WORLD WARII

Mohammed N Alsaeed200872400

Powers

Axis Powers• Germany• Italy • Japan

Allied Powers• Great Britain• Soviet Union• United States• France

– Surrendered to Germany in 1940 after 6 weeks

Quick facts

• Largest war in human history. • Involved countries, colonies, and

territories around the entire world. • By the end, over 70 million were

dead. • It lasted from 1939 until 1945.

Quick facts

• Germany invaded Poland.• Allies declare war on Germany.• Then Hitler invades Russia. • Germans use “blitzkrieg” to overwhelm other

armies.

•Battle of Moscow

•Battle of Stalingrad

•Battle of Berlin

Battle of Moscow• initial stages of Barbarossa have been seen as

massively successful for the Germans and catastrophic for the Russians. Few would deny the success of the German attack - 28 Russian divisions were put out of action in just three weeks and more than 70 divisions lost 50% or more of their men and equipment. Blitzkrieg had ploughed through the Red Army. Hitler's belief that the Red Army would crumble seemed to be coming true. However, the Germans had also suffered in their attacks on Russia. By one month into Barbarossa, the Germans had lost over 100,000 men, 50% of their tanks and over 1,200 planes

Battle of Stalingrad

“If I do not get the oil of Maikop and Grozny then I must finish this war”.

Adolf Hitler

Battle of Stalingrad

23 August 1942

Battle of Stalingrad

German Army Russian Army

Led by Paulus Led by Zhukov

1,011,500 men 1,000,500 men

10 ,290 artillery guns

13,541 artillery guns

675 tanks 894 tanks

1,216 planes 1,115 planes

Battle of StalingradThe German assault on Stalingrad began with a heavy bombing campaign in August – the Soviet Air Force was no match for the Luftwaffe, and there was little that could be done to prevent them from destroying much of the city’s industrial and residential infrastructure from above.German ground forces reached the River Volga on August 23rd 1942. and launched their first ground assaults on the city itself on September 13th. German forces battled their way through the city to reach the banks of the river Volga and, by November, they controlled 90% of Stalingrad.

Battle of Stalingrad

Stalin's Order No. 227 of 27 July 1942 decreed that all commanders who ordered unauthorized retreat would be subject to a military tribunal. "Not a step back!" and "There is no land behind the Volga!" were the slogans. The Germans pushing forward into Stalingrad suffered heavy casualties.

Battle of Stalingrad

another part of the city, a Soviet platoon under the command of Yakov Pavlov fortified an apartment building that oversaw a square in the city center , later called Pavlov's House. The soldiers surrounded it with minefields, set up machine-gun positions at the windows and breached the walls in the basement for better communications

Battle of Stalingrad

Vasily Zaytsev

Battle of Berlin 

• Date: January 16, 1945• Location: Berlin• Forces Involved: Soviet Union, Poland, Germany, USA, British,

French came in later.

Battle of Berlin

Germany Russia

Soldiers 596,500 1,670,000

Artillery 8,230 28,000

Tanks 700 3,300

Aircraft 1,300 10,000

 

Battle of Berlin 

• The Soviets along with Polish allies integrated into their army, initiated the attack on Berlin. USA, Britain, and France held back, to give the Soviets and the Polish a chance to get revenge on the Nazis for what they had done to Poland and Russia throughout WW II. The Soviets set up two fronts to attack Berlin, one for the East, and one from the South.

Battle of Berlin 

• During the Battle of Berlin, Bombings were conducted over Berlin to soften up the Germans. However, Berlin was bombed throughout all of WW II.

• Major Bombing dates (1945): • April 15 (105 bombers)• April 17 (61 bombers)• April 18 (57 bombers)• April 19 (79 bombers)• April 20 (78 bombers)

Battle of Berlin 

• Allies Claim victory over Germany• Berlin divided into sections rules by different

countries. (Starts the cold war)• Allies raise their flags over many German

buildings as a symbol of Victory

•Battle of Midway

•The Battle of Britain

•The Battle of El Alamein

Battle of Midway• Fought over and near the tiny U.S mid-pacific

base at Midway atoll• Fought between U.S and Japan• Japan wanted to destroy what remained of the

United States naval power.• Attacking the American held Midway Island was

Japan's first step.• Japan hoped the attack would bring American

fleets into the Pacific.

Both countries had advantagesJapanHad a large amount of ships and carriersForce largely outnumbered the U.S

United StatesNaval intelligence officers broke Japanese code and learned about their plans for attacking Midway American's knew date for planned attack June 3rd 1942Knew direction from which Japanese ships would approach

Battle of Midway

• The Japanese admiral was Yamamoto, The American admiral was Nimitz

• The USS Enterprise, USS Hornet, and the USS Yorktown sunk 4 Japanese carriers

• The sinking of these ships caused Yamamoto to have to withdraw from the battle

• The battle lasted from June 4th - June 6th• This battle marked the turning point in the war

The Battle of Britain

• Once France fell, Hitler amassed troops on the French coast

• Britain was clearly his next target• It was then that Winston Churchill made his

famous “We Shall Never Surrender” speech

The Battle of Britain

• Only thing in the way of Hitler’s path to England – British Navy

• Because the B Navy was so strong, G had to use Luftwaffe first

• August 1940 – G launched on B greatest air assault world had ever seen

• Continued into September• 1,000+ planes dropped bombs on Britain daily

The Battle of Britain

• By early Sept., Hitler ordered massive bombing raids on London & other B cities

• Used incendiary bombs• Goal = break people’s will

The Normandy Invasion• Dwight D. Eisenhower:

• General Eisenhower was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force.

• He was in charge of all of the allied forces that would assault the Normandy coast and Europe for the remainder of the war.

• Eisenhower made the final call to go ahead with the mission after days of poor weather.

• Eisenhower personally visited troops before the invasion and issued the letter to the left.

The Normandy Invasion

• American Airborne Forces were comprised of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions.

• Including the British 1st Airborne Division nearly 12,000 soldiers were dropped in the early morning of June 6th.

• Their objectives were to take and hold key road junctions to prevent German counterattack.

The Normandy Invasion

• The fighting at Omaha Beach was the bloodiest of the invasion. The American 1st, and 29th Infantry Divisions made the first assault across the beach. The 2nd Ranger Battalion also landed at Omaha. After the beach head had been established American losses neared 3,000.

The Battle of El Alamein

• Leader Bernard Law

Montgomery• 530 planes• 1,029 tanks• 195,000 infantry• 2,311 artillery

• Leader:• Erwin

Rommel(A.K.A.Desert Fox)

• 350 planes• 489 tanks• 104,000 infantry• 1,219 artillery

The Battle of El Alamein

• It was an abandoned train station• In the middle of the desert• Only thing standing between Alexandria• Crucial to keeping Africa from Nazis• The Alamein line was 40 miles• Stretched from Qattara Depression to the sea

The Battle of El Alamein

June 24, 1942-Rommel begins pursuit of eighth army from Tobruk to Mersa Matruh.

June 30,1942-Beginning of the first part of the battle

August 7, 1942-Montgomery appointed commander of eighth army

November 3&4,1942-Rommel retreats and battle is won in favor of Allied forces

The Battle of El Alamein

• Axis first attacked cast but repelled• Allied attacked Axis supply routes, crippling

Rommel’s units• Reinforcements of 6-16 guns and Sherman

tanks helped• Lots of attacks launched all over the line• Heavy losses on each side

The Battle of El Alamein

• Kidney ridge was a major battle site• Operation “supercharge” was the

turn-around• At end, Axis had about only 80 tanks

left , previously 1000• Massive retreat for the Allied forces

The Battle of El Alamein

• The allies realized that they can win a battle after all the losses

• “All battles before the battle were lost, and all the battles after won” was said by Winston Churchill

• Rommel retreats• Allies go in pursuit• El Alamein was completely devastated