InNo+mengxinw2013+03.03.11

This is a picture taken at the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.It is an explosion caused by Japanese torpedos. Pearl Harbor was a turning point in WWII, where the US declared war on Japan after the incident.
 * AWESOME PART **

This is a picture of a German U-boat during WWII, U-534. U-boats were submarines which could hunt ships down and destroy them with torpedoes. These U-Boats sunk hundreds and hundreds of British and American ships during WWII.


 * Own Made Awesomeness! **
 * America's Road to War**
 * passed //Neutrality Laws//, isolating USA from the war in Europe
 * //Neutrality Laws// amended to allow Britain to buy war supplies from USA
 * passed //Lend-Lease Act//, allowing USA to provide war supplies to Britain
 * //Lend-Lease// aid given to USSR
 * cancelled trading agreements with Japanese companies
 * stopped sale of oil to Japan
 * Japan surprise attacked US Pacific Fleet's base, //Pearl Harbor//
 * US and Britain declared war on Japan
 * signed pact known as the //United Nations Declaration//, agreeing to put all resources into defeating the Axis


 * NOTES **

· Germany & USSR signed no-war pact in 1939 · Stalin did not stop Hitler invading Poland · Soviet forces occupied eastern half of Poland · While Germans invaded western Europe, Soviet forces went to take more land from east European neighbors; Finland, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania · However, Nazi-Soviet Pact was not pact of friendship · Hitler hated Communism and wanted to destroy the Soviet Union · Signed Pact simply to keep USSR neutral while he occupied Poland and western Europe · Stalin knew Hitler hated USSR, signed Pact because Soviet armed forces were not yet ready to fight; gave him time to prepare country for war · By start of 1941, Pact no longer useful to Hitler because he controlled most of western Europe · Could safely turn attention to the east, therefore, ordered generals to prepare an invasion of USSR
 * Germany attack USSR**

· Invasion began on 22 June, using blitzkrieg tactics · 3 German armies of 3.2 million poured over Soviet frontier · Destroyed much of Soviet air force while it was still on the ground; took over ½ million prisoners, captured huge quantities of supplies · Stalin told Soviet people to use scorched earth methods against the Germans, where the enemy would not find anything edible or usable · In the months after speech, Soviet people followed the scorched earth policy, but could not half German invasion · Germans occupied Ukraine, Donets basin, Crimea · German advance on the capital led to panic there, where thousands left their homes to flee eastwards
 * Operation Barbarossa**

· Soviet authorities moved many important weapons factories to eastern regions beyond reach of Germans · Factories were dismantled and taken in 1.5 million railway truck-loads into the mountains · 10 million workers went with factories to make weapons, transport, clothing, and other equipments · When Germans prepared for final attack on Moscow, autumn rains turned countryside into lakes of mud which slowed them down · Mud froze as winter set in  · Automatic arms stopped working because oil in them froze · Tank motors had to be warmed up for 12 hours before it could get going · Many men froze to death · USSR got help from USA and Britain · American ships took billion dollars worth of food, weapons, medical supplies, tanks and aircraft to USSR · British shipped 500 Hurricane fighter aircraft to USSR · Britain and USA signed treaties of collaboration with USSR · Behavior of German armed forces strengthened the will of Soviet people to survive · In areas of occupation, millions of Soviet people rounded up and taken to Germany as slave labor · Millions, especially Jews and Communist party were massacred by Nazi Special Action Groups · Many Soviet men and women joined resistance groups to fight the Germans, known as Partisans
 * USSR Saved**

· US wanted to keep out of war in Europe · Passed Neutrality Laws, isolating USA from other countries’ disputes; gave little money to armed forces · US Navy with bases in two oceans were smaller than its main rival, Japanese Imperial Navy, which only had Pacific to patrol · Japanese did exact opposite to Americans; attempted to gain extra land and resources for fast-growing population, Japanese invaded and occupied China and French Indo-China · Spent massively on armed forces, making them 3rd largest in the world; were efficient, experienced and well-equipped
 * United States and Japan**

· US policy changed after war started · Neutrality laws amended to allow Britain to buy war supplies from USA on cash and carry basis, meaning British had to pay and collect the goods in their own ships · US Navy gave Britain 50 destroyers and helped Royal Navy to protect British ships · In 1941, Congress passed Lend-Lease Act. Allowing USA to provide Britain with guns, tanks, warships, planes, and other supplies · Lend-Lease aid was also given to USSR · USA gave help to China in its war against Japan · Cancelled trading agreements with Japanese companies and stopped sale of planes, chemicals and iron to Japan · When Japanese occupied Indo-China, US stopped sale of oil to them · 90% of Japan’s oil imported from USA, it was a crippling blow · Japanese complained economy would collapse without oil, but Americans would only lift ban if Japan held peace talks with China · Japanese refused, both began to talk of war as the only way out
 * US Isolation Ends**

· Desperate for oil, Japanese planned to attack oil-rich British and Dutch colonies in South-East Asia · Not strong enough to fight Americans at the same time as British · Planed to surprise attack US Pacific Fleet in its base at Pearl Harbor · Took place on Sunday, 7 December 1941, 360 torpedo planes and bombers launched from 400 km away in Japan caught Americans off-guard · Sank or damaged 8 battleships, damaged another 10 warships, destroyed 340 US aircraft, killed 3581 US servicemen · Attack on Pearl Harbor not as damaging as it might have been · Fleet’s 4 aircraft carrier were not in port that day · Carriers are more deadly than battleships · Japanese made no attempt to destroy huge oil storage tanks which supplied US navy with its fuel
 * Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor**

· USA and Britain immediately declared war on Japan; within next 24 hours, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and 8 others declared war on Japan · Japan had been ally of Germany and Italy for they had signed Tripartite Axis Pact, promising help if attacked by country not already in the war · Germany and Italy declared war on USA · 26 nations declared war on Germany, Italy, Japan over next 3 weeks · signed a pact in Washington known as United Nations Declaration, agreeing to put all their resources into fighting the Axis and carry on fighting until all 3 had been defeated
 * Declaration of War**

· declarations of war did nothing to stop Japan’s plans to conquer · destroyed US aircraft in Philippines, and attacked Guam, Midway, and Wake Islands · Japanese torpedo sank British warships Prince of Wales and Repulse, which had been sent to defend Singapore, Britain’s largest naval base in Far East · Hong Kong surrendered to Japanese · Japanese forces captured Singapore, taking 140,000 prisoner from British and Empire troops · Dutch East Indies fell also · American troops in Philippines surrendered after Japanese siege · British colony of Burma fell · Within 6 months of Pearl Harbor, Japanese brought all South-East Asia and western Pacific under control · Badly damaged British and American forces in the region
 * Japan Conquers Asia**

· There were no great sea battles between German and British fleets · German warships concentrated attacks on British merchant shipping and did not confront Royal Nazy · Only major sea battle was when 3 British warships trapped German pocket battleship in River Plate in South America, forcing ship’s captain to scuttle her · Germans decided to create a squadron of powerful warships based in the occupied French port of Brest · Aim was to attack British convoys deep in Atlantic · Had to bring their only battleship, Bismarck, and battle cruiser Prinz Eugen from Baltic Sea to Atlantic to join the ones already active there · British aircraft spotted the two ships, Royal Navy fleet of 17 ships sent to chase them · A single shot from Bismarck penetrated British ship, killing 1397 crew · British sent all available warships to hunt Bismarck · Torpedo from carrier damaged Bismarck’s steering gear, forcing it to drop speed · British ships caught up with Bismarck and destroyed her with gunfire and torpedoes, killing most of its crew · Prinz Eugen escaped and joined the other two cruisers in Brest
 * Sea Battles**

· German submarines, U-boats could hunt ships unseen beneath the waves and destroy them with torpedoes · At very start of war, single submarine penetrated Royal Navy’s harbor at Scapa Flow and sank battleship Royal Oak while it was at anchor · Menace of U-boats increased after fall of France · As protection, ships travelled in convoys, guarded by Royal Navy destroyers and corvettes · Germans would have packs of 15-20 U-boats which waited in a line across likely convoy routes ready to attack
 * Menace of U-Boats**

· Battle of Atlantic widened after United States joined the war · U-boats only attacked British ships until then · Attacked American shipping on US east coast, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico · Sank more than 200 ships before US Navy began convoy system · Checked by convoys, U-boats moved for a while into South Atlantic, attacking ships off African coast taking goods to Britain from the Far East · US and British Allies beneited from new inventions which helped them find and destroy U-boats · Allies deciphered secret Ultra codes which Germans used for sending orders to the U-boats · Despite new weapons and inventions, Allies were losing · Worst loss came when 40 U-boats attacked 2 Allied convoys in the Black Gap, area in central Atlantic beyond rance of aircraft cover · Out of 92 ships, 21 sunk for the loss of only 1 U-boat · Although U-boats continued to hunt Allied convoys for rest of the war, Germans had failed to cut Britain’s supply life line across the ocean · With aid of America, Britain would be able to continue fighting for as long as it took to defeat Germany
 * Battle of Atlantic**

Germany always wanted to invade USSR, however, it failed to defeat the USSR. When Japan surprise attacked US’s Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, the US joined the war. Japan brought all of South-East Asia and western Pacific under its control within 6 months. Germans used submarines called the U-boats, which destroyed many British and American ships.
 * Summary **

1. Why did Germany sign a pact with USSR if they hated each other? 2. What’s the scorched earth method? Was it successful? 3. Why was the attack on Pearl Harbor not as damaging as it might have been? 4. Why did the US join the war? 5. Why were U-boats so dangerous?
 * Questions **