WWII Battles Part 1

World War II Battles

and other
Major Events

Strike Hitler First...Well Kinda

▪ December 1941, FDR and Churchill met

to discuss a plan of action.

▪ Churchill convinced FDR Germany was

the biggest threat.

▪ The U.S. teamed with Britain to put a

dent in the Nazi Empire.

Multiple Choice

Who did Winston Churchill say was the biggest threat?

• Stalin

• Hitler

• Hirohito

• Franco

Open Ended

Do you agree with Winston Churchill that Hitler (Nazi Empire) was the greatest threat? Why? Why not? (2-3 Complete Sentences)

Battle of the Atlantic

▪ Britain and Soviet Union depended on

supplies shipped through the Atlantic
Ocean.

▪ German Wolf Packs destroyed hundreds

of ships.

▪ The Allies organized convoys to protect

large freighters (ships that carried
supplies).

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the best representation of a convoy during WWII in the Atlantic?

Battle of Stalingrad

▪ Germany began fighting in the Soviet

Union in June 1941, but by winter the
extreme cold stopped them.

▪ August 1942, Nazis began their take-over

of the city of Stalingrad.

▪ Once again the bitter-cold stopped them

and the Soviets forced a surrender.

▪ It proved to be a turning point in 1943.

Multiple Choice

What proved to be instrumental in preventing the Nazis to takeover the Soviet Union (Russia)?

• The bitter cold winter

• The invention of the machine gun

• The scorching heat of summer

• The atomic bomb

North Africa

▪ Axis Powers controlled Northern Africa.
▪ Stalin urged the Allies to attack Germany

from the West, they went to North Africa
first.

▪ Operation Torch was led by Dwight D.

Eisenhower.

▪ The Allies took control of North Africa by

May 1943.

Open Ended

How do you think Stalin (Soviet Union) felt about the U.S. and Britain not attacking the Nazi in Western Europe first? Explain. (2-3 Complete Sentences)

Italian Campaign

▪ FDR and Churchill debated on a full

attack on the Nazis in
France→Germany→Italy.

▪ They decided to attack Italy in Summer

1943.

▪ Benito Mussolini resigned along with

King Victor Emmanuel III.

▪ Germans continued the fight with the

Battle of Anzio into 1944…Italy wasn’t
officially free until 1945.

Early Attacks in Pacific

▪ Spring 1942, Doolittle Raid is payback for

Pearl Harbor.

▪ Battle of Coral Sea—Japan set their sight

on Australia. U.S./Australian
counter-attack was done by aircraft in the
sea.

▪ Battle of Midway—U.S. were able to

fend-off a Japanese invasion of the small
island.

Multiple Choice

Which event was considered immediate payback for Pearl Harbor?

• Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagaski

• Japanese-American Internment

• Invasion of North Africa

• Doolittler Raid on Japanese Mainland

Island Hopping

▪ U.S. began attacking the various islands

Japan occupied throughout the Pacific.

▪ It took American several months and

heavy casualties to defeat the Japanese
at Guadalcanal.

▪ Iwo Jima—U.S. took over the small

island near the Japanese mainland in
1945.

Open Ended

Why was the strategy of "Island Hopping" necessary for the United States to defeat Japan in the Pacific? (2-3 Complete Sentences)