Running head: WORLD WAR II: THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE 1

World War II: The American Experience

Matthew Holguin

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July 8, 2015

Natalye Pass

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World War II: The American Experience

With a third of Europe under Nazi control, America stood by

on the sidelines because the American people believed it to be

Europe’s problem. With the remembrance of the First World War

many Americans did not want to get involved in yet another Europe

war. At the time President FDR attempts to convince the people

other wise. By signing the Selective Training and Service act on September

16, 1940 the very first peacetime draft in US history. All men

between the ages of 21-30 were required to register for military

service. This Act was passed as a national defense measure and

that draftees would only be sent to war to defend American held

territories. In November of 1941 Germany, Japan, and Italy

renewed the alliance in order to safeguard their common interest

forming the Axis powers. On December 7 1941 Japan bombed Pearl

Harbor, leading to FDRs most famous words, “ a date in which we

will live in infamy”. Four days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor

Germany and Italy declare war on the united sates. America

realized they now have enemies off of both coast sensing an

imamate threat to its homeland. One month after the attack

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approximately over 134,000 men enlisted for service to take the

fight to the Axis powers bringing America into the largest war in

history as the wars in Asia and Europe merged crating Second

World War.

Over the course of the war America took part in various

major campaigns. It had been decided at the Arcadia Conference

Washington the Allied forces would launch an offensive attack

against Erwin Rommel a German field marshal and his German army

in Northern Africa. The was great debate and compromise, the

debate came about when the US Chief of staff wanted of focus

solely on attack the Germans in Europe and not Africa. Creating a

proposal for FDR to pitch to the Allied parties involved, that

unless the British forces were able to support an allied attack

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to invade France. FDR could not give such an ultimatum and ask

his Chief of staff to come up with a compromise creating

Operation Torch. In 1942Operation Torch was lead by Major General

Mark Clark who met with French loyal in support of the Allied

cause along with resistance fighters. This meeting laid out the

plan and objective of where the Americans would be landing and

who could be entrusted to leading the French forces naming

General Henri Giraud marking the first Allied water landing of

the war.

The US had joined the British forces in North Africa. In

November of 1942 the Allied forces had landed in the Vichy French

territories of Algeria and Morocco. After some resistance the

Vichy Army joined the Allied forces making a much larger force.

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The Allied forces quickly gained the upper hand and advanced to

Tunisia. Lead by General George S. Patton instilling discipline

and aggression taking the offense to the German and Italian

forces. Later that year by mid march General Patton turned to

troops over to General Omar Bradley so that He could join the

fight in Europe. After advancing to Tunisia the Axis Powers

surrendered on May 13, 1943 and the Allies captured the Italian

Colonies in North Africa. This monumental victory set the stage

for the invasion of Sicily just two months after that Axis Powers

surrender.

The Italian Campaigns main objective was to remove Italy

from the War in order to secure the Mediterranean Sea do that the

Germans would be forced to be diverted from parts of Russia to

the north of France. Where the Allied forces had planned their

amphibious approach in to Normandy, France. In 1943 Prime

Minister Winston Church Hill, FDR, and various chief of staff of

the Allied forces came together to discuss their next course of

action and strategize the next phase in the war. This meeting had

become to be known as the Casablanca Conference and the very

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first time a US President had left American soil during wartime.

The conference was set up to discuss the best possible way to

advance forward to put an end to the war. The Allied forces

wanted to destroy the German U-boats patrolling the Atlantic

ocean while running complex bombing missions, but the most

important take away from the Casablanca Conference was that the

Allied forces secretly offered to except an unconditional

surrender to the Axis Powers leaving no room for maneuver.

In 1943 the battle Anzio took place when the US and Allied

forces made an attempt to force German troops away from the

Gustav line. The US forces had secured the beachhead in the

vicinity of Anzio and Nettuno on the west side of the Italian

coastline. German General Kesselring quickly infiltrated the US

forces causing a series of attacks resulting in the hundreds of

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thousands casualties for both sides. The battle seemed to be a

stalemate, but after four month of battle the Allied forces were

finally able to advance from the beach head that would help lead

to the capture of Rome.

In the same year Rome was captured The Italian general

Mussolini fell from power. The fascist leader was out voted by

the grand council of Italy after Hitler refused to take the

advice of Mussolini and concentrate their efforts on the US and

British force. The Italian high counsel saw that Mussolini was

fatigued, and weakened by the rigorous demands of the war. They

counsel also felt he was becoming complacent and that his

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dictatorship brought Italy’s military on the brink of disaster.

Immediately after the vote was made Mussolini was urged to have

those who opposed him arrested, he had no response. He carried

about his daily duties mad meet with the King and was informed

that General Badogli would relinquish command and assume the role

as Prime Minister, because the was all but lost for the Italian

people. Mussolini was arrested upon exiting the meeting and

imprisoned at Ponza Island. At the request of the King, General

Badogli began negotiating With the US for the conditional

surrender of the Italian forces. Which in turn allowed the Allied

forces to deploy in the southern region of Italy pushing the

Germans back into the peninsula giving Solerno the American

forces. Soon after Hitler and his military would also concede to

the Allied forces.

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Reference:

Schultz, K. M. (2014). HIST (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth.

History.com Staff. (2009). World War II Histroy. Retrieved from

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history

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HistoryNet Staff. (2006). Operation Torch: Allied Invasion of North

Africa. Retrieved from http://www.historynet.com/operation-torch-

allied-invasion-of-north-africa.htm

Harding, A. S. (2004). Two General Apart: Patton and

Eisenhower . Retrieved from

http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/articles/twogeneral.asp

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