World War II: Europe and North Africa

The End of World War II

The Turning Point in Europe

In Europe, the Soviet Union was able to repel Axis forces at the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943

On the retreat, Germany attempted to re-assert an offensive position at the
Battle of Kursk four months later, but was again repelled by the Soviets

After the battles of Stalingrad and Kursk, the Soviets would
maintain the offensive initiative for the remainder of the war

Allied American invasions of North Africa and Italy in 1942 and
1943 stretched depleted Axis forces and supplies too thin

By June 1944, and the Allied invasion of Normandy in France, Axis
forces were hopelessly forced to fight a retreating war on both fronts

Battle of Stalingrad

Battle of Kursk

Allied Invasion of Normandy

Turning Point in the Pacific

In the Pacific, codebreaking allowed the U.S. to ambush a Japanese offensive at Midway in 1942

The U.S. sank four Japanese carriers, losing only one themselves

With a major U.S. advantage in aircraft carriers, resources, and
population, the Japanese were forced to fight a defensive war

Allied victory in the Guadalcanal campaign in 1943 and island
hopping allowed Allied forces to inch their way towards Japan

A lack of pilots, mechanics, and resources caused the desperate
Japanese military to resort to kamikaze missions against the U.S.

Victory at the island battle of Iwo Jima and later Okinawa in 1945 placed American naval
forces close enough to Japan to launch bombing raids and a potential mainland invasion

Battle of Midway

Guadalcanal campaign

Battle of Okinawa

Island Hopping

In Europe, a last Axis attempt at the Battle of the Bulge in
late 1944 failed to push Allied forces out of Western Europe

By May of 1945, the Soviets had captured Berlin; Germany surrender shortly after

In the Pacific, many believed an obstinate Japan would refuse
surrender, opting to fight a devasting defense of its mainland islands

Americans considered using the atomic bombs developed by the Manhattan Project

American military motivations for using the bomb were two-fold:

1.

The desire to end the war with less Allied and Japanese casualties

2.

To prevent the communist Soviets from occupying more land in East Asia

After the use of the devastating atomic bomb on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki in August of 1945, Japan surrendered to the United States

The End of World War II

Victory in Europe Day-May 8, 1945

Victory in Japan Day-September 2, 1945