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| | Intense fighting by the United States began in both the European and the Pacific "theaters". In Europe, the hard fighting was done by the Army, on the ground. In the Pacific, the Navy was more important. | | Intense fighting by the United States began in both the European and the Pacific "theaters". In Europe, the hard fighting was done by the Army, on the ground. In the Pacific, the Navy was more important. |
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| | + | The American military leaders were General Dwight Eisenhower in Europe, to fight Germany, and General Douglas MacArthur in the Pacific, to fight Japan. The most brilliant American commander, and the only one feared by the Germans, was George Patton. Homeschooled, he was not a genius in an academic sense and even had to leave West Point for poor grades, before returning later and graduating. But he was a genius for war. He developed a very aggressive form of tank warfare that would win in a single day military "exercises" (peaceful combat to test the troops) that were supposed to last an entire week. In an example of how an organization does not always reward and promote its best, however, Patton was repeatedly restrained by his superiors from defeating the enemy. Perhaps jealousy of his skills played a role. |
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| | D-Day "June 6, 1944 Allies finally invade mainland Europe at Normandy, France to recapture mainland" | | D-Day "June 6, 1944 Allies finally invade mainland Europe at Normandy, France to recapture mainland" |
| − | Casablanca Conference "Jan. 14–24, 1943, WW II mtg of U.S. & Britain, agree to fight until other side unconditionally surrenders"
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| | Holocaust "1941-45: systematic, racist and brutal murder by German leaders of six million Jews during WW II" | | Holocaust "1941-45: systematic, racist and brutal murder by German leaders of six million Jews during WW II" |
| − | CORE 1942:Congress of Racial Equality joined in struggle of African Americans banding together against segregation
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| | """Voice of America""" 1942: radio program to broadcast American message of freedom to Communist countries | | """Voice of America""" 1942: radio program to broadcast American message of freedom to Communist countries |
| − | Teheran Conference 1943: Stalin promised to help us against Japan after the defeat of Germany. We agreed to D-Day invasion
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| − | Yalta Conference Feb 1945: divide Germany into 4 military zones (denazification); Stalin lied re: free elections; plan for United Nations
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| − | Potsdam Conference July/Aug 1945: Truman replaced Roosevelt and little accomplished; demanded Japan's uncondit. surrender
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| | Manhattan Project "secret project to build atomic bomb based in Los Alamos, New Mexico" | | Manhattan Project "secret project to build atomic bomb based in Los Alamos, New Mexico" |
| | Harry S Truman "Dem. Pres. 1945-52, pushed civil rights, protected South Korea, fired Gen. MacArthur, seized steel mills" | | Harry S Truman "Dem. Pres. 1945-52, pushed civil rights, protected South Korea, fired Gen. MacArthur, seized steel mills" |
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| | The worst fight was at the Battle of the Bulge, when the Germans launched a vicious counteroffensives against the Allies (which now included the Americans. | | The worst fight was at the Battle of the Bulge, when the Germans launched a vicious counteroffensives against the Allies (which now included the Americans. |
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| | + | Casablanca Conference "Jan. 14–24, 1943, WW II mtg of U.S. & Britain, agree to fight until other side unconditionally surrenders" |
| | + | Teheran Conference 1943: Stalin promised to help us against Japan after the defeat of Germany. We agreed to D-Day invasion |
| | + | Yalta Conference Feb 1945: divide Germany into 4 military zones (denazification); Stalin lied re: free elections; plan for United Nations |
| | + | Potsdam Conference July/Aug 1945: Truman replaced Roosevelt and little accomplished; demanded Japan's uncondit. surrender |
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| | Some feared that Germany was developing an atomic bomb and so the United States government initiated the Manhattan Project to develop our own atomic bomb. As soon as it was tested and ready, President Truman ordered it to be dropped on Japanese cities in 1945. Japan then surrendered and our war with it was over. (Our war with Germany had already ended.) | | Some feared that Germany was developing an atomic bomb and so the United States government initiated the Manhattan Project to develop our own atomic bomb. As soon as it was tested and ready, President Truman ordered it to be dropped on Japanese cities in 1945. Japan then surrendered and our war with it was over. (Our war with Germany had already ended.) |