Running head: WORLD WAR II: THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE 1
World War II: The American Experience
Matthew Holguin
HIS/120
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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