The Early Battles PDF

Soviet needs help Almost from the moment the United States entered the war, Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, urged President Roosevelt to open a second front in Europe in...

Soviet needs help Almost from the moment the United States entered the war, Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, urged President Roosevelt to open a second front in Europe intro: In 1942 Allied forces began to win victories in Europe as well. after: The Soviet people were still doing most of the fighting. If British and American troops opened a second front by attacking Germany from the west, it would take pressure off the Soviet Union. G10 U5 L3 S1 The Early Battles Page 1 of 15  Strategy He did not believe the United States and Great Britain were ready to launch a full-scale invasion of Europe. Instead Churchill wanted to attack the periphery, or edges, of the German empire. intro: Roosevelt wanted to get American troops into battle in Europe, but Prime Minister Churchill urged caution after: Roosevelt agreed with Churchill’s plan, and in July 1942 he ordered the invasion of Morocco and Algeria—two French territories indirectly under German control. G10 U5 L3 S1 The Early Battles Page 2 of 15  Reasons for Invasion First, the invasion would give the army some experience without requiring a lot of troops. More importantly, once American troops were in North Africa, they would be able to help British troops fighting the Germans in Egypt. intro: Roosevelt decided to invade Morocco and Algeria for two reasons. after: G10 U5 L3 S1 The Early Battles Page 3 of 15  Suez Canal Most of Britain’s empire, including India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaya, and Australia, used the canal to send supplies to Britain intro: Egypt was very important to Britain because of the Suez Canal. after: Britain would be devastated if it lost the canal. G10 U5 L3 S1 The Early Battles Page 4 of 15  German forces The German forces in the area, known as the “Afrika Korps,” were commanded by General Erwin Rommel—a brilliant leader whose success earned him the nickname “Desert Fox.” intro: after: The British forced Rommel to retreat at the battle of El Alamein, but his forces remained a serious threat. G10 U5 L3 S1 The Early Battles Page 5 of 15  Operation Torch The American forces in Morocco, led by General George Patton, quickly captured the city of Casablanca, while those in Algeria seized the cities of Oran and Algiers. intro: On November 8, 1942, the American invasion of North Africa began under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower after: The Americans then headed east into Tunisia, while British forces headed west into Libya. The plan was to trap Rommel between the two Allied forces. G10 U5 L3 S1 The Early Battles Page 6 of 15  Battle of Kasserine Pass They did not do well. At the Battle of Kasserine Pass, the Americans were outmaneuvered and outfought. They suffered roughly 7,000 casualties and lost nearly 200 tanks. intro: When the American troops advanced into the mountains of western Tunisia, they had to fight the German army for the first time. after: G10 U5 L3 S1 The Early Battles Page 7 of 15  Victory Eisenhower fired the general who led the attack and put Patton in command. Together, the American and British forces finally pushed the Germans back. intro: after: On May 13, 1943, the last German forces in North Africa surrendered. G10 U5 L3 S1 The Early Battles Page 8 of 15  The Battle of the Atlantic German submarines entered American coastal waters. They found American cargo ships to be easy targets, especially at night when the glow from the cities in the night sky silhouetted the vessels intro: As American and British troops fought the German army in North Africa, the war against German submarines in the Atlantic Ocean continued to intensify. After Germany declared war on the United States, after:. To protect the ships, cities on the East Coast dimmed their lights every evening. G10 U5 L3 S1 The Early Battles Page 9 of 15  Convoy System Under this system, cargo ships traveled in groups and were escorted by navy warships. The convoy system improved the situation dramatically. intro: By August 1942, German submarines had sunk about 360 American ships along the American coast The loss of so many ships convinced the U.S. Navy to set up a convoy system after: It made it much harder for a submarine to torpedo a cargo ship and escape without being attacked. G10 U5 L3 S1 The Early Battles Page 10 of 15  Effect of Mobilization For War In May and June alone, over 1.2 million tons of shipping were sunk. Yet in those same two months, American and British shipyards built over 1.1 million tons of new shipping. intro: The spring of 1942 marked the high point of the German submarine campaign after: From July 1942 onward, American shipyards produced more ships than German submarines managed to sink. G10 U5 L3 S1 The Early Battles Page 11 of 15  New Techonologies At the same time, American airplanes and warships began to use new technology, including radar, sonar, and depth charges, to locate and attack submarines intro: after: As the new technology began to take its toll on German submarines, the Battle of the Atlantic slowly turned in favor of the Allies. G10 U5 L3 S1 The Early Battles Page 12 of 15  German War Situation Rommel’s troops were pushing the British back in Egypt. German submarines were sinking American ships rapidly, and the German army was ready to launch a new offensive to knock the Soviets out of the war. intro: In the spring of 1942, before the Battle of the Atlantic turned against Germany, Adolf Hitler was very confident he would win the war. after: Hitler was convinced that the only way to defeat the Soviet Union was to destroy its economy. See map Rommel’s troops were pushing the British back in Egypt. German submarines were sinking American ships rapidly, and the German army was ready to launch a new offensive to knock the Soviets out of the war. G10 U5 L3 S1 The Early Battles Page 13 of 15  City of Stalingrad The city controlled the Volga River and was a major railroad junction. If the German army captured Stalingrad, the Soviets would be cut off from the resources they needed to stay in the war intro: n May 1942, he ordered his army to capture strategic oil fields, industries, and farmlands in southern Russia and Ukraine. The key to the attack was the city of Stalingrad. after: When German troops entered Stalingrad in midSeptember, Stalin ordered his troops to hold the city at all cost. Retreat was forbidden. The Germans were forced to fight from house to house, losing thousands of soldiers in the process G10 U5 L3 S1 The Early Battles Page 14 of 15  Reinforcements Arrived! When the battle ended, 91,000 Germans had surrendered, although only 5,000 of them survived the Soviet prison camps and returned home after the war. intro: On November 23, Soviet reinforcements arrived and surrounded Stalingrad, trapping almost 250,000 German troops. after: The Battle of Stalingrad was a major turning point in the war. Just as the Battle of Midway put the Japanese on the defensive for the rest of the war, the Battle of Stalingrad put the Germans on the defensive as well. G10 U5 L3 S1 The Early Battles Page 15 of 15