World War II: Key Phases and Turning Points 1940-1945

Second Phase: Axis Initiatives (1940-1942)

The Battle of Britain

• The extensive use of aircraft resulted in significant losses of both personnel and planes for the Germans.

Intervention in the Balkans

• On October 28, 1940, the Italian army invaded Greece.
• Germany's intervention in the Balkans had two primary objectives:
  • Secure oil wells.
  • Control mines of lead, zinc, and bauxite to prevent the Balkans from falling under Soviet control.

The African Front

• This front was critical for controlling the Mediterranean and gaining access to the oil fields of the Near East.
• British and Italian forces clashed in Libya and Egypt.
• On October 23, 1940, Hitler and Franco met at Hendaye to discuss Spain's potential entry into the Axis. However, Spain was in no condition to participate in another war due to the aftermath of its Civil War.

Invasion of the USSR (June 22, 1941)

• German forces reached the outskirts of Moscow and captured Ukraine and Crimea, but the harsh winter halted their advance.
• In the spring of 1942, the Germans launched an attack on Stalingrad.

Japanese Intervention

• The United States officially entered the war on December 11, 1941.
• Japanese forces rapidly defeated British and American troops, establishing dominance throughout the Pacific within three months.

Third Phase: Allied Counteroffensives (1942-1943)

Operations in the Pacific

• On June 6, 1942, the Japanese suffered their first naval defeat near Midway Island.
• In August 1942, the Americans initiated their campaign to recapture Guadalcanal.
• American forces landed in Morocco and Algeria in November 1942.

Soviet Front: The Battle of Stalingrad

• This battle marked the first major defeat for Hitler's forces.

The Landing of Sicily (July 10, 1943)

• King Victor Emmanuel III decided to assume political and military leadership of Italy and ordered the arrest of Mussolini.
• Italy surrendered on September 8, 1943.

Fourth Phase: The Allied Victory (1944-1945)

The Italian Campaign

• The U.S. Army entered Rome on June 4, 1944.

Normandy Invasion

• The Germans anticipated an Allied landing at Pas de Calais, but the Allied command chose the more challenging and less defended Normandy.
• The operation commenced on June 6, 1944 (D-Day).
• On July 20, 1944, rebel generals attempted to assassinate Hitler, viewing it as the only path to ending the war.
• Paris was liberated on August 25, 1944.
• The Germans launched a counteroffensive in the Ardennes in December 1944.
• Germany surrendered to the Allies on May 7, 1945, but the war continued in Asia with Japan.

War in the Pacific

• By 1945, the Japanese were losing control of their communication lines with Indochina.
• American forces were steadily regaining control of the Pacific islands, while the British reclaimed the Indochinese peninsula.
• The first atomic bomb was detonated over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.
• The second atomic bomb was detonated over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.