The Allies Win the War Lesson 5 A New Kind of WAR Moved quickly by tanks, ship, and airplanes. Didn’t live in trenches Bombs dropped by planes destroyed everything including thousands of civilians Area covering almost half the world Fought on two major front, or battle lines Africa and Europe and the other the Pacific War in Africa and Europe Allies’ battle plan in Europe • Gain control of the Mediterranean Sea • Invade Italy • Defeat Germans and Italians in North Africa • September 1943, Italians surrendered. • German forces kept fighting D Day June 6, 1944, the largest water-to-land invasion in history General Dwight D.Eisenhower led the invasion. American, Canadian, and British troops crossed the English Channel. Landed on the beaches of Normandy, in France Many troops died, but the invasion was successful. Fighting Continues at Normandy Allies broke through the German lines Moved inland, pushing back the enemy Germans counterattacked at the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 American general, George Patton turned the Germans back. Patton was the most outstanding general during the invasion of France. Russia helps Out Also fighting the Germans Pushed back from the east. May 1945 Allied troops from the east and west met near Berlin, the German capital Learned Hitler had killed himself. Berlin fell to the Soviets on May 2, 1945 Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945 Victory in Europe Day or V-E Day End of the War in Europe President Roosevelt Dies Did not live to see the end of World War II. Died on April 12, 1945 Vice President Harry S. Truman became President. The Holocaust Jews, Gypsies, and people with disabilities were hated by Hitler and the Nazis. Put in concentration camps. Some were used for cruel medical experiments. Arrested Jews all over the world. Mass murdered the Jews, known as the Holocaust. More than 12 million men, women, and children were killed. At least 6 million were JEWS. War in the Pacific The Second front of the war. Japanese troops landed in the Philippines after bombing Pearl Harbor. Forced Americans to surrender General Douglas McArthur promised the people of the Philippines, “I shall return.” Two years later, he did. Turning Point Japanese seemed to be winning the war. May 1942, the U.S. navy defeated the Japanese fleet in the Battle of the Coral Sea. In June, American ships sank four enemy aircraft carriers at the Battle of Midway. Japan’s navy never recovered its losses! Allies began forcing Japanese from the lands they had taken over. Island Hopping American plan to take back only the most important islands on the way to Japan. Allies bombed Japan from the air to weaken the soldiers there General McArthur began his invasion to take back the Philippine Islands, as promised. Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa were bloody and cost thousands of lives. A Secret Weapon President Truman found out former President Roosevelt had allowed the development of the Atomic Bomb The most powerful bomb the world had ever known. Summer of 1945, the atomic bomb was ready. Truman wanted to end the war quickly to save American lives. The Sky Explodes August 6, 1945, the American bomber, Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. A flash like an exploding Sun Mushroom shaped cloud rose from the city Killed over 75,000 civilians Japan still DID NOT SURRENDER! The Second Bomb August 9, 1945, the United States dropped the second bomb on Japan. Nagasaki. Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945 V-J Day or Victory over Japan Day. World War II was FINALLY over! Over 300,000 Americans dead and over 15 millions other soldiers from other countries died in the fighting. Improved Medicine Penicillin and sulfa helped fight infections. DDT, a new chemical to kill mosquitoes helped prevent malaria and other diseases. A Changed World Another world organization of nations U.S. supported it this time United Nations was formed in April 1945. • Goal was to keep world peace • Promote cooperation among nations Changes in Technology Airplanes became a major weapon. Drones, planes that flew without pilots dropped bombs on cities. Transport planes parachuted soldiers into battle. Aircraft carriers launched plans from the sea. Antiaircraft guns, special cannons Radio detection and ranging RADAR, could located planes and ships in bad weather or at night. America, the Strongest Nation America became the world’s strongest nation Helped other nations rebuild Trouble on the horizon • Soviet Union became bitter • Soviet Union set up a communist government Communism is a system in which all property is owned by the government. U.S. Opinion of Communism Saw communism as a threat to freedom Helped support countries in their fight against the spread of communism. Hostility, or unfriendliness developed between the free world and the communist countries. Called the “cold war” because it was fought with propaganda and money instead of soldiers and weapons.