1. The Allied Victory in Europe
THE DEFEAT OF HITLER

2. WHO SHOULD WE GO AFTER
FIRST?
OR

3. Why take on Germany first?
• Better technology than Japan (rockets, jet
airplanes, etc)
• Germany was a threat to the Soviet Union,
our ally for the time being
• Germany could win without Japan – Japan
could NOT win without Germany
THIS WAS CALLED THE “EUROPE FIRST”
STRATEGY
(very creative name)

4. The Allies Invade North Africa
in Operation Torch
• Despite Stalin begging for an attack in
France to take pressure off of the USSR,
the Allies decide to head to North Africa
• Churchill feared the Allies were not yet
ready to attack France
• FDR was the man who made the final
decision, but it still made Stalin angry

5. Rommel vs. Patton/Eisenhower
VS

6. D-DAY
Operation Overlord
June 6th, 1944

13. The Invasion of France
• Takes place on Normandy Beach
• 1.5 million Allied troops (5,000 ships –
that’s a lot of boats)
• Germans thought that Allies would not
attempt to land there due to tidal currents
and Hitler’s Atlantic Wall (defense system)
• By August France is liberated from Nazi
control

18. The Soviets defeat the Nazis
• At Stalingrad, the Soviets capture a large
portion of the German army (2 million
casualties from both sides combined)
• Worst defeat for the Nazis
• At Kursk the Soviets destroyed the Nazis
ability to wage an offensive war, and they
begin to push the Nazis back into Poland
and then Germany

21. YALTA CONFERENCE
• Churchill, Stalin, and FDR meet to discuss
what will be done after the war ends
• Churchill wants all nations to be FREE
• Stalin wants the USSR to be able to
control Eastern Europe and Poland
• FDR wants Soviet help in fighting against
Japan, since we had been fighting them
alone

22. Churchill, FDR, and Uncle Joe…
Why was he called Uncle Joe?!?!?!?

23. THE RESULTS
• Soviets agree to help fight Japan three
months after whenever Germany finally
surrenders
• Soviets get to keep control of Eastern
Europe and Poland
• Many people feel FDR “sold out” to Stalin
in order to gain his help vs Japan… hatred
of communism continues to rise

24. VE DAY: Victory in Europe
• In the Battle of the Bulge the Americans hold off
one last desperate attempt by Hitler to succeed
• By March of 1945 the Nazis were being pushed
all the way back into Berlin (The US and England
from the west, the Soviets from the east)
• April 12 – FDR dies unexpectedly – Harry
Truman takes over
• April 30 – Hitler commits suicide
• May 8 – Germany surrenders unconditionally