chapter_17_section_2_notes.ppt | |
File Size: | 5868 kb |
File Type: | ppt |
Winning the War Against the Axis Powers
Several steps were needed by the Allies to defeat the Axis Powers. I will attempt to provide a summary of each of the major steps here (in a bit more detail than what's in the book).
Step 1: The Battle of the Atlantic
Allies Gain Control of the Waterways
The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous military campaign in World War II, running from just after Germany invaded Poland in 1939 to the defeat of Germany in 1945. It was at its height from mid-1940 (when Hitler was trying to conquer England) to the middle of 1943 (when the Allies gained an upper hand... to be described a bit below). The Battle of the Atlantic involved many countries, but the main vessels involved were U-boats and other warships of the Kriegsmarine (German Navy) and aircraft of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) against Allied (English, Russian, and U.S.) ships and planes, usually in convoys coming from North America with supplies and mainly going to England and the Soviet Union.
As an island nation, England was highly dependent on imported goods. England required more than a million tons of imported material per week in order to be able to survive and fight. In essence, the Battle of the Atlantic was a tonnage war: the Allied struggle to supply England and the Axis attempt to stop the flow of supplies that allowed England to keep fighting. From 1942 onwards, the Germans also tried to prevent the build-up of Allied supplies and equipment in England that it knew would eventually be used for an invasion of occupied Europe. The defeat of the U-boat threat in the Altantic was needed for pushing back the Germans and eventually being able to launch the Normandy invasion. Winston Churchill said, "The Battle of the Atlantic was the dominating factor all through the war. Never for one moment could we forget that everything happening elsewhere, on land, at sea or in the air depended ultimately on its outcome."
The outcome of the battle was a strategic victory for the Allies, but at great cost: 3,500 Allied supply ships and 175 Allied warships were sunk, with less than 800 U-boats sunk in return.
The name "Battle of the Atlantic" was first used by Winston Churchill in February 1941. It has been called the "longest, largest, and most complex" naval battle in history. The campaign began immediately after the European war began and lasted six years. It involved thousands of ships in more than 100 convoy battles and thousands of ship to ship encounters, in an area covering thousands of square miles of ocean. The situation changed constantly, with one side or the other gaining advantage, as new weapons, tactics, counter-measures, and equipment were developed by both sides. The Allies gradually gained the upper hand though (mainly due to planes being able to fly longer distances as part of the convoys, better radar, and better sonar) and by mid-1943... shipping across the Atlantic became fairly safe (with ocassional losses to U-boats in isolated cases all the way up to the end of the war).
As an island nation, England was highly dependent on imported goods. England required more than a million tons of imported material per week in order to be able to survive and fight. In essence, the Battle of the Atlantic was a tonnage war: the Allied struggle to supply England and the Axis attempt to stop the flow of supplies that allowed England to keep fighting. From 1942 onwards, the Germans also tried to prevent the build-up of Allied supplies and equipment in England that it knew would eventually be used for an invasion of occupied Europe. The defeat of the U-boat threat in the Altantic was needed for pushing back the Germans and eventually being able to launch the Normandy invasion. Winston Churchill said, "The Battle of the Atlantic was the dominating factor all through the war. Never for one moment could we forget that everything happening elsewhere, on land, at sea or in the air depended ultimately on its outcome."
The outcome of the battle was a strategic victory for the Allies, but at great cost: 3,500 Allied supply ships and 175 Allied warships were sunk, with less than 800 U-boats sunk in return.
The name "Battle of the Atlantic" was first used by Winston Churchill in February 1941. It has been called the "longest, largest, and most complex" naval battle in history. The campaign began immediately after the European war began and lasted six years. It involved thousands of ships in more than 100 convoy battles and thousands of ship to ship encounters, in an area covering thousands of square miles of ocean. The situation changed constantly, with one side or the other gaining advantage, as new weapons, tactics, counter-measures, and equipment were developed by both sides. The Allies gradually gained the upper hand though (mainly due to planes being able to fly longer distances as part of the convoys, better radar, and better sonar) and by mid-1943... shipping across the Atlantic became fairly safe (with ocassional losses to U-boats in isolated cases all the way up to the end of the war).
This is an example of a German U-Boat used during the war. They had various sizes and speeds. Some (like this one) were much bigger than you can imagine (roughly 85 yards long and 30 ft. high). This one could travel roughly 20 mph when surfaced but only 10 mph while submerged. This style had 6 torpedo tubes (4 in the front, 2 in the back) and usually carried 4 torpedos for each tube. Each U-Boat like this had a crew of roughly 50 sailors. Some sailed with fewer than 10 and a few had crews over 100.
An Allied convoy gathers in Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada before heading for England. Some of the ships shown here are loaded with supplies while others are military in nature. They were frequently accompanied by aircraft carriers too. Successfully avoiding or sinking U-Boats with superior military technology was key to usually allowing these vessels to cross the Atlantic without incident by mid 1943.
Step 2: The Battle of Stalingrad
Germany's First Loss on Land
The Battle of Stalingrad is considered by many historians to have been the turning point in World War II in Europe. The battle bled the German army dry in Russia and after this defeat, the Germany Army was in full retreat. Many historians look at this battle as one that Germany should have never been involved with in the first place. The purpose of Germany advancing this far South and East into Russia was to get to the oil fields in the Caucasus Mountain region and use those resources to fuel its war machinery. The German army could have easily gone around the city, but Hitler ordered an attack on Stalingrad anyway. From a strategic point of view it would have been unwise to have left a major city unconquered in your rear as you advanced. However, some historians believe that Hitler ordered the taking of Stalingrad simply because of the name of the city and Hitler's hatred of Joseph Stalin. For the same reason Stalin ordered that the city had to be saved at all costs.
The Battle for Stalingrad was fought from September of 1942 to January of 1943. At first, the German Army advanced to the city limits. The Russians, already devastated by the power of Blitzkrieg had to make a stand especially as the city was named after the Russian leader, Joseph Stalin. For simple reasons of morale, the Russians could not let this city fall. Likewise, the Russians could not let the Germans get hold of the oil fields in the Caucasus. Stalin’s order was "Not a step backwards". The battle for the city descended into one of the most brutal in World War II. Individual streets were fought over using hand-to-hand combat. The Germans took roughly 90% of the city but they failed to fully assert their authority. Areas captured by the Germans during the day, were frequently re-taken by the Russians at night.
By mid November, the Russians were in a position whereby they could launch a counter-offensive. One million Russians surrounded their own city and trapped the Germans (and what was left of Russian civilians) in Stalingrad's city limits. Unable to break out, people inside the city had to face the cold winter with power cut off and no way to resupply themselves. Temperatures dropped to well below zero and food, ammunition and heat were in short supply. They also dealt with constant bombardment from the Russian military.
Hitler ordered that the German army should fight to the last bullet. However, by the end of January 1943, the Germans could do nothing else but surrender.
Why was this battle so important?
The failure of the Axis Powers in this battle was nothing short of a disaster. Roughly 750,000 Axis soldiers were killed at Stalingrad and an additional 90,000 were taken prisoner (most of these died in Soviet camps shortly afterwards due to disease, malnutrition, lack of medical attention, or just sheer brutality). With such a massive loss of manpower and equipment, the Germans simply did not have enough manpower to cope with the Russian advance to Germany when it came. The Russians experienced even heavier losses, but they had way more manpower to draw on than Germany (think about how big Russia is as a country dompared to Germany). Most historians estimate about 1.1 million Russians dying at Stalingrad, including about 200,000 civilians. With death tolls totalling close to 2 million people, it was the bloodiest and most deadly battle of the entire war.
Despite resistance in parts, the Germans were in retreat from the advancing Russian army on the Eastern Front from February 1943 on. In his fury, Hitler ordered a day’s national mourning in Germany, not for the men lost at the battle, but for the shame this defeat brought on Germany. Hitler commented: "The God of War has gone over to the other side."
The Battle for Stalingrad was fought from September of 1942 to January of 1943. At first, the German Army advanced to the city limits. The Russians, already devastated by the power of Blitzkrieg had to make a stand especially as the city was named after the Russian leader, Joseph Stalin. For simple reasons of morale, the Russians could not let this city fall. Likewise, the Russians could not let the Germans get hold of the oil fields in the Caucasus. Stalin’s order was "Not a step backwards". The battle for the city descended into one of the most brutal in World War II. Individual streets were fought over using hand-to-hand combat. The Germans took roughly 90% of the city but they failed to fully assert their authority. Areas captured by the Germans during the day, were frequently re-taken by the Russians at night.
By mid November, the Russians were in a position whereby they could launch a counter-offensive. One million Russians surrounded their own city and trapped the Germans (and what was left of Russian civilians) in Stalingrad's city limits. Unable to break out, people inside the city had to face the cold winter with power cut off and no way to resupply themselves. Temperatures dropped to well below zero and food, ammunition and heat were in short supply. They also dealt with constant bombardment from the Russian military.
Hitler ordered that the German army should fight to the last bullet. However, by the end of January 1943, the Germans could do nothing else but surrender.
Why was this battle so important?
The failure of the Axis Powers in this battle was nothing short of a disaster. Roughly 750,000 Axis soldiers were killed at Stalingrad and an additional 90,000 were taken prisoner (most of these died in Soviet camps shortly afterwards due to disease, malnutrition, lack of medical attention, or just sheer brutality). With such a massive loss of manpower and equipment, the Germans simply did not have enough manpower to cope with the Russian advance to Germany when it came. The Russians experienced even heavier losses, but they had way more manpower to draw on than Germany (think about how big Russia is as a country dompared to Germany). Most historians estimate about 1.1 million Russians dying at Stalingrad, including about 200,000 civilians. With death tolls totalling close to 2 million people, it was the bloodiest and most deadly battle of the entire war.
Despite resistance in parts, the Germans were in retreat from the advancing Russian army on the Eastern Front from February 1943 on. In his fury, Hitler ordered a day’s national mourning in Germany, not for the men lost at the battle, but for the shame this defeat brought on Germany. Hitler commented: "The God of War has gone over to the other side."
Step 3: The Battle for North Africa
First U.S. Military Involvement on Land
The battle for North Africa was a struggle for control of the Suez Canal, access to oil from the Middle East and raw materials from Asia, and control of Mediterranean shipping. Oil had become extremely important due to the increased mechanization of modern armies. England was particularly dependent on the Middle Eastern oil. The Suez Canal also provided Britain with a valuable link to its colonies in Africa and the Middle East . Therefore, making sure North Africa was not controlled by the Axis Powers and being able to travel freely in the Mediterranean Sea were necessary for England to survive.
The struggle for control of North Africa began as early as October 1935, when Italy invaded Ethiopia (not pictured in map below, but directly east of the Sudan). At that point, Egypt granted England permission to station relatively large forces in their territory. England and France also agreed to divide the responsibility for maintaining naval control of the Mediterranean. There were no problems between vessels from both sides in the Mediterranean until Germany invaded France in June of 1940. It was at this point that Mussolini declared war on France and England and began having his navy attack vessels from both countries. Within a week, France no longer existed as an independent country, and it's African colonies of Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria (on the map below) soon became controlled by Germany. Hitler and Mussolini now only had to worry about England for control of Northern Africa and the Mediterranean.
At the beginning of this conflict, England was outnumbered in pretty much every capacity by Italy alone... not even including German figures. On the ground, Italy had about 200,000 troops in Libya (a colony of Italy... see map below) and another 250,000 troops in Ethiopia while England had only 100,000 troops to defend its Middle Eastern Colonies (see picture below). England's Navy had less than 50 combat ships in the region compared to the fleet of roughly 200 war vessels for Italy. The Italians held an especially large edge in submarines, with about 100 subs against about 10 for England. Finally, England's Royal Air Force had roughly 200 aircraft in the region against approximately 300 for the Italian air force. Over the course of the next 3 years, many battles would take place and the U.S. would eventually get involved for the first time when a joint land offensive with England... Operation Torch .... was launched over the course of a week in November of 1942. Roughly 110,000 Allied troops landed in 3 different locations (see 2nd map below... Western, Center, Eastern) with top of the line military equipment manufactured mainly in the U.S. (tanks, planes, jeeps, weapons, etc...). In a way, this was a smaller scale, much less dangerous version of the Normandy Invasion of France which was to come 2 years later.
It took roughly 6 months for the combined Allied Forces to gain total control of North Africa and protect its oil interests in the Middle East. The Germans didn't have many troops in the African territories it controlled and they were gradually defeated while many Italian troops ended up retreating back into Italy to protect their homeland or surrendered to Allied Forces. By May of 1943, the Allies totally controlled the African Continent and were ready to go on the offensive into Sicily and then mainland Italy.
Roughly 70,000 Allied personnel died in the 3 and a half year long North African Military Campaign (including about 9,000 Americans) while around 42,000 Axis troops died, an additional half a million surrendered and were held as Prisoners of War (POW's), and the rest retreated back into Europe.
The struggle for control of North Africa began as early as October 1935, when Italy invaded Ethiopia (not pictured in map below, but directly east of the Sudan). At that point, Egypt granted England permission to station relatively large forces in their territory. England and France also agreed to divide the responsibility for maintaining naval control of the Mediterranean. There were no problems between vessels from both sides in the Mediterranean until Germany invaded France in June of 1940. It was at this point that Mussolini declared war on France and England and began having his navy attack vessels from both countries. Within a week, France no longer existed as an independent country, and it's African colonies of Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria (on the map below) soon became controlled by Germany. Hitler and Mussolini now only had to worry about England for control of Northern Africa and the Mediterranean.
At the beginning of this conflict, England was outnumbered in pretty much every capacity by Italy alone... not even including German figures. On the ground, Italy had about 200,000 troops in Libya (a colony of Italy... see map below) and another 250,000 troops in Ethiopia while England had only 100,000 troops to defend its Middle Eastern Colonies (see picture below). England's Navy had less than 50 combat ships in the region compared to the fleet of roughly 200 war vessels for Italy. The Italians held an especially large edge in submarines, with about 100 subs against about 10 for England. Finally, England's Royal Air Force had roughly 200 aircraft in the region against approximately 300 for the Italian air force. Over the course of the next 3 years, many battles would take place and the U.S. would eventually get involved for the first time when a joint land offensive with England... Operation Torch .... was launched over the course of a week in November of 1942. Roughly 110,000 Allied troops landed in 3 different locations (see 2nd map below... Western, Center, Eastern) with top of the line military equipment manufactured mainly in the U.S. (tanks, planes, jeeps, weapons, etc...). In a way, this was a smaller scale, much less dangerous version of the Normandy Invasion of France which was to come 2 years later.
It took roughly 6 months for the combined Allied Forces to gain total control of North Africa and protect its oil interests in the Middle East. The Germans didn't have many troops in the African territories it controlled and they were gradually defeated while many Italian troops ended up retreating back into Italy to protect their homeland or surrendered to Allied Forces. By May of 1943, the Allies totally controlled the African Continent and were ready to go on the offensive into Sicily and then mainland Italy.
Roughly 70,000 Allied personnel died in the 3 and a half year long North African Military Campaign (including about 9,000 Americans) while around 42,000 Axis troops died, an additional half a million surrendered and were held as Prisoners of War (POW's), and the rest retreated back into Europe.
Step 4: The Battle for Italy
First Landing in Europe by Allied Forces Other than Russia
The Battle for Italy began in mid July of 1943 and didn't end until just before Germany's surrender in May of 1945. Roughly 700,000 people (about 330,000 Allied Soldiers + Italian Civilians and 370,000 Axis Soldiers) died during the nearly 2 year long conflict, making it the bloodiest front of the war in Europe (The Russian front had many more casualties). The Allies began by gaining control of the island of Sicily from Italian and German military personnel in about a month. Just before the invasion of mainland Italy, the Italian government agreed to an armistice (cease fire) with the Allies, so the Italian military was out of the war by mid September. That didn't stop Germany from having its military fight in Italy. In early October 1943, Hitler was persuaded by his military leaders in Italy that the defense of Italy should be conducted as far away from Germany as possible. This would make the most of the natural defensive geography of Central Italy (lots of mountains), and deny the Allies the easy capture of a succession of airfields just North of Rome, each one being ever closer to Germany. The Germans immediately ordered the preparation of a series of defensive lines (pictured below) across Italy, south of Rome.
It took Allied forces nearly a year to break through all of these German fortifications. U.S. forces finally took possession of Rome on June 4th, 1944 and began to push further North. At first, they found this to be relatively easy... especially after many German troops were redeployed from Italy to France to deal with the Normandy Invasion that had started. The Germans slowed down the Allies though with another series of fortifications similar to those put in place in Central Italy. The next 6 - 9 months were spent slowly but surely defeating these fortifications (picture below)
Italy's involvement in WW2 - Explained
The Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen were the 1st African Americans to serve in the Air Force. This group first saw military action during
the bombing of the island of Sicily and then Mainland Italy. They went on to serve in many successful missions throughout Europe during the war against Germany as well. They did not fight in the Pacific against the Japanese. There were roughly 450 African - American pilots deployed in over 1500 missions. Roughly 150 of these pilots died (some in battle, some in accidents, some during training). As a group, they were one of the most highly decorated (meaning a lot of medals) units during the war if you take their limited size into account. Several films have been made about this group, with the most recent being the 2012 film Red Tails. A preview for the film is listed below
the bombing of the island of Sicily and then Mainland Italy. They went on to serve in many successful missions throughout Europe during the war against Germany as well. They did not fight in the Pacific against the Japanese. There were roughly 450 African - American pilots deployed in over 1500 missions. Roughly 150 of these pilots died (some in battle, some in accidents, some during training). As a group, they were one of the most highly decorated (meaning a lot of medals) units during the war if you take their limited size into account. Several films have been made about this group, with the most recent being the 2012 film Red Tails. A preview for the film is listed below
Step 5: The Normandy Invasion and Eventual Liberation of France
Opening up a Western Front against Germany
The Russians had been fighting against Germany since mid 1941 when Hitler broke the non-aggression pact he had signed with Stalin. Besides the occassional bombing of England, this Eastern Front against the Russians was where Hitler focused nearly all of the might of his military for over a year. It wasn't until the Allies invaded North Africa in November of 1942 and then eventually made their way into Italy in mid 1943 that the Allies opened up a second Southern Front that Germany had to actively defend. Plans to open up a Western Front in France (codenamed Operation Overlord) had been discussed since 1942, but it wasn't until D-Day (June 6th, 1944) that the Allies began an all out effort to make that happen. 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the coast of France’s Normandy region on that first day. The invasion remains the largest amphibious military assault (troops coming from water to land) in history. Prior to D-Day, the Allies conducted a large-scale deception campaign designed to mislead the Germans about the intended invasion target. This left the beaches of Normandy less fortified as most German personnel were positioned closer to the city of Calais (see Northeastern Comer of the map below). By the end of the first week of battle, the beaches were fully secured and over 325,000 troops, more than 50,000 vehicles, and 100,000 tons of equipment had landed at Normandy. By the end of June, the Allies had fought their way along the Normandy Coast and seized the vital port of Cherbourg. After the port was repaired, they landed an additional 850,000 men and 150,000 vehicles. At this point, the Allies made their push to march away from the coast of France and towards Paris. By the end of August 1944, the Allies had reached the Seine River and Paris was liberated. The German military retreated back into Germany. By the end of September, the Allied forces were prepared to enter Germany, where they would meet up with Soviet troops moving in from the east.
The Planning and Carrying out of Operation Overlord
This nearly 52 minute video covers everything involved with Operation Overlord... the planning, the deception, and the military equipment that was used by both sides. I will likely show portions of this in class to cover parts of the Normandy Invasion that the Saving Private Ryan video doesn't address (German fortifications along the coast, the false messages of landings occurring in Calais, the parachuting of Allied troops into France, the air bombings, etc....). Start the video at 4:55 if you want to watch the entire thing (the first 5 minutes are about how previous Allied attempts at invading the French Coast had failed). The Securing of Normandy ends at 27:50. The remainder of the video discusses liberating the rest of France, and ends by briefly discussing the liberation of Paris at 50:45.
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 film set during and following the invasion of Normandy in World War II. The first 4-5 minutes of the film show an old man (Matt Damon) and his family at a cemetery in France, where many of his friends from 50 years ago are buried. The next 20 - 25 minutes (most of which are included in the clip above) horrifically and realistically depict just what the Normandy Invasion was like. The remainder of the film is about a fictional account of a plan of around a dozen men (led by Tom Hanks) to journey through France to inform the younger version of Matt Damon that he was released from military service immediately and supposed to go home. The film won 5 Academy Awards and is generally considered to be one of the best military films of all time. The film is almost 3 hours long, which makes it impossible to show in its entirety during class.
The Liberation of Paris
The picture above was taken by Life magazine less than a week after Paris was liberated from Germany by the Allies in August of 1944. Ceremonies and parades honoring the Allied Forces for their bravery and sacrifices continued for weeks, years, and even decades later. The original caption that went with the photograph was, ""Paris is like a magic sword in a fairy tale — a shining power in those hands to which it rightly belongs, in other hands tinsel and lead. Whenever the City of Light changes hands, Western Civilization shifts its political balance. So it has been for seven centuries; so it was in 1940; so it was last week."
The Battle of the Bulge
This 3 minute clip briefly describes the conditions soldiers had to deal with during the 2 month long Battle of the Bulge that occurred on the Western Front towards the end of 1944 and early in 1945. The main objective of the Battle involved the German military going on the offensive and attempting to reclaim lost territory in Belgium, Luxembourg, and France from the Western Allies (namely the Americans, British, and free French military personnel fighting there. Hitler believed this offensive would force the Western Allies to negotiate a peace treaty with Germany, allow Hitler to remain in power, and focus solely on preventing the Russian military from entering Germany from the East. 'It didn't work. The Allies eventually contained this push forward. Allied reinforcements led by General George Patton (who led the liberation of Paris), and improving weather conditions, which permitted air attacks on German forces and supply lines, sealed the failure of the German offensive. Many experienced German units were left severely depleted of men and equipment, as survivors retreated to the defenses of the Siegfried Line (the series of German trenches and fortifications opposite the Maginot Line just inside the German Border.... it is pictured on the map below). Roughly 600,000 Americans participated in this battle, with 19,000 dead and an additional 70,000 injured. This made the Battle of the Bulge the largest and bloodiest battle fought in World War II in terms of American participation and overall casualties. Germany suffered even greater losses, with roughly 120,000 soldiers killed, severely injured, or surrendering to Allied forces plus a substantially greater loss in military vehicles (tanks, planes) and equipment when compared with the Allies. This would be Germany's final offensive during the war. Over the course of the next couple months, the Allies would eventually cross over the border of Germany, defeat resistance at several rivers located just inside the border, and penetrate through the fortifications and trenches of the Siegfried Line on their way into Germany. The Battle of the Bulge definitely was the beginning of the end for the German military on the Western Front.
Maps showing how Axis Territory was gradually lost in Europe (by Germany and Italy) and Asia (by Japan) to the Allies during the Final 2 Years of WWII
The series of maps I found at Wikipedia showing this are pretty cool. You can access the page here. Be sure to look at the Legend first to understand what the color changes on the maps mean.
Hitler's Death?
Discusses the Nazi leaders final days and suicide... along with the conspiracy theory about him escaping to Argentina at the end of the war.
Review Video Clip #2 - Achieving Victory in Europe
This 12 minute clip touches on almost everything involved with the Allies achieving victory against Germany and Italy. It focuses on the Allies discussing strategy needed for victory, successfully getting supplies and troops across the Atlantic, victories in Africa, the Russian victory at the Battle of Stalingrad, Allied victory in Italy, the Normandy invasion, the Battle of the Bulge, the cease fire in Europe, and the death of FDR.