Chapter 18 section 3

Victory in Europe

Objectives:

Identify where the Allied offensive in Europe began.

Explain the impact of fighting in the Atlantic and in the air.

Analyze how the Allies successfully invaded Normandy.

Victory in Europe

Battle of El Alamein British stopped Axis advance in North Africa.

Allies launch “Operation Torch”- plan to remove Axis from North Africa.

Attack 8 November 1942 British forces to push from the east British- American forces to land at

Casablanca, Oren, Algiers and move west.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower in command of Allied forces in North Africa.

Allies push Axis from North Africa and force their retreat to Europe in May 1943.

Italian Campaign

Next step to attack “Fortress Europe” Churchill in meetings with Stalin,

Roosevelt believed the best place was Italy.

Called it “soft underbelly” 1st conquer Sicily launch pad to attack

Italy.

Once Italy was captured Europe could be conquered.

July ’43 Landed in Sicily Conquered a month later.

September ’43 landed at Salerno on Italian mainland.

November ’43 had Naples Offensive slowed by Germans resistance

which refuse to give up Italy.

4 June 1944 Rome fell 1st Axis capital to fall.

End of Mussolini

Just before Allies invaded King Removed Mussolini as P.M.

Ordered his arrest. New P.M. signed

armistice w/ Allies September ‘43

Germans took Mussolini north, set up base for him.

At the end of the Italian campaign, captured by own men and executed.

Sea and Air Assaults

Battle of the Atlantic

Sea battle for dominance of Atlantic Axis submarine attacks took huge toll on

Allies. With sonar- sound waves that detect

objects- Allies turn the tide in ’43. Sea dominance allows Allies to protect

cargo ships and sink Axis vessels. By ’44 Allies win battle of Atlantic.

Air Assaults

Allies begin strategic bombing campaign aimed at destroying German production and undermining morale.

Carpet Bombing- used by both sides. Large # of bombs dropped over a wide

area. U.S. conducted daytime raids British night.

Significance:

Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic and in the skies over Europe allowed them to invade Europe.

Operation Overlord

Allies win control of sky, sea.

Opened Europe to invasion.

General George C. Marshall led planning.

Eisenhower chosen to lead invasion.

Created dummy invasion aimed at Calais.

Landed at Normandy 6 June 1944.

D-Day

“D-Day”- Invasion of Europe. 150,000 Allied troops landed on five beaches.

Utah Omaha U.S.

Juno Gold British Sword British and Canadian.

http://france-for-visitors.com/images/pdf/invasion-beaches-france-map.pdf

General Omar Bradley led U.S. forces ashore.

Germans fortified beaches. Tough opposition.

Saving Private Ryan

Able to establish beach head but could only move 20 miles inland by July.

Americans launch Operation Cobra and break out.

Germans forced to retreat. 25 August ’44 take Paris.

Battle of the Bulge

September ’44 allies pushed Germans back into Germany.

December Germans launch counter attack.

Push westward into Belgium/ Northern France

Created bulge in Allied front lines.

101st Airborne defending Belgian town of Bastogne surrounded.

Allies counterattack spearheaded by Patton who stops German advance.

Last German offensive of World War II Allies force Germans back into Germany.

Yalta

February ’45 Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin meet to plan post war peace in Yalta.

Planned to divide Germany between Allies and occupy after the war and outline plans for a new international peace organization.

Fall of Germany

Allied bombers kept bombing German cities destroying factories/ morale.

March ’45 allies cross the Rhine and drive toward center of Germany.

Soviets pushed from east, controlled most of Eastern Europe.

Churchill feared Soviets would keep territories it conquered from Germany, wanted Eisenhower to keep pushing east.

Eisenhower didn’t want military strategy to be determined by politics.

Stopped at Elbe River in April. Met with Soviet soldiers there. With Allied forces closing in, on 30 April

1945, Hitler committed suicide. 7 May 45 Germany surrenders 8 May Victory in Europe V.E. Day