Transcript German Advances

Background
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AXIS POWERS – Germany, Italy, Japan, Hungary, Romania
and Bulgaria.
ALLIED POWERS – Britain, France, USSR, British Empire
(Aust, NZ, Canada & South Africa), USA (after 1941) and
they were assisted by China, Greece, Poland, Norway,
Denmark, Yugoslavia, Belgium, the Netherlands &
Luxembourg.
THE FOUGHT IN – Western Europe, the North South
Atlantic Oceans, Russia, North Africa, the Mediterranean &
the Balkans, the Middle East and the Pacific Ocean.
ENDED – in Europe in May 1945, in the Pacific in Sept
1945.
FATALITIES – 62 million dead (3 times the number of
people in Aust today!)
Course of the European
War
German Advances 1939-1940
Germany’s early successes were due largely to
blitzkrieg (lightning war). Germany choose a target and
launched an all out attack. It aimed to overwhelm the
enemy with a massive, localised infantry force with use
of tanks, parachutes and aircraft.
► Despite
The Fall of Poland
Britain and France’s declaration of war almost
immediately following the invasion, they were too far
away to affect the fighting.
► 1.5 million German troops invaded Poland (Operation
Case White) on three fronts; East Prussia in the north,
Germany in the west and Slovakia in the south. They
had 2600 tanks against the Polish 180, and over 2000
aircraft (the Luftwaffe) against the Polish 420.
► BLITZKREIG Sept 1st – Luftwaffe decimated the Polish
airfields, before the planes could leave the ground,
before attacking railroads and other lines of
communication.
► Germany attacked with a pincer movement which took
the industrial areas west of Warsaw and closed in
from the east. Warsaw held until Sept 27th.
► Stalin
was so alarmed by the
German advances that he
ordered the Soviet invasion
of Eastern Poland on Sept
17th.
► The arrangements of the
Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression
Pact were soon fulfilled.
► Poland surrendered on Oct
6th.
► Poland was reorganised as
the Gestapo and the SS did
their work.
From Oct 1939 to April 1940:
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was some fighting along the Maginot
Line between the Germans and the French.
► Some fighting at sea, The Battle for the
Atlantic, when German submarines (Uboats) attacked US-Britain merchant ships.
► Nov 1939, Soviet Union attacked Finland –
poor state of the Soviet resources was seen.
► Seen
as a period of ‘Phoney War’ or
Sitzkrieg. The period of calm and little
actual fighting, that lead to a false sense of
security in Britain and France despite the
knowledge that Hitler desired their
destruction.
Fall of the Low Countries
► 9th
April 1940. German forces occupy Denmark
and the main ports of Norway, including a supply
of iron ore in neutral Sweden.
► Despite both sides being equally matched in
artillery, the Blitzkrieg attack saw a quick German
victory.
► This lead to the end of Neville Chamberlain’s
career. He was replaced on May 10th by Winston
Churchill.
► Also on May 10th Germany attacks Belgium and
the Netherlands – both surrender by the end of
the month.
The Fall of France
► The
invasions of the Netherlands and Belgium
were planned precursors to the attacks on France.
► Germany attacked France through and unexpected
avenue – the Ardennes Forest.
► They successfully pushed the French, Belgium and
British forces into a clump and drove them to the
sea.
► Those German troops were then recalled by Hitler
to attack Paris.
The Fall of France
► From
27th May to 4th June, 340 000 allied
troops are evacuated from Dunkirk by any
means possible – destroyer, ferries and
private motor boats. They were ongoing
attacked by the Luftwaffe.
► June 14th Germany captures Paris.
► June 22nd France signs the armistice.
► 10th June, Italy declares war on France and
Britain.