Unit 2 - World War II
Ending of Pacific War
(in Order of history) -Hiroshima bombing -S.U declare war on Japan -Nagasaki bombing -Emperor Hiroshito surrender over radio -Formal surrender on U.S.S Missouri
The Manhattan Project
-*J Robert Oppenheimer*: research director -Project to create atomic bomb -Potsdam declaration: warning sent to Japan -James Brynes (secretary of state) believes bomb would devastate and put US in power over postwar
Battle of Kasserine Pass
-1st US battle against Germans -US lost -General Patton takes command ground (aggressive)
Operation Overlord (D-Day)
-5 landing points, Utah, Gold, Juno, Sword and Omaha (worst) -Land held in France by allies in landings -Paris liberates in August 1944. *Charles de Gaulle* emerges as French leader (took months to go inland)
Guadalcanal
-? ASK O'KANE
Trinity Test
-A bomb tested in New Mexico desert, Los Alamos
Albert Einstein (Manhattan Project)
-Against project (pacifist)
James Doolittle's Raid
-Air commander -Flew dangerous missions to Tokyo
Battle of El Alamein
-Allied victory (more so Britain) -Led by Bernard Montgomery -Lead to defeat of Afrika Korps -Churchill: "Before Alamein we never had a victory, after Alamein we never had a defeat
Firebombing in Dresden
-Allies bomb, causing huge fires -Torch city, no oxygen left in city -Some consider it a war crime (was payback)
North African Front - Operation Torch
-American plan to invade Africa to invade and attack from Germany from the other side -Commanded by General Eisenhower and then Patton (US) -Erwin Rommel (Desert Fox): "Afrika Korps" -Americans push East, Britain push West, squeeze Rommel -If Germany got Suez Canal, they would have control of supplies
D-Day: Ocean
-Amphibious assault on Normandy coast
Yalta Conference
-Big 3 meet to discuss plans for after the war -Stalin has biggest army (idk why this important)
Atlantic Conference/Charter
-Churchill and FDR meet secretly after invasion of S.U -Decide that no territorial changes would happen when Axis Powers loss -Wanted "a permanent system of security" (U.N) -Soviet aid discussed
D-Day: Deceit
-Convince Germans that invasion will be from Dover to Calais -Set up phantom army -Put Patton, Montgomery (British) in charge (same guy from Africa) -Send fake radio messages to fool Germans
British code breakers vs Germans
-Cracked enigma codes to pin point U-boats in Atlantic
Potsdam Conference
-Defined terms for Japanese surrender -Stern justice, no enslavement, just freedom/human rights instilled (didn't ant Japan going communist) -Japan can have industries (not for war), eventual return to world trade -Allies will withdraw and have a free government -Unconditional surrender (Japan rejects) -Last conference of big 3 -Stalin, Truman, not Churchill
Roosevelt vs Dewey
-Dewey criticized FDRs reign/war efforts -FDR wins because war was going well
D-Day: Airborne Troops
-Dropped inland the night before the assault to prevent German counter attack -Capture strategic positions in Normandy
D-Day: Plan of Attack
-Eisenhower leads allied attack of Normandy -US, U.K, Canadians land ashore -Deceit: Fortitude South -Airborne Troops -Ocean
V-J Day
-Emperor Hirochito announced surrender over radio -"Victory in Japan" -Formal surrender on the US battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay -Begins US occupation of Japan
Casablanca Conference
-FDR and Churchill discussing Africa -Stalin want Brits/US to open second front in France -Churchill wants to attack "soft underbelly" (Italy) -Italy, insist upon unconditional surrender -Invasion of France postponed
Tehran Conference
-First meeting of "Big 3" (Stalin, FDR, Churchhill) -Churchill wants to invade Italy ("Under belly" of Europe) -Britain/US promise Stalin they they would open second front in France (taking pressure off S.U) -Agreed when "Operation Overlord" (D-Day) would take place
Bataan Death March
-Forced march of American/Filipino POW -Occurred after US surrender of Bataan Peninsula -After, *General MacArthur* recapture Bataan Peninsula and liberate Manila from Japan
Battle of Stalingrad
-Hilter wants to capture oil fields and destroy Stalingrad -Soviets beat Germany in bitter winter campaign -230,00 Germans/1,000,00 Soviets loss lives Battle turning point: Soviets army moves toward Germany (takes 2+ years)
German invasion Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa)
-Hitler's attempt at expanding territory -"Scorched Earth" - Soviets destroyed anything of German value to deprive their army as they fled -At winter, Germans by Moscow, but stopped because of lack of resources (oil)
"Soft Underbelly of Europe"
-Italy
Pearl Harbor
-Japan mad about embargo, bomb Pearl Harbor (killed many) -FDR: "A date which will live in infamy" (declared war)
Okinawa
-Last island to be seized -Japan using kamikaze -Heavy fighting, causalities on both sides
Battle of the Bulge
-Last major German offensive campaign (to split allied forced into two) -Hitler launched 3 armies to take Antwerp port (where allies got supplies) -German's at first were successful (allies surprised by attack) -Allies stop German advance (ran out of fuel, sky cleared and US jet bombs)
Bombing of Japan
-Little Boy: Hiroshima (uranium) -Enola Gay and Paul Tibbits (pilot) : B-29 bomber that dropped Little Boy -Fat boy: Nagasaki (plutonium)
Lend-lease Act in China
-Military aid is sent ("Flying Tigers") to fight off Japanese from China
Mount Suribachi
-Place where marines placed flag after US victory in the battle of Iwo Jima -Restaged for famous picture
White House Conference
-Plan of attack (FDR + Churchill) -Defeat Germany first -Only would accept complete surrender of Germany
Iwo Jima
-Small volcanic island next to Japan -Critical as base so US planes could reach Japan -Fierce resistance (tunnels, caves) -Many dead, some Japanese taken prisoner
Island Hopping
-Strategy by General MacArthur and Admiral Nimitz -Objective: Attack Strategic islands (build airstrips, cut enemy supplies) -By pass strong Japanese positions and get to Japan
Operation Downfall
-The US wanting to invade Japan -Would cause a lot of casualties if executed
Battle of Leyte Gulf
-The start of the end of Japanese occupation in Philippines -Disaster for Japan -Largest air and naval battle -KAMEKZEEEE -Allows US to reconquer Philippines
Yalta Conference: Key Points
-U.N created -Eastern Europe goes to Soviet for "sphere of influence" and "buffer zone" -Stalin agrees to fight Japan after fall of Germany -S.U gets parts of Japan after their defeat -S.U given "honor" to capture Berlin -Germany divided in 4 occupations (U.K, US, U.S France)
Battle of Midway
-US begins to gain momentum in retaking lost territory (led by Chester Nimitz) -Intercepted battle plans allowed US ambush on Japan -Allies use planes to scout and tell location -Halted Japanese expansion in Pacific -Japan 4, US 1 aircraft carrier lost (Yamamoto - Japanese Navy officer) -"Turning Point" though Japan still had control in Pacific until US could island hop
End of fighting by Philippines
-US fights Japan for Luzon island -Manila recaptured, many filipinos killed -Many dead on both sides, especially Japanese
Lend-Lease Act
-US gave money/supplies to Britain/Soviets -Ended U.S neutrality
US Embargos on Japan
-US originally exported metal/oil to Japan -Japan invades China, causes US to embargo oil/metal to Japan (FDR) -Said embargo will end when war ends/withdraws from China
