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Why did FDR and Churchill want Unconditional Surrender from Germany?
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FDR believed that no deal could be created between the Allies and Germany. It was either complete and unconditional surrender, or nothing. FDR believed this was the surest and easiest way to save the lives of millions of Jews. If he could strike the head of the viper, then he could win the war and save the Jews. This is important, because this affected their strategy and their goal in the war.
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The Big Three were Great Britain, the United States, and Russia. These were the three largest contributors to the “United Nations”, or the Allies. These three met in Tehran for a meeting discussing the war plans. This is important, because these three were the countries that led the Allies to victory.
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D-Day was the French Invasion Plan – Operation Overlord. This was headed by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and involved English, American, and Canadian troops. They attacked on four beaches – none of them the one they had hinted at to Germany – and suffered over 10,000 losses. This is important, because this was a very risky operation, but it was needed in order to free France. June 6, 1944
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Who commanded Operation Overlord?
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General Dwight D. Eisenhower commanded Operation Overlord – a French invasion in order to get to Germany. This is significant, because – surprisingly enough – President Roosevelt did not select the revered General Marshall to command the Operation. This was a sure sign of trust between the president and future president. Marshall certainly got what he asked for when he said he would serve wherever needed – which, in FDR’s view, was in DC.
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What are the important battles after D-Day?
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Battle of the Bulge, Liberation of Paris, Liberation of Warsaw, Operation Market Garden, and Operation Overlord are a few significant battles after D-Day. These are important, because these really closed off the war.
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What were the different theaters of WWII?
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There were three main theaters of the war: Pacific, European, and Mediterranean. This is important, because each area of battle was fought with different tactics.
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Pacific: Battle of the Coral Sea & Battle of Midway
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Mediterranean: El Alamein
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Who attempted to assassinate Hitler in the Wolf’s Lair and why?
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Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg was one of the first to attempt a Hitler assassination. He set off a bomb in the Wolf’s Lair, but only managed to injure Hitler. He did this because he was the complete opposite of Hitler’s ideals. He was Catholic, aristocratic, and moral. He felt it was acceptable in God’s eyes to commit an assassination against a tyrant. This is important, because this showed some German resistance, and also shook Hitler up a bit. It led to him killing hundreds of people who he thought were possible assassins.
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What was the difference between Paris’s liberation and Warsaw’s?
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In both instances, the people of the captivated city wanted free. In Paris, the French marched in before the Americans. Warsaw, however, had no assistance in their rebellion. Stalin refrained from interfering in Warsaw’s problems.
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The city of Paris was not destroyed in the attack. The German general who was over the captivated Paris was not willing to burn it, and thereby was also less willing to fight the incoming forces. In Warsaw, the Germans brutally attacked, sparing no precious relict.
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What was the Morgenthau plan?
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The Morgenthau plan was Henry Morgenthau’s plan to make postwar Germany into an agricultural country. This would make Germany more like the peaceful, productive Denmark. However, this was not plausible, since the large numbers of Germans could not have thrived merely off of an agricultural state. This is important, because although it was never implemented, this gave Germany a greater desire to win. He thought this would keep Germany from becoming a world power again.
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The V1 and V2 were deadly rockets deployed by Hitler. They were his “Vengeance” weapons, and were launched from Peenemunde in order to land in various English cities. This is significant, because all though some of these rockets were shot down, they killed 6,184 people. It also foreshadowed nuclear war & the Cold War.
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How did Thomas Dewey put the nation above his political ambitions in the 1944 election?
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General George C. Marshall pleaded with Thomas Dewey to not divulge information about the deciphered codes. If he did, Tokyo would learn that their codes had been cracked, and all the war effort would have been spoiled. Although this would have been the icing on the cake against FDR, Thomas Dewey was a man of integrity and patriotism. He never mentioned the decoded messages in his campaign. This is important, because it showed that Thomas Dewey cared more for the welfare of his country than for his own political desires.
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How did World War II end?
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After Hitler died and the many death camps were liberated, Germany began falling apart. They were not strong enough to hold Stalin off any longer in Berlin. Truman worked with Hitler’s successor, Gross Admiral Karl Donitz, for unconditional surrender. Germany surrendered on May 7th. After Japan surrendered, the war was over. This is important, because this was a deadly and significant war in our history.
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What was agreed to at the Yalta Summit?
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France was to be restored to its original place as a “great power”, and allowed to sit on the European Advisory Council. China would also be given a spot on the Security Council and its spotlight as an acknowledged power. This divided up who was in charge of what European areas. The United Nations also began.
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This is important, because it helped set some common ground with how to end the war and recover from the war.
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How did Truman become president?
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President Franklin Delano Roosevelt collapsed and died in Georgia while on vacation. Truman was next in line. This is important, because Truman was the one who was left to finish off the war. He was completely shocked and felt inadequate.
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