Hitlers Lightning War Why was the German army able to take over countries so quickly? Western Front Sept 1939: Germany uses a blitzkrieg (lightning war) strategy in Poland Blitzkrieg: surprise attack using fast moving airplanes, relentless bombing, tanks & massive troop deployment Sept 1939-March 1940: Soviet troops invade E. Poland, & Stalin annexes three Baltic countries & invades Finland as a buffer zone Mar 1940: Allies mobilize their armies on French-German border Germany doesnt attack phony war? Apr 1940: Hitler attacks Denmark & Norway (bases for later attack on GB) May 1940: Hitler blitzkriegs the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg Fall of France From Belgium, German troops squeeze through heavily wooded Northern France to get passed French Maginot Line. May 1940: French troops are trapped at coastline. British send 850 ships across the channel to rescue the French at Dunkirk Rescue at Dunkirk Map Time! Stripe 26, 27, 28 and 29 in red Stripe 6,7,8,10,11 in purple After Dunkirk, Mussolini joins forces with Hitler to attack France June 1940: French resistance crumbles, Germans take Paris In Southern France, Henri-Philippe Petain is named French Prime Minister Petain sets up a puppet government loyal to Germany = Vichy France French general Charles de Gaulle sets up a French government-in-exile in London. De Gaulle dedicates himself to retaking France Battle of Britain August 1940: Hitler plans an invasion of Britain. First, he must take out the British Airforce (RAF) German Luftwaffe (airforce) led by Hermann Goering begins bombing Britain Oct 1940: New technology called radar & a German code breaking machine named Enigma, help the British counterattack the Luftwaffe May 1941: Stunned by the resistance Hitler calls off attacks proves Germany is not unstoppable! We Shall Never Surrender ! Winston Churchill We Will Retur n De Gaulle Great Britain stops Nazis but only Allied Nation left Map Time ! Stripe 5 in purple, put purple xs in 5b, purple xs in German Allies xxxxx Color #1 in blue, color Allies on key in blue