Course of wwii
- 1. Course of WW II European Theater
- 3. • Hitler invaded Poland Sept. 1, 1939 and took control in just 4 short weeks. – Blitzkrieg- lighting war • New style of warfare • Used planes & tanks • Would have taken Poland sooner but spent time trying to annihilate as many Poles & Jews Hitler invades West Poland Stalin into East Poland
- 4. • GB & FR gave Hitler 2 days to withdraw from PO, he ignored them – Sept 3rd “confetti war” anti-Nazi propaganda dropped over GER by Allies *crew drops leaflets into a chute • Sept. 28th GER & USSR divided up Poland
- 5. • May 10th GER attacked the Netherlands, Belgium & FR • The British & French had dug obsolete WWI-style trenches. – Very ineffective against blitzkrieg – GER went around Maginot Line • FR & BR trapped on beaches of Dunkirk – Operation Dynamo • Used every available ship & fishing boat to evacuate +300,000 troops
- 6. • June 22 – FR sign armistice – GER occupied 3/5 of FR • Vichy France – FR authoritarian regime under GER control – Led by FR WWI hero – Marshall Henri Petain • BR still undefeated – Ask U.S. for help • FDR- denounces attacks BUT follows isolationist policy – Neutrality acts – Cash & carry - loophole
- 7. Battle of Britain • Aug 1940- Luftwaffe launched • Major Offensive- bombed BR: – Air & Naval bases – Harbors – Communications Centers – War industries • BR fought back - Used radar that provided early warning - But RAF suffered big losses
- 8. Battle of Britain cont. • Sept – Hitler ordered strategy shift & bombed cities – Hilter wanted to break BR morale (war of attrition) – BR took advantage of situation to rebuild air strength • End of Sept – Hitler postponed BR WII invasion indefinitely of W ildren Ch
- 9. Operation Barbarossa Hitler’s Invasion of Soviet Russia • Why USSR? 1. Easier to take BR with USSR not able to help 2. Hitler believed USSR had pitiful army that would be easy to defeat (Stalin had purged most of his military leaders)
- 11. • Mussolini failed to defeat Greece (1940) – So GER had to go help – seized Greece & Yugoslavia • Invasion of USSR – June 22, 1941 – Hitler invaded USSR – 1800 mile front – GER advanced quickly captured 2 million RU soldiers
- 12. Operation Barbarossa cont. • By Nov. – 1st GER army group swept Ukraine - 2nd army besieged Leningrad - 3rd 25 miles outside of Moscow Stopped because GER halted by early winter & fierce Soviet resistance - GER had no winter uniforms - 1st time GER armies stopped • Dec 1941 – Soviets counter attacked & pushed GER back
- 13. The least you need to know: • Hitler invaded Poland 9/1/39 – Used Blitzkrieg tactic • Dunkirk – Operation Dynamo – Evacuated 300k + Allied troops • GER controlls 3/5 of FR – Vichy FR – GER controlled • Battle of Britain – Radar used by Brits – RAF – Royal Air Force
- 14. The least cont. • Hitler violated Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggres. Pact • Mussolini defeated in Greece – Had to have Hitler’s help • Operation Barbarossa (RU) – 1st time GER army is stopped