Learning Target:
Today I will be able to discuss a major campaign of World War II.
-I will be able to analyze the motivations of the different sides.
-I will be able to explain the reasons the campaign was fought.
-I will be able to analyze the reasons for the outcome of the campaign.
Today I will be able to discuss a major campaign of World War II.
-I will be able to analyze the motivations of the different sides.
-I will be able to explain the reasons the campaign was fought.
-I will be able to analyze the reasons for the outcome of the campaign.
The Battle of France (1940)
The German military reveals its brutal blitzkrieg tactics, catching the British and French completely by surprise. Aircraft and tanks change the nature of war. In six weeks the Germans are able to do what they were unable to accomplish in four years of World War I: conquer France. |
Battle of Stalingrad
Often regarded as the turning point of World War II in Europe, the Soviet Union's forces dealt a crippling blow to Nazi Germany's forces, killing/capturing hundreds of thousands of their best soldiers. |
Attack on Pearl Harbor
A devastating sneak attack on the US Pacific fleet docked at the naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Sheer luck prevented the destruction of the US aircraft carriers, allowing the US to continue the war. |
Battle of Kursk
If the Battle of Stalingrad was the turning point in the war, the Battle of Kursk was the final nail-in-the-coffin for Nazi Germany. Desperate to regain the initiative, the Germans launch an enormous tank battle at Kursk... walking right into a Soviet trap. |
D-Day or Operation Overlord
A desperate amphibious landing undertaken by the Western Allies to open up a second front in Europe to assist the Soviets in crushing the Germans. American, British, French, Canadian, and other soldiers land on the beaches of France, ready to liberate Europe. |
The Island-Hopping Campaign
Once the Japanese advance had been blunted, it was time for the Allies to begin pushing back across the Pacific. Choosing to by-pass and ignore some Japanese-held islands, the Allies chose strategic targets, while preparing to invade Japan itself. |
Operation Barbarossa
The Nazis launch a sneak-attack on the Soviet Union, with the goal of toppling its Communist government, exterminating its people, and building a Greater Germany. The attack is devastating, but brave Soviet resistance makes the Germans pay. |
Campaigns of World War II Addendum
1. How was your campaign important to the outcome of World War II?
2. What were the total causalities during your campaign?
3. Who were the leaders on each side of your campaign?
4. What was the outcome of your campaign?
5. What was the most surprising thing you learned about your campaign?