A History of World War Two

In 1938 Hitler and the Nazi Party invaded Czechoslovakia. Europe was terrified of Hitler and his war machine but there was nothing they could do. The countries of Europe told him that he could keep Czechoslovakia as long as he didn’t invade any more countries. Well in 1939 He did it again when he invaded Poland. The countries in Europe still sat by telling him to stop. The final straw was drawn when on June 4th 1940 Hitler invaded France. England, France, Poland, Russia, Australia, Denmark and all of the other Eastern European countries he would later invade, declared war on Hitler. But where was the United States? Well we were 4,000 miles away telling ourselves that it was none of our business. Well on December 7th 1941 it did become our business.

The War on Two Oceans

On December 7th 1941 a Japanese Naval Force was sent out with a mission. Their mission was to cripple and destroy the United States Naval Fleet on Pearl Harbor. 2 Waves of aircraft launched from 6 Japanese Carriers totaling 350 fighters and bombers were sent out to destroy the fleet. Two Battleships one Minelayer and two destroyers were damaged beyond repair. The Japanese lost 29 aircraft 5 midget submarines and 65 men killed or wounded. The United States Naval Fleet on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was destroyed. 10,000 American and Pilipino troops fighting in the Philippines were pushed back to the Baton Peninsula. With they’re backs to the seas and no Navy to save them they were forced to retreat. Under orders and against his wishes General Macarthur was forced to retreat to Australia with few men. The remaining troops in Baton fought for 6 months with limited ammo, food and water. After 6 months of fighting without re-supply, the American and Pilipino troops surrendered. The Japanese took them on a long march. Any men that stepped out of line were bayoneted or shot. Very few men made it to the POW camps. The march became known as The Baton Death March. After hearing of the news President Roosevelt declared war on Japan and Germany. This was going to be a struggle because now the United States was fighting a war on two oceans.

England

The United States sent over General Eisenhower and all the branches of the Military. From the Air-Force to the Marines to the Navy to the Army they were all there. They did not immediately engage the Germans. They worked on a plan secretly called Operation Overlord. This plan was to invade France and liberate the people of France. The United States bombed the Port of Calais and Normandy to keep the spot of the landing a secret. For two whole years they trained for amphibious landings. In 1943 they began they’re initial battle on the front of North Africa. They sent in British and American troops to fight off the German and Italian solders in Northern Africa. They made great progress when the liberated Tunisia and went all the way west. They would have broken through to the Suez Canal if the Germans and Italians weren’t re-enforced and re-supplied. It was a long battle and eventually The Allies broke through to Libya and forced the Germans and Italians to retreat back into Sicily. But the Allies wouldn’t follow them for another year.