Defeat of Germany and its Allies

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Stephen Beasley
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1 Defeat of Germany and its Allies

2 By 1944, Germany losing war. Eastern front: Red Army had driven out the Germans by Jan Western Front: British and Americans gathered their armies to drive Germans out of France.

3 Planning invasion of France Nazis had controlled France since Free French government had been formed in London by General Charles de Gaulle. Wanted Allies to free his country. This would open up second front and ease pressure on Russia. 1944: ready to invade. In secret Allies gathered huge army for invasion. Codename: Operation Overlord. Decided to land at Normandy.

4 Germans expecting invasion but didn t know where. Why was it important that the Germans didn t know? Look at the map, if you were German leaders where would you expect the Allies to attack and why?

Allies made careful plans to ensure the invasion would be a success.

5 Invasion force consisted of American, British and Canadian troops. Commander was General Eisenhower. Allies made careful plans to ensure the invasion would be a success. They built special tanks called funnies to destroy beach defences such as mines. Built pipeline under ocean (PLUTO) to provide army with fuel. Constructed artificial harbours called Mulberries on which troops could land tanks.

and bombers gave Allies complete control of

6 D-Day When: June Navy: over 6,500 ships and landing craft sailed towards Normandy. Airforce: over 10,000 Allied fighter planes and bombers gave Allies complete control of air. Airborne troops dropped behind enemy lines and linked up with the Maquis (French Resistance)

7 Germans fought fiercely and fighting in Normandy lasted until August. Once defeated, the way to Paris was open. Surrendered city on 25 th August. Liberation of Paris

8 The Bomb Plot By 1944 many Germans officers realised they were losing war. Would have to get rid of Hitler. July 1944: attempt to kill Hitler. Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg planted bomb at Hitler s headquarters. Someone moved the bomb and Hitler was only injured. Gestapo rounded up plotters and their families. About 5,000 people executed.

9 Hitler s last gambles By winter 1944 Germans under severe pressure on both fronts. Hitler would not surrender. Had new weapons that he hoped would win war. V-1 and V-2 rockets, launched against London. Caused damage but didn t change course of war. December, German army launched surprise attack on Ardennes region on border with France.

10 US didn t expect attack and Germans advanced (Battle of the Bulge). Germans short of fuel and the Americans were able to stop them. January, the Allies counter-attacked and soon Germans forced to attack.

End of Hitler s Reich Hitler said the Third Reich would last a thousand years. It lasted 12. by 1945 defeat inevitable. Allied armies advancing from East, West and South.

11 End of Hitler s Reich Hitler said the Third Reich would last a thousand years. It lasted 12. by 1945 defeat inevitable. Allied armies advancing from East, West and South. Vast superiority in men and equipment. Every night Allied air forces pounded German towns and factories. Often over 1,000 bombers used. Dresden bombed on February. About 135,000 people killed.

12 By end of March, Allied troops had crossed River Rhine into Germany. April: Red Army attacked Berlin. Troops met at the River Elbe. 28 April: Mussolini captured and executed in Italy. 30 April: Hitler and wife, Eva Braun committed suicide in Berlin. Russians close to his headquarters. Hitler appointed Admiral Donitz as his successor. He realised resistance was futile. 7 May: German troops surrendered. War in Europe was over.

13 Uncovering Holocaust As Allied troops advanced across Germany, they discovered camps where Jewish people had been gassed. The scenes they witnessed horrified even hardened soldiers. Proved they had been fighting against evil regime.

14 Nuremberg After war, 21 leading Nazis were tried at Nuremberg, charged with crimes against humanity. Nearly all found guilty. 11 sentenced to death and 7 others given long terms in prison.

15 Pacific In pacific, war with Japan continued. After battle of Midway 1942, US captured many islands. US clearly winning but Japanese refused to surrender. Last ditch effort was to form squadrons of suicide or Kamikaze pilots. They crashed planes full of fuel into US ships.

16 Hiroshima and Nagasaki By VE day, Japan s position was desperate. Navy was destroyed and cities bombed nightly by Americans. April 1945: FDR dies and Harry S. Truman becomes President. Didn t want to invade Japan because this would cost up to a million lives. Decided to use new weapon. Do you know what it was?

Manhattan project Top secret project to develop atomic bomb. Began in 1942. Cost 2 billion dollars.

17 Manhattan project Top secret project to develop atomic bomb. Began in Cost 2 billion dollars. Largest military project during WWII. In July 1945 successfully exploded first one. It was ready.

18 On 6 August the bomber Enola Gay dropped atomic bomb on Japanese city of Hiroshima. The bomb was called Little Boy. About 80,000 people died from the explosion and thousands more were to die from effects of radiation. 9 August: second bomb called Fat Man dropped on Nagasaki. Killed 60,000 people. Japanese shocked by bombings and surrendered. WWII finally over.

Name: Date: Hour: Allies (Russia in this instance) over the Germans. Allies (British and American forces defeated German forces in Northern Africa)

Name: Date: Hour: Allies (Russia in this instance) over the Germans. Allies (British and American forces defeated German forces in Northern Africa) Name: Date: Hour: World War II Use your textbook and other sources to complete the chart below regarding the significant events that took place during World War II. Answer the questions that follow in