New
New
Year 9

America's entry into the war and the D-Day landings

I can explain why America's entry into the war and the D-Day landings were major turning points in the Second World War.

New
New
Year 9

America's entry into the war and the D-Day landings

I can explain why America's entry into the war and the D-Day landings were major turning points in the Second World War.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Now that America had ended its policy of isolationism, it was committed to fighting Japan and her ally, Germany.
  2. The Japanese occupied most of southeast Asia, their brutal conduct was influenced by a military code.
  3. The daring amphibious D-Day landings took place in June 1944, meaning Nazi Germany was now fighting on two fronts.
  4. The landings were a major turning point in the war as they hastened Germany's surrender in May 1945.
  5. Germany surrendered after being surrounded by the Allied armies from the west and the Soviet forces from the east.

Keywords

  • Isolationism - the policy or practice of showing interest only in your own country and not being involved in international activities or war

  • D-Day - the day during WW2 when the Allies began their invasion of Europe by attacking the coast of northern France; Operation Overlord

  • Amphibious - relating to both land and water; warfare consisting of naval and air forces and involving the landing and establishing of forces on a hostile shore

  • Munitions - military weapons such as guns and bombs

Common misconception

America and Britain won the war by defeating the Nazis in Berlin.

The Soviets had pushed the Nazi army back across eastern Europe; four out of five German soldiers killed in WW2 were killed on the Eastern Front.

Play the radio broadcast of the opening lines of the poem "Chanson d'Automne" which secretly signalled the start of D-Day to the French Resistance.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
In 1941, Hitler launched an invasion of...
Correct Answer: the Soviet Union, the USSR, the soviet union, USSR, soviet union
Q2.
Hitler ordered Operation Barbarossa because he had always wanted to destroy...
Correct Answer: communism, Communism
Q3.
A population of 200 million and the Soviet Union's geographical size helped it to absorb Nazi Germany's tactics.
Correct Answer: blitzkrieg, Blitzkrieg
Q4.
In which Russian city did besieged citizens turn to desperate measures to avoid starvation?
Moscow
Correct answer: Leningrad
Stalingrad
Q5.
The Japanese attack on brought the USA into WW2.
Correct Answer: Pearl Harbour, pearl harbour
Q6.
Which country had Japan invaded before the start of WW2?
Singapore
Vietnam
the Phillipines
Correct answer: China

6 Questions

Q1.
Following WW1, America adopted a policy of...
Correct Answer: isolationism, Isolationism
Q2.
At which battle did the USA stop Japan's Pacific expansion?
Correct answer: Midway
Pearl Harbour
Overlord
The Battle of the Bulge
Q3.
On 6 June, British, American and Canadian troops took part in the largest invasion in history.
Correct Answer: amphibious, Amphibious
Q4.
Nazi Germany's defences along the coast of Western Europe were known as the...
Correct Answer: Atlantic Wall, atlantic wall, Atlantic wall, atlantic Wall
Q5.
__________ out of five German soldiers killed in WW2 were killed on the Eastern Front.
one
two
three
Correct answer: four
Q6.
Which German city had Soviet forces surrounded by the end of April 1945?
Munich
Bonn
Hamburg
Correct answer: Berlin

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