Major Battles and End of WWII

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Major Battles and End of WWII
https//scholar.vt.edu/access/content/user/drwedan
/Portfolio20Public/Documents/Videos/Day20620Wor
ld20War20II.ppt
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• Guiding Question What battles were major TURNING
  POINTS that swung the course of WWII in favor of
  the Allies?

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Japanese Strategy

• After Pearl Harbor, Japan invaded the Philippines
  and Indonesia and planned to invade both
  Australia and Hawaii
• Japan hoped America would just accept Japanese
  domination of the Pacific rather than wage a
  bloody war to reverse Japanese gains

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North Africa

• The British were fighting the Germans and
  Italians in North Africa
• Wait why were European countries battling in
  Africa?

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North Africa

• Battle of El Alamein German forces threatening
  to seize Egypt and the Suez Canal were defeated
  by the British
• This defeat prevented Hitler from gaining access
  to Middle Eastern oil supplies

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Europe

• Battle of Stalingrad German forces besieged the
  Russian city of Stalingrad
• A long, cold, and bitter battle

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Europe

• Hundreds of thousands of German soldiers were
  killed or captured in the months-long siege
• Germanys defeat at Stalingrad prevented Germany
  from seizing Russian oil fields and was THE
  turning point against Germany in the east
• Bloodiest battle in human history (1.5 million
  casualties)

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• vid

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D-Day

• American and Allied troops under General
  Eisenhower landed in German-occupied France on
  June 6, 1944
• Largest amphibious invasion in history

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D-Day

• Despite intense German opposition and heavy
  American casualties, the landings succeeded and
  the liberation of western Europe from Hitler had
  begun

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• vid

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Pacific

• Battle of Midway Japanese forces moved toward
  Midway Island
• If the Japanese destroy American base on Midway,
  they will be able to invade Hawaii

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Midway

• Americans had broken the Japanese code, and new
  the attack was coming
• Though out numbered, the US won the battle

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Midway

• This American victory ended the Japanese threat
  to Hawaii and began a series of American
  victories which brought the war closer to Japan
• TURNING POINT

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Pacific

• Iwo Jima and Okinawa Big battles where Americans
  invaded Japanese-held islands
• Though America won these battles, they were
  incredibly costly in American and Japanese lives

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Pacific

• Showed America that the Japanese intended to
  fight fiercely for every square mile of Japanese
  territory
• Even Japanese civilians were armed with swords
  and bows and arrows and would rather commit
  suicide than surrender

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VE-Day

• Write this on your notes
• May 8, 1945
• European Allies accept Germanys surrender
• Hitler had killed himself in a bunker as Russian
  troops approached

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Atomic Bomb

• Over the course of World War II, American and
  German scientists were both working on developing
  nuclear weapons
• America developed them first

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Atomic Bomb

• As the war winded down, it became clear that for
  America to defeat Japan, the US would have to
  invade Japan itself
• This was a scary prospect because of the
  casualties for both Americans and Japanese would
  be horrendously high

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• vid

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Atomic Bomb

• America decides instead to use atomic bombs on
  the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
• Tens of thousands of civilians killed in both
  cities

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Question

• Is it OK to kill civilians if it helps your cause
  is just?
• What if killing them saves lives in the long
  run?
• What about 9/11?

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Japan Surrenders

• Shortly after the bombs are dropped, Japan
  surrenders, avoiding the needs for American
  invasion

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Writing Activity

• On a separate sheet of paper, tell me if you
  think the use of the atom bomb on Japan was
  justified
• About 5 GOOD sentences
• Tell me why you think what you think
• Legit to kill enemy civilians?
• Did it save lives?