The European Theater Of World War II

Allied victory in the North African campaign is significant for allied victory in the European war. The campaign provided the allies with major strategic and economic advantages, boosted British morale and proved Anglo-American cooperation to be successful. Additionally, conflict in North Africa also diverted substantial German and Italian resources that were needed elsewhere, thus weakening the Axis position. It is also significant that German defeat in the battle of Stalingrad on the eastern front, occurred at the same time as defeat in North Africa, further weakening the Axis powers.

to deal with the French and Russian forces , staunch allies, in order to avoid a war on

With a strong backup, the Allied troops were able to advance through the enemy-occupied countries with lightening speed. Therefore, the attack not only led to the French people’s freedom, but also to the quick downfall of Nazi Germany. (Naval History and Heritage- D-Day, the Normandy Invasion, 6 - 25 June 1944)

Believing the North African campaign would be over quickly, American and British leaders began discussing their next move. While the British favored pushing north through Sicily and Italy, the Americans wanted a direct, cross-Channel attack. Since this required detailed discussions, a conference between Roosevelt, Churchill, and their senior leadership was scheduled. The two leaders chose Casablanca for the meeting.

After months of incongruity between British and American war planners regarding the viability of a cross-channel invasion in 1940, the Americans accepted the British strategy and approved the North African Campaign. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts, where one of the lesser known battles of World War II was fought by a small yet valiant force of Australians in the North African port city of Tobruk. Not only did Tobruk facilitate access to one of the greatest ports on the North African shoreline, it helped

After the outbreak of World War II, it became apparent that the United States would be a decisive factor in the outcome of the war. On December 7th, 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor sparked U.S. military intervention in both Europe and the Pacific. Looking for a man to lead, the senior officers selected Eisenhower for the job. All of Eisenhowers training and education was about to be tested. He was named Supreme Commander of the allied forces in the European Theater. He immediately had to face important decisions regarding the allied plans. Eisenhower was a strong supporter of an allied invasion of France, but Great Britain had other objectives. Eisenhower reluctantly organized an invasion of Africa, before heading to Sicily and Italy. While fairly new to the political scene, Eisenhower soon became an expert at navigating it's challenges. After the invasion of North Africa, known as Operation Torch, Eisenhower prepared for what may have been his defining moment. The invasion of France, known as Operation Overlord, was arguably the climactic moment in both World War II and Eisenhower's career("Dwight David Eisenhower").

In January of 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower became commander of Operation Overlord. Since Britain and America were Allies, they used the alliance to deceive the Germans. They made the Germans think they were attacking Pas-de-Calais instead, they attacked Normandy. They also made the Germans think that Norway, as well as other locations, were potential targets (History.com).

During the world war, which involved the Axis power (Germany, Italy and Japan) and the Allies' power, (USA, USSR and England), there was a mission to get rid of Hitler’s Germans out of the fortress Europe. The Allies wanted to defeat the Germans. Many plans were made to do so. The code name of this operation was called Operation Overlord. It would be the beginning of the end for the Nazis. (Source A)

Operation Torch was a major operation conducted in the Mediterranean/North African Theater of Operations as part of the North African campaign during World War II. The U.S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt supported the British Prime Minister believing this operation would prevent an invasion of Europe. In order for the Allies to achieve the desired end state they would need to establish reliable bases on the coast in the regions of Casablanca, Oran, Algiers, and Tunis. This area was controlled by Vichy France, which was technically not part of the Axis powers. This operation would

During WWII, there were numerous meetings between U.S. and British strategists. Of these meetings, two held significant importance: Quebec Conference and the Tehran Conference. These two meetings contained major military strategic decisions and they made significant impacts on the conduct of the war. It is important to note that throughout all meetings conducted in preparation for and during WWII, military strategy differences existed between the Allied

Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall to work as a planning officer in Washington, D.C. In November of 1942, he led Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa. This was an attack across the English Channel, the principal allied offensive effort. The Allies commenced as a combined operation under the command of Eisenhower. The objective of this maneuver was to seize the main ports between Casablanca and Algiers (USHMM 2). Many troops faced resistance from Casablanca and Algiers. Eisenhower motivation was to push quick east along the Mediterranean and take the important ports of Bizerte and Tunis. The invasion was a success along with hardships along the way and it resulted in the end of the empire in

During Casablanca Conference in January 1943, the Allies decided that, after they had gained all North Africa, the next move would be in the Mediterranean. The idea was to kick Italy out of the war. By the summer of 1943 the Canadian soldiers who had not been involved in the Dieppe raid had been in the Britain for almost three and a half years, waiting for a chance to fight. On June 26, the word came at last; they were told to pack up their bedrolls and get ready to move out. The Canadians were headed for Sicily, The Island just off the toe of the Italian “boot”. There they would join the Britain Eighth army under the hero of El Alamein, General Montgomery. The battle plan was to invade Sicily and trap Germany and Italy soldiers between the

The decision to invade North Africa “reflected the triumph of British strategic arguments over those of the Americans” as the Americans were pushing for an invasion in northern France as early as 1942. American military leadership, however, was not sold on the logic or necessity of a North African campaign. General George C. Marshall, the architect of American military strategy, wanted no part of a US commitment to a Mediterranean campaign. The decision to commit American troops in North Africa came directly from President Roosevelt, who overruled the advice of Marshall and his military advisers on this point.

The Allied success in the European theater depended on achieving air superiority. They wanted their air forces to have the ability to operate anywhere without opposition. During the early stages of WW2, the air domain was contested space. Neither side had won sufficient control of the air to operate freely. The Allies primary theory was air superiority was a necessity to ensure victory.

Germany did not have a numerically superior force on the western front, but bold strategy, careful planning and blitzkrieg tactics set the foundation for the French defeat. In June 1940 Hitler invaded Paris, eight days later the French surrendered. After the French surrender, Hitler attempted to end the war with Britain. Speaking to the Reichstag in June, he said, “I can see no reason why the war need go on.” But Hitler was already had his sights set on invading Russia. He now aimed to end the war in the west so he could concentrate on attacking communist Russia in the east. Hitler knew that invading Britain would be difficult, but still he informed his military to leaders to prepare for the operation, Operation Sea Lion, and proceeded in planning a landing operation against Britain.