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Period: to
Battle of Atlantic
German U-Boats were sinking unprotected U.S. and other Allies' merchant ships
Allies began using convoys to protect ships
The Allies also used a sonar system to detect German U-Boats
The Germans were very successful in the beginning, but by mid - 1943, the Allies had the upper hand -
Period: to
Battle of Stalingrad
Germans violated nonaggression pact with Soviet Union and attacked
Hitler hoped to capture Soviet oil fields
Germans nearly won (controlled 9/10 of the city)
Winter of 1943 hit
Hitler forced Germans to stay put
Soviets used to their advantage and won
Soviets lost 1,100,000 people in this battle
Turning point in WWII
From that point on, Soviet army began to move westward towards Germany -
2 full blown attacks on Pearl Harbor by Japanese.
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US declares war on Japan
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Germany and Italy declare war on U.S.
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Period: to
Battle of the Coral Sea
Prior to this battle, the Japanese were winning every battle and taking over the Pacific
May 1942 - U.S. and Australia stopped Japan from invading
Japan won the actual battle, but the allies were able to stop Japan invasion for the first time
U.S. was beginning to use the Island Hopping technique to weaken Japan’s forces -
Period: to
Battle of Midway
Admiral Chester Nimitz intercepted Japanese code
U.S. launched surprise attack on Japan at Pacific island called Midway
U.S. was successful in the Battle of Midway
The Japanese lost 4 carriers, a heavy cruiser, 3 destroyers, some 275 planes, at least 4,800 men, and suffered heavy damage among the remaining vessels of their fleet.
American losses included 1 carrier, the Yorktown, a destroyer, about 150 planes, and 307 men -
D-Day
During this time, Soviet Union was pushing into Poland and Allies were pushing North in Italy
Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower and George Patton influential in leading attack
3 million ally troops to attack -
France was freed from Nazi control.
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Period: to
Battle of the Bulge
German tanks broke through American lines (80 mile front)
Fought in Belgium - Germany was trying to capture Antwerp
Very brutal war - one of the most extensive of U.S. military (120 American GIs captured and mowed down by SS machine guns and pistols)
Germans were winning in the beginning
120,000 Germans died (also lost 600 tanks and guns and 1,600 planes – leading to defeat))
80,000 Americans died
Americans won, but were close to losing -
Yalta Conference
Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill met in Yalta in the Soviet Union to discuss post WWII
Set up United Nations -
Period: to
Iwo Jima
Island in the Pacific that was critical for U.S. win
Feb.19-March 26,1945
27,000 Japanese held Iwo Jima
U.S. won
26,800 Japanese troops died
6,000 U.S. Marines died -
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Battle of Okinawa
Japan’s last defensive stronghold
Japan used 1,900 Kamikaze attacks
110,000 Japanese troops died
7,600 - 12,500 U.S U.S. troops died
U.S. won -
Roosevelt's Death
At the beginning of his 4th Term, President Franklin D. Roosevelt passes away
The U.S. went through a major grieving period -
Presidential Takeover
Harry S. Truman, as Vice-President, takes the role as President -
The End of Hitler
Hitler and Eva Braun commit suicide (gun shot and cyanide)
Bodies burned -
Hitler's death reaches cover of Time magazine
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V-E Day
General Eisenhower accepted a surrender by the Third Reich
V-E day = Victory in Europe day
1st part of War was over -
Period: to
Potsdam
Truman, (Churchill and then Clement Atlee) and Stalin met in Potsdam, Germany
Drew up a blueprint to disarm Germany and eliminate the Nazi regimeDivided Germany into 4 sections (occupied by France, Britain, U.S. and Soviet Union)
Berlin to be divided up in East (or Soviet Germany)
Set up the Nuremberg Trials to persecute Nazi leaders
Japan must “unconditionally surrender” -
Period: to
Manhattan Project
200,000 Japanese died due to the Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Hiroshima
August 6, 1945
“Little Boy”
In 43 seconds, the city collapsed to dust Nagasaki
August 9, 1945
“Fat Man”
Leveled half of the city -
Japan offers unconditional surrender
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V-J Day
V-J Day = Victory in Japan Day (Formal surrender) -
Period: to
Occupation of Japan
Similar trials held for Japanese war criminals
7 out of 28 leaders were found guilty and sentenced to death (including Tojo)
U.S. occupied Japan for 6 years under the direction of General Douglas MacArthur
Called for a New Constitution (with free elections and women suffrage)
Introduced a free market economy -
Period: to
Nuremberg Trials
International tribunal court tried Nazi officials
Over 23 nations tried Nazi war criminals in Nuremberg, Germany
12 of the 22 defendants were sentenced to death
200 other officials were found guilty, but given lesser sentences