Battle for BritainEssential Question: Why were the

Nazis unable to defeat Britain in by 1941?

Winston Churchill Newly elected prime minister in

1940. Declared that his nation shall never

give in. “We shall fight on the beaches, we

shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets…we shall never surrender.”

Hitler attacks Great Britain Operation Sea Lion – plan was to first

knock out the RAF (Royal Air Force) and then land 250,000 soldiers on England’s shores.

In the summer of 1940, Germany’s Air Force, called the Luftwaffe, began raining bombs on Great Britain.

England outnumbered The RAF had 2,900 planes to the

Luftwaffe’s 4,500. The Germans targeted British airfields and

aircraft factories. On September 7, they began bombing

cities, especially London. Bombs exploded daily in city streets.

Civilians were killed, and buildings were set on fire.

Despite these losses, the British fought back.

Enigma Two secret weapons turned the war in

Great Britain’s favor. Radar – an electronic tracking system that

could tell the number, speed, and direction of incoming warplanes.

Enigma – a German code-making machine. It was smuggled into Great Britain in 1938. The British had access to German secret messages.

Germany gave up daytime bombing in October 1940 and bombed only at night.

Londoners spent nights in air-raid shelters in the city’s subway system.

The Battle of Britain continued until May 1941.

Stunned by British resistance, Hitler called off the attack.

The world learned that Hitler could be blocked.

The ultimate prize Hitler planned on dealing with Britain

later He turned his focus to the Balkans

and then to the ultimate prize…the Soviet Union