American History Topic 7, Lesson 6: The Allies Win World War II

Omar Bradley
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Terms in this set (19)
Omar Bradley
-was a U.S. Army officer who in WWII commanded Allied troops in North Africa
-leading them to victory in the campaign
-he then led his forces in the invasion of Sicily and helped plan the invasion of Normandy
-from the Normandy invasion to the end of the war, he commanded the massive U.S. ground forces attacking Germany from the West, over 1 million troops in all
-after WWII he served as chief of staff of the Army and as the first chairman of the U.S. Joint Chief of Staff
Image: Omar Bradley
Battle of the Bulge
-last major German offensive on the Western Front during WWII
-it was an unsuccessful attempt to push back the Allies that crippled Germany by forcing it to use more resources than it could afford
Image: Battle of the Bulge
Harry S. Truman
-was President of the U.S. from 1945-1953
-he took office when FDR's death led the nation during the final weapons against Japan
-in early years of the Cold War, he worked to rebuild Europe to oppose the spread of communism when communist North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950, beginning the Korean War
-he sent American troops into the conflict
Image: Harry S. Truman
island hopping
-WWII strategy that involved seizing selected Japanese-held islands in the Pacific while bypassing others
Image: island hopping
kamikaze
Japanese pilots who deliberately crashed planes into American ships during WWII
Image: kamikaze
Albert Einstein
-German born physicist
-developed the General Theory of Relative for Physics in 1921
-left Germany in the early 1930s after Nazi attacks on his work and settled in the U.S., where he continued to pioneer new developments in the theory of general relativity
-he is generally considered to be most influential Physicist of the 20th century
Image: Albert Einstein
J. Robert Oppenheimer
-American physicist
-was the director of the Manhattan Project--the U.S. government research project during WWII that produced the first atomic bombs
-after the war, he became the head of the Institute for Advanced Study in New Jersey, a center for theoretical research
Image: J. Robert Oppenheimer
What was the planning of the invasion of Normandy
-called Operation Overlord
-Eisenhower command of American forces and then Supreme Commander of Allied Forces
-American, British, Canadian, and Polish divisions landing on beaches in Normandy, France
-strike 5 beaches (code named: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword)
-set up fake army under George S. Patton and set up fake headquarters
-hoped to convince Germans attack was coming at Calais--not Normandy--Hitler sent best tanks to Calais
Image: What was the planning of the invasion of Normandy
What was the impact of the invasion of Normandy?
-impact: Germany faced a 2 front war
How did the Allies achieve final victory in Europe?
-Battle of the Bulge--Germany caught Allies by surprise, but Allies won
-Soviets closing in on Berlin from East, Allied forces from the West and South
-Hitler commits suicide on April 30, 1945 and Germany surrenders on May 7, 1945
-Mussolini captured and executed
Image: How did the Allies achieve final victory in Europe?
What were the reasons President Truman decided to use the atomic bomb against Japan?-ultimately, his priority was to save American lives in Pacific island-hopping -ethical issues using bombs against civilians -Axis powers developing own bombs and not sure how far they wereWhat is the central idea of the joint statement from the Big Three at the Tehran Conference?-that they expected to win the war and open a second front in FranceWhat did the Allies do to make sure the D-Day invasion would be a success?-set up a fake Allied army under George S. Patton -headquarters in Southeast England across the English Channel from Calais, France -Allies hoped to convince Germans that Allied attack would come at Calais, not Normandy--worked a bit, because Hitler sent his best tanks to CalaisHow did the D-Day invasion and then the Allied invasion of France affect Germany's strategy during WWII?-Germany faced two-front war against the AlliesWhat was the military significance of the Battle of the Bulge?-it was a desperate attempt to drive a wedge between American and British forces--but instead, it crippled Germany by forcing it to use its reserve troops and suppliesWhat is some evidence that Hitler had some mental problems leading up to his death?-shaken by tremors -paranoid from drugs -he's kept alive by mad dreams of a final victory -gave orders no one followed and planned campaigns that no one would ever fightWhy did the fighting in the Pacific result in so many casualties for the U.S.?--island-hopping strategy in the Pacific lead to many casualties in each placeWhat was the result of the bombing of Tokyo?-83,000 deaths -100,000 wounded -destroyed 16 square miles of the city ---overall, it was devestatingWhat was the power of the atomic bomb?-blast could be seen 180 miles away -sound could be heard 100 miles away -dropped on Hiroshima first, and within 2 minutes, 60,000 of 344,000 residents dead or missing -Nagasaki was second--35,000 residents killed or missing

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