Major Turning Points in World War II

Major Turning Points in World War II

• World War II began with Germany's attack on Poland on September 1, 1939
• The United States did not enter WWII until December 8, 1941
• This war was fought between two major superpowers: the Axis powers & the Allied powers

• On December 7, 1941 Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, a U.S. Naval base located in Hawaii.
• More than 350 Japanese bombers, fighters, and torpedo planes attacked the naval base.
• In two waves, in just three hours, the Japanese had managed to sink or damage 18 ships and destroy more than 200.
• Japanese naval and air forces attacked the U.S. Pacific fleet with the intention of destroying American naval capacity in the Pacific.
• Some U.S. aircraft carriers were not in the harbor at the time of the attack and luckily they were not destroyed.
• On Dec. 8, 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially declares war and the United States enters WWII.

Reflection:Please write your answers in the space provided in your Guided Notes.

1.) What military or political factors led to President Truman's decision of dropping the atomic bombs on Japan?

2.) Were there other alternatives?

3.) In your opinion, was the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan necessary?

• After the atomic bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki, Japan surrenders.
• August 14 known as V-J Day (Victory over Japan) marks the day when the Japanese surrender.
• On September 2, 1945 Japan formally & unconditionally surrenders aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
• This makers the official end of World War II.

Military historian John Keegan described World War II as:

"Different from all wars previously fought, different in scale, intensity, extensiveness, and material and human cost". Is this an accurate observation? Why or why not? In what ways was this war different? Write your response in the space provided on the Guided Notes.

We have now learned about major battles & events in WWII. Students, in an assigned group of four, will present on a significant event or battle that influenced the outcome of the war. The presentation will include a quickwrite describing 3 key events or battles. In addition the group will create a poster filled with information on ONE key event or battle. This poster should summarize the event with key information and have supporting visuals. The group will have a 10 minute oral presentation on their event or battle.

by Chelsea Ortega

Presentation:

K-W-L Chart:

Before we begin the presentation, please fill out the first and second column of the K-W-L Chart.

Major Turning Point of WWII

What are some things you would like to know about this war?

What do you know about WWII? What have you previously learned about this war?

Battle of Britain:

• This battle lasted from July-September 1940
• The German's Luftwaffe, air force, launched a series of air raid attacks against Britain specifically targeting the British Royal Air Force (RAF).
• "The Blitz" (air raids) then moved to target major cities such as London, killing more than 40,000 British civilians.
• The Germans ultimately hoped to gain air superiority over the RAF, but eventually were forced to withdraw after months of failed attempts.

Britain was successful in their defense against Britain.

**This was a significant turning point of WWII**

The Bombing of Japan

D-day: The Invasion of Normandy

• The D-day operation took place on June 6, 1944 in the beaches of Normandy, France
• It is also known as "Operation Overlord"
• Five naval assault divisions were distributed along the five beaches.
• The beaches were given code names: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno & Sword.
• The allied forces land in efforts of liberating France from Nazi control.
• It was the largest invasion force in history with more than 133,000 men from England, Canada & the United States.
• The Allies faked an army & props to deceive German spy planes into thinking that the troops would land in Calais.

"24 Hours After Hiroshima"

• On the morning of August 6, 1945, an American B-29 (the Enola Gay) was given orders to bomb the city of Hiroshima with a revolutionary new weapon: the atomic bomb codename Little Boy.
• The powerful bomb leveled the city and killed around 80,000 Japanese, mostly civilians.
• On the morning of August 9th, another atomic bomb, codename Fat Man, was dropped in the city of Nagasaki.
• There were massive casualties as well.
• President Harry S. Truman had decided to drop the atomic bombs in efforts to end the war in the Pacific.
• Several times the Japanese were urged to surrender, but they refused to.
• The bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki had two objectives. To demonstrated American military power and show both Japan and the Soviet Union the United States' new weapons of mass destruction.

Pearl Harbor:

Battle of Midway

• This battle took place 1,300 miles northwest of Oahu, Hawaii.
• The battle took place from June 4-7, 1942
• On June 4, 1942 four Japanese aircraft carriers attacked the US naval base on Midway, damaging the base.
• The United States knew that Japan was planning an attack so they sent were ready to counterattack east of the island.
• TBD Devastator torpedo bombers & SBD Dauntless dive bombers from USS Enterprise, USS Hornet and USS Yorktown attacked the Japanese fleet.
• Three (Akagi, Kaga & Soryu) of the four Japanese carriers were destroyed and by the end of the battle the last one (Hiryu) was also annihilated.

Think-Pair-Share:

Will this direct assault inevitably force the United States into war? How do you think the American people will respond to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor? Write your answer in the space provided on your Guided Notes.

The End of World War II:

The Outbreak of World War II:

Quickwrite:

Major Axis and Allied Powers: