European Theater

Dunkirk

• Germany attacked France and cornered them at Dunkirk

• German airforce (Luftwaffe) was to come and wipe them out

• Weather was bad• British came to the rescue and ferried them

across the English Chanel

Bombing of Britain• Germany began bombing to prepare for a land

invasion• The RAF (Royal Air Force) destroyed German

bombers• Every day for 113 days• Hitler grew impatient and abandoned the plan

Russia

• Hitler wanted to take advantage of Russia’s natural resources

• Russians used a “scorched earth policy” – Russians destroyed everything that could be used by the Nazis.

Pacific Theater

Philippines• Japanese attacked a number of islands in the

Pacific including the Philippines• President Roosevelt ordered Douglas

MacArthur to leave to avoid capture

Douglas MacArthur

Midway Island

• Americans had an important naval base on this island

• Americans were outnumbered, but the Americans attacked and forced the Japanese to retreat

Turning Points in the War

1. Germany invading Russia

• Resulted in Germany fighting a two-front war

2. Japan attacked the United States

• The US declared war on Japan, and then Germany and Italy declared war on the US

3. Italy surrendered

• Dwight D. Eisenhower, the US General, led troops into Sicily and forced the Italian government to surrender

4. D-Day

• Allied leaders had to decide where to attack• Decided on France• June 6, 1944

5. Germany surrendered

• Germany tried one last time to break through the Allied forces at the Battle of the Bulge

• V-E Day was May 8, 1945• Victory in Europe Day

6. Dropping of the atomic bomb

• Harry Truman ordered Japan to surrender• They refused• Dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on

August 6, 1945• Japan refused to surrender• Dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki on

August 9, 1945• Japan surrendered

• War was officially over on September 2, 1945