WORLD WAR II ALLIED INVASIONS War in Africa

WORLD WAR II ALLIED INVASIONS

War in Africa • Fighting begins in Africa in 1940 when Italian forces based in Libya attacked British-controlled Egypt – Italy wants an African empire – The British need to protect the Suez Canal, since it was the shipping route to the oil fields of the Middle East – The British eliminate the Italian threat and even invade Libya – the Italians were now on the defensive • Feb. 1941 – 30, 000 British soldiers capture 130, 000 Italian prisoners, gain 500 miles • Only lost 500 men and Ethiopia is freed

• Hitler steps in and sends the Desert Fox – The new German and Italian force was called the Afrika Korps and was led by General Erwin Rommel • He pushes the British out of Libya and back into Egypt • Rommel and the British go back and forth – The Afrika Korps lacks supplies – Rommel is outnumbered and has less fire power – Battle of El Alamein (Oct. 1942) • British General Montgomery takes advantage of Rommel’s supply problems • Rommel retreats 2, 000 miles

• Operation Torch – the Allied Invasion of Africa – Stalin wants the Allies to invade Europe to open up a second front • The U. S. and especially the British decide to invade Africa instead – Nov. 1942 – three amphibious landings in the French colonies of Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco • Led by American general Dwight Eisenhower • Landed with 107, 000 Allied troops and the Vichycontrolled colonies soon joined • As a result, Germany occupies all of France – Rommel is in trouble, has Allied forces to the east and west

• Rommel goes to Berlin to plead for more troops and weapons – May 1943 the Afrika Korps surrenders and the war in Africa is over • 250, 000 Axis soldiers taken prisoner and the Allies control all of North Africa

Invasion of Italy • Known as Operation Husky (June 1943) – The Allies invade the island of Sicily first – The Italians remove Mussolini from power • Italy leaves the war in September • Sicily is captured a few weeks later – The Allies next invade mainland Italy • Germany sends Rommel to defend northern Italy • German resistance slows the Allies • They reach Rome by May 1944 • Don’t gain total control of Italy until five days before Germany surrenders

Battle of the Atlantic and Berlin • Battle of the Atlantic – Germany relied once again on U-boats since they couldn’t match the battleships of Great Britain • The German U-boat fleet consisted of 400 subs • They fought in wolf packs for protection • Sank 2, 452 merchant ships and 174 warships at a cost of thousands of lives and millions of dollars – Eventually the Allies won control of the Atlantic • Better-equipped convoys that hunted and destroyed the U-boats • Allies had broken the German code, knew the location of the U-boats

• Battle of Berlin – November 1943 to spring 1944 • Allies bomb Berlin and other cities • Also bomb railways and infrastructure in France

Tehran Conference • Nov. 1943 – meeting of the Allied Powers – Main issue was the plan to launch the cross-channel invasion – Decide to create the United Nations to replace the failed League of Nations • Would be dominated by Britain, U. S. , the Soviet Union, and France

Invasion of France • American generals Eisenhower and Marshall are put in charge – Assemble and train troops, also develop specialized equipment to transport troops and tanks across the channel – Fake out Hitler – complex plan to mislead Hitler about where the invasion would take place • Hitler doesn’t know where the attack will happen, sends Rommel to defend the coast of several nations • Rommel builds the Atlantic Wall

• D-Day June 6, 1944 – Operation Overlord – Allied forces invade France – 150, 000 troops land on the beaches of Normandy and force their way through German defenses – High amount of casualties, but D-Day was a huge victory • With the beaches secured, more Allied troops sent in – 1 million soldiers in France by the end of June – The Allies quickly reconquered most of France and Paris is freed in August

Battle of the Bulge • Dec. 1944 – the Germans launch a massive counterattack in Belgium – The Germans advance, creating a bulge in the Allied battle lines – By Jan. 1945 the Allies regain the land crush the German offensive • Within two months the Allied forces had crossed the Rhine River into Germany and were racing towards Berlin

Allies Invade Allied Invasions Code Name Who does Hitler send to defend