The Second World War

European TheatreSeptember 1939 - May 1945

Blitzkrieg :

This is the German term for lightning war. This involved the cooperation of the air force (Luftwaffa), Armor (Panzers), and Infantry.

Planes would bomb power stations, bridges and telephone lines.

Tanks would bust through the enemy lines and encircle and the foot soldier cleaned up the mess.

This created mass confusion, panic and rapid retreat.

Invasion of Poland On September 1st 1939, the Germans

invaded Poland using its blitz. Hitler’s claim was that the free city of

Danzig and the Polish corridor was rightfully Germany’s.

Britain gave Germany an ultimatum and when they refused to comply the British declared war on September 3rd, 1939.

By September 10th, Canada entered the war.

Poland would fall in just three weeks, with the Soviets staking claim in the East and the Germans claiming 2/3 of the West.

Panzer 6 Tiger 20mm Canon

The Phony War Germany lost WWI and they new that they

had to improve their methods. For 4 years they built superior tanks and

planes that would deliver a blitz. The allies had won so they thought they

had it all figured out, so they did nothing. When Hitler invaded Poland the allies

could not respond so they had to wait for Hitler’s next move.

The Invasion of France With the faster moving planes and tanks

the 40 year old Schlieffen Plan would be unleashed.

They split the French and British armies in two, with the French encircled and the British with their backs to the sea.

France would fall in just six weeks. By July of 1940 Hitler would control all of Western Europe.

Dunkirk On June 1st 1940 Winston Churchill, Prime

Minister of Britain, would rally every boat that could float and rescue some 330 000 troops off the beaches of France.

It may have been an evacuation, but it gave the British the idea that they were still in the fight .

This was a serious missed opportunity by the Germans. Hitler’s commanders were too busy arguing over who would have the glory of crushing the British. The British escaped under their noses.

The Battle of Britain By August of 1940 Hitler turned his

attention on the English. He figured he would pound them into

submission by using bombers to set London in flames.

Two things happened. 1. The British spirit could not be broken. 2. The British developed the new technology of radar. With radar and the British spitfire, the German air force was decimated over the skies of England.

Operation Barbarossa Hitler made the greatest error. This is the

decision that would eventually cost him the war.

He figured he had England isolated. He turned his sites on his neutral ally the Soviet union.

This operation was doomed to fail. He started the invasion of the USSR in late June of 1941. This was 3 months too late. It would mean that the Germans would have to fight threw a Russian winter.

Stalingrad

By late October, the Germans were on the door step of Moscow.

Hitler wanted to destroy the industrial center of Stalingrad. He diverted 300 000 men to capture the city. They encircled it and laid siege for six weeks.

The Moscow invasion stalled and the Russian army descended on the Germans entrenched around Stalingrad and captured over 300 000 German soldiers.

This was a huge turning point. The USSR would gain momentum and the Germans would gain no more ground in the East.

Invasion of North Africa The Italians were getting hammered by

the British in Africa. Hitler sent his prize tank Commander to do the job, Erwin J. Rommel.

Rommel had pushed the English all the way across North Africa to the door step of Cairo.

The British, under Montgomery, made a heroic stand at Alamein and held the German advance.

The Big Three Left Winston Churchill British Prime

Minister. Center Franklin Roosevelt U.S. President. Right Josef Stalin Premier of the USSR They would be reponsible for the victory

and the Peace that would come after WWII.

Operation Torch Stalin needed pressure taken off him

so he called for America and England to get in the fight.

Operation Torch was unleashed in North Africa during Nov. 1942. This involved the Americans landing in Morocco in the West and the British pushing from Egypt in the East.

Allied Victory May 12, 1943 the German Afrika Corps

surrender to the allies at Tunis. The invasion of Sicily and then Italy was

next. Hitler was fighting on multiple fronts.

Italy would be slow and difficult and the allies would have to look for another invasion if they wanted to end the war quickly.

D-Day The idea was to create the two front war to

divide the German forces in Europe. The British and American air Force had been

bombing German industrial centers for two years. It was time to deliver the knock out punch. This would come on the beaches of Normandy (Saving Private Ryan)

The Allies worked hard at convincing the Germans that it would come at Calais in he East some 300 km from Normandy.

The American General Dwight Eisenhower would be in command.

The landing June 6th 1944 it begins. 1,273 ships 57500 U.S. troops 75000 British and Can. 13743 air craft 900 armored vehicles and 600 guns. Five beaches :Utah/Omaha = U.S

Sword/Gold = BritishJuno =

Canadian

The plan 27000 airborne troops would land behind the

German defenses and secure the strategic towns, bridges, and railways.

130 000 troops would swarm the beaches at dawn with the protection of the naval guns as artillery.

The defenses at Omaha were brutal. Over three thousand Americans would die on that beach.

By the evening of June 6th the allies had established the Western Front. The War would take a rapid turn for the allies.