operation barbarossa aims of lebensraum communists seen as a significant threat attack on ussr would...
TRANSCRIPT
Operation Barbarossa
Aims of LebensraumCommunists seen as a significant threatAttack on USSR would stop territorial gainsInvasion started on June 22, 1941, massive blitzkrieg
attackIn the north, Leningrad was besieged (see page 149)In the south, Kiev was capturedGerman army outside of MoscowGermans failed to take Leningrad and MoscowMarshal Zhukov launched a counter-offensive and
Moscow was saved
Operation Barbarossa
June 1942, Hitler made a massive offensive towards southern Russia and the oilfields of Caucasus
August the Germans reached Stalingrad and they had occupied most of the city by September
Soviets launched a counter-offensive, surrounding Germans in pincer movement See document on page 150 and respond to question in
notes
Here was the turning point of the war1943, German army is in retreat1944, Leningrad was liberated
Why were the Soviets able to defeat Germans?
See page 150-151Then, write paragraph response in notes
The fall of Italy 1943-45
July 10, 1943 attack on Sicily began and within 6 weeks it was in control of Allies
Mussolini’s successor, Marshal Pietro Badoglio, signed an armistice and brought Italy on side of the Allies
Rome not captured until June 1944
Consequences
Fascism had ended in Italy
It tied down German divisions that were needed in Russia
Allies could not be accused by Stalin of leaving all of the fighting in Europe to the Soviets
Operation Overlord 1944
Operation Overload began on June 6, 1944, known as D-Day
The landings of 326,000 British, Canadian and American troops took place from sea and air on a stretch of beaches in Normandy, France
Within a month, a million men landed in Normandy
First months of 1945 saw the disintegration of Wehrmacht
The Allies crossed the Rhine in March 1945. Germany was being invaded on 2 fronts
May 7, Germany surrendered
Why did the Allies win?
By not committing Germany’s full military capacity to the invasion of Britain, Hitler allowed Britain to survive
The invasion of the Soviet Union was a huge mistake
See excerpt page 154The entry of the USA allowed allies to defeat
Italy, carry out bombing raids on GermanyMussolini was a drain on Hitler’s resources
Strength of Allies
Russia producing better armaments by 1943Centralized state economy proves effective
for prolonged warAmerican war capacity 70,000 tanks and
120,000 aircraft a yearAccording to Overy, they turned their
economic strength into effective fighting power Using page 155-56, sum up strength of Allies
How was WWII fought?
Many historians doubt that Blitzkreig was a well thought-out plan
The Blitzkrieg allowed Hilter to achieve quick victories witheout too many causualities andlosss of resources
The speed and surprise did not allow other countriesto mobilize and prepare for total war
Successes and failures of Blitzkrieg
Operation Barbarossa exposed failures of Blitzkrieg Which were? Make list.
From 1944, Allies had dominance of skies.
Battle for Atlantci
Britain was naval power and it was critical for it to maintain its travel routes
Sea warfare was about controlling supply lines
1940-43 Germany and Britain fight to see who could control Atlantic
Hitler needed the U-boats to keep USA and Britain occupied
U-boats
Allies eliminate U-boats as a threat b/c Use page 162, see bullet points and put in your own
words.
By 1943, it was clear that the Allies won the war for Atlantic.
See graph on page 162.
Naval war
Naval warfare palyed a key role in the course and outcome of WWII
Victory of the Allies in the Atlantic was vitalSee page 163, What does Keegan write about
the importance of naval war? Explain
War in the air and strategic bombing
WWII sees a more radical and independent use for aircraft in strategic bombing
This type of bombing focused on t destroying miltary and industrial infrastructre of a country
It was also directed against civilians
Strategic bombing in Europe
Area bombing is imposed by both sidesLook up area bombing and take definition
40,000 people died in HamburgP-51B Mustang made bombing more deadly
in 1944Germanys respond in 1944 with V1, a pilotles
flying bomb and the V2 ballistic missile see page 155
Non-effective b/c too late in war