War for Europe and North Africa - Part II

Read the remainder of Chapter 25-2 (pages 779 onward) (War for Europe and North Africa)
6. What was D-Day?
On June 6, 1944, the Allies invaded Normandy in northern France. Three divisions parachuted down behind German lines. They were followed by thousands of soldiers from the sea.

7. What happened at the Battle of the Bulge?
After the U.S. captured their first German town, Hitler wanted to retaliate. Germans broke through weak American defenses. Hitler hoped that a victory would split American and British forces and break up Allied supply lines. When the German tanks drove into the Allied territory, it created a bulge in the lines, and that's why it's called the Battle of the Bulge. This battle went on for a month. The Germans had pushed back and it seemed too look the way it had before the battle, but really the Germans had lots a lot of soldiers and machinery so they were not able to fight anymore.

8. What did Allied troops find in Germany?
Allied troops found Nazi death camps in July 1944 when they were pushing eastward into Germany. They found many dead bodies and many starving, emaciated prisoners.

9. What happened to Hitler? What happened to F.D. Roosevelt? Who became U.S. President?

Hitler killed himself. F.D.R. died on April 12, 2945 and Vice President Harry Truman became president.

War for Europe & North Africa

Read Chapter 25-2 (pages 775 - 779)

1. To what did Roosevelt and Churchill agree early in the war?

They agreed to strike against Hitler. They thought that Germany and Italy posed a greater threat than Japan.

2. Why was winning the Battle of the Atlantic so crucial to the fortunes of the Allies?

Britain depended on supplies from North America. Hitler knew that if he cut of their path, Britain would be starved into submission.

3. Why was the Battle of Stalingrad so important?
The Soviet Victory against Germany marked a turning point in the war. From that point on, the Soviet army began to move westward toward Germany.

4. What happened in the war in North Africa?
Stalin believed that if Great Britain and America opened a second front across the English Channel would force Hitler to divert troops from the Soviet front. Churchill and Roosevelt didn't think that the Allies had enough troops to attempt invasion on European soil. Instead they launched Operation Torch, an invasion of Axis controlled North Africa. Many Allied troops invaded and went eastward. After months of heavy fighting, the Afrika Korps surrendered.

5. What happened after the Allies invaded Italy?

Hitler was determined to stop the Allies in Italy rather than fight on German soil. This battle was called "Bloody Anzio" lasted four months. After the battle, German armies continued to put up strong resistance. The effort to free Italy didn't succeed until 1945 when Germany was close to collapsing.