Unit 8c: African and European Theater

What operation came from Hitler betraying Stalin?

Operation Barbarossa

When was Operation Barbarossa?

June 1941

What was the biggest military operation in world history?

Operation Barbarossa

What was Operation Barbarossa?

The Nazis attacking the Soviets on an 1800 mile long front

What were the 3 aims of capture in Operation Barbarossa?

• Leningrad

• Moscow

• Stalingrad

Why did Hitler think Operation Barbarossa would be over by November 1941?

He thought the Soviets “didnt know how to fight”

What are 2 opinions on Operation Barbarossa?

1. This invasion is Hitlers biggest mistake

2. Hitler could have easily won but kept screwing up

What happened to each of the 3 cities in operation barbarossa

• Leningrad - went under siege for 900 days but never feel

• Moscow - The people of Moscow fought back

• Stalingrad - The turning point of the war, because it was the 1st Nazi surrender

What happened at Stalingrad during Operation Barbarossa?

It was the 1st Nazi surrender, and they started playing defense as the Soviets invaded Germany

In what ways did Hitler keep screwing up in Operation Barbarossa?

• He didnt listen to his generals, who wanted to regroup instead of continuously attacking

• He was racist, and didnt allow Ukranians to help him despite their hatred for Soviet Rule

What was the biggest reason for the US’s success against Germany?

The USSR weakened the Nazi’s supplies and soldiers

After Germany declares war on the US, what does the US do?

They send soldiers to Europe to fight the Nazis

Who was the Supreme Allied Commander?

Dwight D. Eisenhower

What was Eisenhower’s instructions in 1942?

He was sent to london and told to eliminate the Nazis from Europe

What problem did Eisenhower face when he was told to eliminate the Nazis?

He had to figure out where he could attack that would have the most success and least amount of deaths

Where did Eisenhower send the US to attack first?

North Africa

Why did Eisenhower send the Allies to North Africa?

The Nazis were there to help Italy keep control of it, and it was the “soft underbelly of Europe” (easiest access)

What was Eisenhower’s plan of infiltration into Nazi land?

Wear down the south (soft underbelly of Europe) then attack the North

What was Operation Torch?

Americans went to North Africa (Morrocco and Algeria) to liberate North Africans

When was Operation Torch?

November 8, 1942

What was Erwin Rommel’s nickname?

“The Desert Fox”

Who was Erwin Romel?

He was Hitler’s greatest general, who never lost

How did Erwin Rommel never lose?

He didnt have a superiority complex (like most Nazis), and always identified his own army’s weak spots and the opposer’s strong spots

What was Erwin rommel’s mission in January 1943?

He was sent to North Africa to defeat the Americans

What did Erwin Rommel instruct the Nazis to do during Operation Torch?

“Instill in the Americans an inferiority complex”

What did the Nazis do in January 1943 to end Operation Torch?

Nazi Stuka divebombers attack Americans and make them retreat 50 miles

Who did Eisenhower fire after the Nazis defeated the Americans in North Aftrica?

Lloyd Fredenall

Who did Eisenhower to lead the Allies to North Africa a second time?

George Patton

Who was George Patton?

One of US’s most colorful generals, who was hired in WW2 to lead the Allied through North Africa

What were some of George Patton’s beliefs?

• Reincarnation + Christianity

• He believed he was a soldier in many different lives

• He believed a real man should fight for his country

What was the 1970 film that was controversial during the Vietnam War?

“Patton”

Why was the film “Patton” controversial during the Vietnam War?

It said America loses and they love winners, but at the time the US was not confident in victory against Vietnam

Who was Bernard Law Montgomery?

A British commander in Egypt, who was the 1st commander to defeat Nazis in battle

Who was the 1st commander to beat Nazis in battle?

“Monty” (Bernard Law Montgomery)

Where did the allies get their first victory against the Nazis? When?

El Alamein, 1942

How did Eisenhower push Patton and Monty to get the Nazis out of North Africa?

They both had big egos, so he pit them against eachother in a challenge to see who could drive Rommel out of North Africa 1st.

How did the Allies succeed with liberating North Africa in May 1943?

Rommel was sick in Berlin and they took the chance to get rid of the Nazis

What was the Casablanca Conference?

A conference held in North Africa, determining the goals of the war now that both the US and Britain were in it.

What was the conclusion of the Casablanca conference?

They declare to fight until Axis powers surrender unconditionally

When was the Casablanca Conference?

January 1943

When was the Italian Campaign?

Spring 1943

What was a nickname for the Italian Campaign?

“The Bloody Boot”

What was the Italian Campaign?

When the Allies went through Italy and captured Rome

How did the Americans capture Rome?

Italians gave up and overthrew Mussolini, then hung him on the street

What was Monte Cassino?

A mountain in Italy that Americans had trouble gettings through to Rome

What did Eleanor Roosevelt do for African Americans in the Military?

She went to the Tuskeegee Institute to create a new African Military unit

What was a nickname of the Tuskeegee Airmen?

“The Red Tails”

Who were the Tuskeegee Airmen?

A new air squadron full of African Americans

What did the Tuskeegee Airmen do?

They protected the American bombers flying over Monte Cassino (No bombers died)

What was the significance of the Tuskeegee Airmen?

They were the most successful squadron despite people assuming that African Americans were too dumb to fly a plane

What was the Double V Campaign?

A propaganda publicity campaign that highlighted African American achievements during WW2

What was the goal of the Double V Campaign?

Acquiring greater racial equality after WW2

Where did many tuskeegee airmen move to after the war?

Columbus, Ohio

How long did the Italian campaign last?

1 year

Why did George Patton get fired?

He hit wounded soldiers because of their PTSD, then put them on the front lines to “fix them”

What did the Nazis think about the firing of Patton?

They thought it was a hoax

When did the Allies liberate Rome?

June 5, 1944

What event overshadowed the liberation of Rome?

D-Day

When was D-Day?

June 6, 1944

What was the main reason for D-Day’s success?

The Soviets were fighting the Nazis on the Eastern front, and the Nazis were pouring everything they had into it which weakened them

What was Eisenhower’s plan for D-Day?

• Operation Fortitude (Trick Hitler)

• Attack Normandy

What was the Operation that tricked Hitler?

Operation Fortitude

How does Operation Fortitude trick Hitler?

The Nazis think the Allies will attack the closest spot to Britain.

• Eisenhower got props from Hollywood and made a fake army in Dover and made Patton the fake general to that army

• They had fake speeches and radio transmissions

Who was set in charge of defense against the Allies in the North?

Erwin Rommel

Why wasnt Erwin Rommel present on D-Day? (coincidence)

It was his only day off (his wifes birthday)

What was the REAL battle plan for D-Day?

On June 5, soldiers parachute in behind in the dark. On June 6, they attack on the front from boats

Why was D-Day emotionally difficult for Eisenhower?

He knew that most soldiers on the front lines would die

How many Americans died on D-Day?

2,500, the bloodiest day since 1862

What did Eisenhower do for the 101st Airborne, who parachuted into Normandy?

He knew they were most likely going to die, but humanized them by asking where they were from. he began to cry

When Eisenhower cried in front of the 101st airborn, what did they do?

They told him not to worry and they got this, even though they are scared too

Who “had a feeling that friends were coming”?

Anne Frank

Who was Anne Frank?

A 15 year old girl who hid in a secret room for 4 years

What was the Allies goal after D-Day?

Get to Berlin and liberate the Germans

What were hedgerows?

Big hedge walls in France that made it hard for soldiers to get through.

Why did the Allies move so slowly through France?

Hedgerows made it very slow

What does G.I. mean?

“Government Issue”

What are 3 acronyms that soldiers used trying to get through Northern France?

1. SNAFU

2. FUBAR

3. TARFU

What does Snafu mean?

Situation Normal all F’ed up

What does Fubar mean?

F’ed up beyond all recognition

What does Tarfu mean?

Totally and Really F’ed up

What was the 442nd infantry regiment?

A unit in the US army made up of all Japanese American descent

Why did soldiers in the 442nd infantry regiment join the army?

Most of them came from japanese internment camps, and they served in combat to show their family’s loyalty to the US

What type of missions did the 442nd infantry regiment do?

They were always on front line duty, with nearly suicidal missions to save other groups of soldiers

What is the significance of the 442nd infantry regiment?

More of them died than the men they saved, but they still did it despite the discrimination

When did the US make it to the border of Germany?

December 16, 1944

How did Hitler want the war to end?

He either wanted to win or have all of his people die trying

What was Hitler’s last great offensive?

The Battle of the bulge

What type of German soldiers fought in the battle of the bulge? Why?

Super young and old soldiers. These were the only soldiers Hitler had left

How did the Nazis fight during the battle of the bulge?

They began shelling the Americans at the border of Germany and pushed them back to Belgium. They killed big groups of Americans at a time (as many as possible)

What happened in Bastogne, Belgium during the battle of the bulge?

Despite being surrounded, the 101st airborne held Bastogne and never surrendered it.

What was it like for the 101st airborne in Bastogne?

They had limited supplies and the Allies couldnt fly planes over it because it was too cloudy

How many Americans died in the battle of the Bulge?

80,000 Americans

What would happened to the American soldiers that the Nazis captured in the battle of the bulge?

Despite them surrendering, they were stripped, gunned down, and put in mass graves

How did the Nazis trick the Allies in the battle of the Bulge?

They would learn fluent English and impersonate Americans to get into Bastogne. They would then report back to the Nazis

How did Americans in Bastogne determine who was an imposter in the battle of the bulge?

They asked them American sports questions

Who won the battle of the bulge?

Americans

Once the Americans won the Battle of the bulge and kept moving, what did they find?

Nazi death camps

What was Hitler’s “Final solution” to getting rid of Jews?

The Holocaust

How many Jews died in the Holocaust?

6 million

Did Americans know about the Holocaust? Who did?

Nobody knew except for FDR