The War in Europe

Ch. 5 (p. 133-137)

The War in Europe• Allies – Britain, France,

Commonwealth countries, Soviet Union (1941), USA (1941)

• Axis – Germany, Italy, Japan (1940)• Germany took over Poland with

Blitzkrieg– Blitzkrieg = “lightning war”– Massive coordinated surprise attack by

planes, tanks, and infantry; enemy quickly overwhelmed before ready

• Phony War – Oct. 1939– Lull after defeat of Poland as Allies wait

for Germany

Blitzkrieg

The War in Europe• April 1940 – German military invades

Denmark and Norway• May 1940 – invades Netherlands (aka

Holland) and Belgium, move into France• Surround Allied forces at Dunkirk (French

port)– Allies decide to escape across English Cannel

to Britain– Every British boat available used to ferry Allies

across– Dunkirk bombed by Luftwaffe (Ger. air force)– 340,000 Allied soldiers evacuated 05/26-06/04

• German forces continue through France• June 22, 1940 – France surrenders

Evacuation of Dunkirk

The War in Europe

• Blitzkrieg CD

The War in Europe• The Battle of Britain

– Hitler’s next goal to invade Britain, but must weaken British defences first

– July 1940 – bombing of Britain begins• aka “The Blitz”

– Initially, Luftwaffe targeted harbours/shipyards, air fields, aircraft factories

– Shifted focus to British cities, civilian targets

The War in Europe

• Battle of Britain Continued– Britain defended by air force (RAF),

radar systems• Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) helped

defend Britain• Canadian navy convoys helped keep

Britain supplied with food, weapons, reinforcements, etc.

– May 1941 – Hitler gives up invasion plans, stops attack

• 23,000 killed, mostly British civilians

The Battle of Britain

The War Spreads

• After most of Europe is conquered, Axis turns to North Africa (aka Desert War)– Purpose: resources and strategic position– Much fighting with British over Suez Canal

• Linked Mediterranean to Red Sea and Indian Ocean• Access to oil-rich Middle East

– Italians quickly defeated, German tanks arrive for support (led by Field Marshal Rommel)

– British finally defeat Germans in 1942• Turning Point: Battle of El Alamein

North Africa

The War Spreads

• After Battle of Britain, Hitler invaded Soviet Union (June 1941)– Called “Operation Barbarossa”– Broke Ger.-USSR non-aggression pact

• Hitler wanted Soviet resources and land – Soviets unprepared, pushed back almost

to Moscow– German troops unprepared for frigid

winters, low on supplies– 1943 - Invasion eventually defeated,

Soviets push Germans back towards Germany

• Turning Point: Battle of Stalingrad

Operation Barbarossa

The War Spreads

• War in the Pacific– Dec. 7, 1941 – Japanese attack Pearl

Harbor (Hawaii)• Japan wanting to take over large portions of

Asia, believed war with USA inevitable, decides on surprise attack

• Cripples US Pacific Fleet, but not for long– USA declares war on Japan; Germany

and Italy declare war on USA– Japan invades Southeast Asia, Indonesia,

Philippines

Pearl Harbor

The War Spreads

• Battle of Hong Kong– Japanese invade Hong Kong (British

colony), Christmas 1941• 1975 Canadian troops in Hong Kong –

all killed or taken prisoner; 555 died by end of war, many as prisoners

• POWs mistreated, slave labour, killed• Canadians at home angry at treatment

of POWs, Canadian government for sending them to Hong Kong

– Hong Kong a lost cause and Canadian troops sent were unprepared

Battle of Hong Kong

Canadian POWs

Canadian POWs