of America and her allies in World War II?
 Allies agree to “Take Europe First or defeat Hitler First” strategy and resources were targeted to
Europe. Prior to US entry into war Congress declares Lend-Lease Act. In Pacific ‘island-hopping
strategy’. Seizing islands closer and closer to Japan using them as based for air attacks on Japan.
 Axis – strategy – Germany hopped to defeat the Soviet Union quickly and gain control of USSR oils
fields. Force Britain out of the war before America’s industrial and military strength could turn the
tide.
2. How did America’s strategy during WWII reflect available resources and the geographical scope of the
conflict? Commit all resources efforts to war. Resource drives, rationing, ‘Rosite the Riverter”
(minorities join the work force), business ‘re-tooled’ their factories, and propaganda posters at
home to get US civilians involved in ‘drives’ and reflect ‘promoting nationalism (patriotism). US.
Allied Commanders Eisenhower in Europe and MacArthur in Pacific as other Allied forces also
reflect the geographical extent of conflict.
3. Why were some battles of WWII considered turning points (see below)?
Battle/Date
Europe:
Invasion of Poland
Leaders
1939 Hitler and Stalin
Events
Stalin and Hitler sign a nonaggression pack. Germany
invades – starting WWII. On
Sept 1, 39 Germany bombers
and armed divisions moved
into Poland. Soviet invaded
from the east
Sept 3, 39 – Britain and France
declare war
FDR also releases speech
“Fire-Side Chat” asked
congress to declare ‘ neutrality’
Battle of Dunkirk
1940 Churchill –
Britain and German
1940 materials supplied to
‘allies’ 1941 Congress passes
the Lend-Lease Act.
More than 30,000 troops were
evacuated from Dunkirk and
the surrounding beaches in
May and June. Churchill, “a
miracle of deliverance.”
Outcome
Turning Point yes or no)
Breaking the policy of
appeasement signed in 1938
at the Munich Conf. by.
Britain, France, Hitler and
Ital. This gave Germany
control of the Sudetenland.
What begins – Phoney War –
refers to the lull or break in
fighting after the German
invasion of Poland (Hitler’s
Mistake # 1)
British troops were rescued
from the harbor and beaches
near Dunkirk –surrounded
by Nazi by land. However,
many of the little ships, such
as motor yachts, fishing
boats and all floating crafts
came to the rescue. Meaning
Battle of Britain
Dresden
D-Day or Normandy
Turing Point Battle
Stalingrad
Turning Point Battle
North Africa:
El Alamein
Turning Point Battle
Pacific:
Midway (islandhopping campaign)
Turning Point Battle
Iwo Jima
Germany’s attempt to
gain superiority over
the Royal Air Force
(RAF).
July – Oct 1940 Give
take p.o.v.
Churhill & German
City
1945
June 6, 1944
Eisenhower
commander of
Operation Overlord.
Hitler attempts to neutralize
the RAF. Then carry out an
amphibious assault on the
British Isles.
Thousands of bomb destroy
Dresden. 650,000 incendiaries
and 8,000lb of high explosives
and hundreds of 4000lb bomb
in two waves of attack
destroyed the ciry.
Normandy France, U.S.
invades Omaha Beach
156,000 allied troops
successfully stormed the
beaches. 2000 American
causalities
civilian helped rescued the
British troops.
Had Nazi been successful
could have changed the
outcome of Battle of Britain.
Hitler’s goal to destroy
aircraft production and
ground infrastructure.
(Hitler’s mistake # 2 failed.
Third Reich’s first major
defeat!
12 hours in total
Death toll from firestorm,
suffocation is estimated
between, 25,000 to 100,000
mostly civilian. Consider
Churchill’s’ mistake.
Considered Turing point of
War.
Allies fought their way across
the French countryside By
the end of 1944 Paris was
liberated and German’s had
been removed. V-E Day May
8, 1945
Soviet victory humiliation for
Hitler
(Mistake # 3 for Hitler)
1942-1943
Stalin and Germany
Hitler orders Germany to hold
all grounds at all costs. Wanted
USSR oil fields. Winter sets in
and were under siege.
German surrender
1942
Rommel (Dessert Fox)
British army and the
German-Italian forces
British General Montgomery –
showed allied superiority.
Rommel lost North African
campaign
Between El Alamein and
Stalingrad (turning points of
the war) proved to the
watershed of the war against
Germany (defeats).
1942
Japan and U.S.
Pacific Fleet
Commander Admiral
Chester W. Nimitz.
Six months after Pear Harbor
Dec 7, 1941. U.S. defeated
Japan in naval battle in part to
code breaking able to ambush
using aircraft carriers.
Start of ‘island-hopping
campaign.’ Strategy to take
the island of Japan several
islands at a time (refueling
and pushing back). Ended
Japan’s threat to Hawaii.
1945
US – Japan. Pacific
Island
Need for a base near the
Japanese coast. U.S. marine
divisions landed on island. Iwo
Jima was defended by about
23,000 Japanese army and navy
Difficult conditions due to
elaborate network of caves,
dugouts and tunnels. U.S.
marines win. Planting flag –
famous photo and statue.
troops.
American losses 5900 and
17400 wounded. Cited for
one reason Truman drop
Atomic bomb
Japan looses 77,000 and allies
65,000 with 14,000 dead.
Cited for one of the reasons
for Truman to drop the
Atomic bomb.
Both Iwo Jima and Okinawa
- civilians committed suicide
rather than surrender.
Emperor Hirohito
announced his country’s
surrender on a radio address
‘new and most cruel bomb.’
August 15, 1945. Need for
U.S. forces to invaded Japan
avoided. V-J Day
9/2/45 Japan surrenders in
the USS Missouri.
Okinawa
1945
Japan and US
Involved 287,000 US troops
and 130,000 Japanese soldiers.
82 day campaign.
Hiroshima & Nagasaki
Harry Truman orders
the use of bombs on
Japan August 6 1945
B-29 bomber (Enola
Gay.) And then again
on Aug 9th
Wanted to force the Japanese
to surrender. Tens of
thousands died as a result of
the bomb. Little Boy and Fat
Man (name of bombs)