Major Turning Points of the Second World War

Key Events: Spring 1940

In Spring 1940, Germany invaded Denmark and Norway to secure supplies of Swedish steel.

Blitzkrieg (Lightning War)

A rapid attack strategy designed to avoid the prolonged trench warfare experienced in WWI.

Early German Successes

• Germany conquered Paris in 1940, leading to France being divided into North and South zones. The South was governed by Vichy, led by Marshal Pétain.
• June 1940: Battle of Britain commenced.
• In 1941, German troops landed in Africa to drive the English out of Egypt and control the Suez Canal.
• April 1941: Germany, alongside Italy, invaded Yugoslavia, Albania, and Greece.
• June 1941: Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, attacking the USSR.
• December 1941: Japan launched a surprise attack on the USA at Pearl Harbor, causing the USA to enter the war as part of the Allies.

The Allied Counter-Offensive

The June 1942 Battle of Stalingrad marked the beginning of Germany's defeat in Russia.

Turning the Tide

• 1942: The German-Italian army was defeated in North Africa at the Battle of El Alamein.
• 1943: British and USA armies landed in Sicily, leading to the toppling of the Mussolini regime (the North became the Salò Republic).
• 1944: Normandy landings (D-Day, key word: Operation Overlord). Allies liberated Belgium and the Netherlands. German resistance collapsed on the Eastern Front as Soviets advanced into Poland and the Balkans. Japan could not stop US troops liberating the Philippines.

Defeat of the Axis

After the Normandy landing, Germany began a steady retreat and suffered numerous defeats.

Final Push

• August 24, 1944: Allies liberated Paris and advanced towards Germany.
• Autumn: Allies reached the Rhine River. Numerous attempts to assassinate Hitler failed.
• Germany was defeated when USA and British troops occupied western Germany.
• Summer 1944: Soviets occupied Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania.
• April 1945: Hitler committed suicide as Soviets invaded Germany.

Defeat of Japan

Key US victories in the Pacific stopped Japanese expansion:

• 1942: US victories in the Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal halted the advance towards Australia.
• 1944: US forces pushed the Japanese out of the Marshall Islands, Burma, New Guinea, and the Philippines.
• Spring 1945: US captured Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
• August: Atomic bombs were dropped: Little Boy on Hiroshima (August 6th) and Fat Man on Nagasaki (August 8th).

This marked the End of WWII.

Consequences

Human and Material Costs

Human consequences included 60 to 70 million deaths. Houses, roads, and facilities were destroyed, with most European cities heavily damaged.

Territorial and Political Shifts

Poland effectively disappeared. Germany was divided into two states. Democracy was established in Italy and Japan. The USA and USSR emerged as the new superpowers.

Peace Conferences

Meetings held in 1945 between the Allies to determine how to deal with the defeated Axis Powers.

• The Atlantic Charter, a treaty of friendship (precursor to the League of Nations), was signed between Roosevelt and Churchill.
• 1943: Casablanca Conference took place.

Key Definitions

World Leaders

• Roosevelt: President of the USA.
• Neville Chamberlain: Prime Minister of Great Britain before Churchill; attempted to placate Hitler through the Munich Pact (Policy of Appeasement).
• Harry S. Truman: President after Roosevelt; authorized the use of atomic bombs.
• Marshal Pétain: General and President of Vichy France.
• General De Gaulle: Leader of the Free French forces, serving as the alternative president of France in exile during the latter part of WWII.