Casablanca Conference and WWII Military Strategy PDF

Casablanca Conference The goal of this new campaign was “the progressive destruction of the German military, industrial, and economic system, and the undermining of the morale of the German people.”...

Casablanca Conference The goal of this new campaign was “the progressive destruction of the German military, industrial, and economic system, and the undermining of the morale of the German people.” intro: In January 1943, the president headed to Casablanca, Morocco, to meet the prime minister to plan the next step At the Casablanca Conference, Roosevelt and Churchill agreed to step up the bombing of Germany after: The Allies also agreed to attack the Axis on the island of Sicily. Churchill called Italy the “soft underbelly” of Europe and was convinced that the Italians would quit the war if the Allies invaded their homeland. G10 U5 L3 S2 Pushing the Axis Back Page 1 of 12  Strategic Bombing Between January 1943 and May 1945, the Royal Air Force and the United States Eighth Army Air Force dropped approximately 53,000 tons (48,230 t) of explosives on Germany every month. intro: The Allies had been bombing Germany even before the Casablanca Conference. 2 tons from Britain and 3 tons from America. These numbers were tiny, however, compared to the massive new campaign. after: G10 U5 L3 S2 Pushing the Axis Back Page 2 of 12  Effects of Bombing It did cause a severe oil shortage and wrecked the railroad system. It also destroyed so many aircraft factories that Germany’s air force could not replace its combat losses. intro: The bombing campaign did not destroy Germany’s economy or undermine German morale but lets look at its effect. after: By the time the Allies landed in France, they had total control of the air, ensuring that their troops would not be bombed. G10 U5 L3 S2 Pushing the Axis Back Page 3 of 12  Command in Invasion of Sicily General Dwight D. Eisenhower was placed in overall command of the invasion. General Patton and the British General Bernard Montgomery were put in charge of the actual forces on the ground. intro: As the bombing campaign against Germany intensified, the plan for the invasion of Sicily moved ahead as well. after: G10 U5 L3 S2 Pushing the Axis Back Page 4 of 12  DUKW A new vehicle, the DUKW—an amphibious truck— proved very effective in bringing supplies and artillery to the soldiers on the beach. intro: The invasion began before dawn on July 10, 1943. Despite bad weather, the Allied troops made it ashore with few casualties. after: G10 U5 L3 S2 Pushing the Axis Back Page 5 of 12  Germans Evacuated After capturing western Sicily, Patton’s troops headed east, staging a series of daring end-runs around the German positions, while the British, under Montgomery, attacked from the south intro: Eight days after the troops came ashore, American tanks led by General Patton smashed through enemy lines and captured the western half of the island. after: By August 18, the Germans had evacuated the island. G10 U5 L3 S2 Pushing the Axis Back Page 6 of 12  Italian Government The king of Italy, Victor Emmanuel, and a group of Italian generals decided that it was time to get rid of Mussolini. On July 25, 1943, the king invited the dictator to his palace. intro: The attack on Sicily created a crisis within the Italian government. after: The king then placed Mussolini under arrest and began secretly negotiating with the Allies for Italy’s surrender On September 8, 1943, the Italian government publicly announced Italy’s surrender. G10 U5 L3 S2 Pushing the Axis Back Page 7 of 12  German Counterattack German troops went into action at once. They seized control of northern Italy, including Rome, attacked the Americans at Salerno, and put Mussolini back in power. intro: The following day, American troops landed at Salerno. Although stunned by the surrender, Hitler was not about to lose Italy to the Allies. after: G10 U5 L3 S2 Pushing the Axis Back Page 8 of 12  Town of Cassino The terrain near Cassino was steep, barren, and rocky. Instead of attacking such difficult terrain, the Allies chose to land at Anzio, behind German lines. intro: To stop the Allied advance, the German army took up positions near the heavily fortified town of Cassino. after: They hoped the maneuver would force the Germans to retreat. Instead of retreating, however, the Germans surrounded the Allied troops near Anzio. G10 U5 L3 S2 Pushing the Axis Back Page 9 of 12  Germans Retreat Finally, in late May 1944, the Germans were forced to retreat. Less than two weeks later, the Allies captured Rome. Fighting in Italy continued, however, until May 2, 1945. intro: It took the Allies five months to break through the German lines at Cassino and Anzio. after: The Italian campaign was one of the bloodiest in the war. It cost the Allies more than 300,000 casualties. G10 U5 L3 S2 Pushing the Axis Back Page 10 of 12  Meeting of Allied Leaders Stalin promised to launch a full- scale offensive against the Germans when the Allies invaded France in 1944. intro: before the Allies launched the invasion of France, Roosevelt and Churchill meet Stalin (Soviet) in Tehran, Iran. The leaders reached several agreements. after: Roosevelt and Stalin then agreed to break up Germany after the war so that it would never again threaten world peace G10 U5 L3 S2 Pushing the Axis Back Page 11 of 12  More Agreements Stalin also promised that once Germany was beaten, the Soviet Union would help the United States defeat Japan. intro: after: He also accepted Roosevelt’s proposal to create an international organization to help keep the peace after the war. G10 U5 L3 S2 Pushing the Axis Back Page 12 of 12