Transcript German-Soviet Pact

German-Soviet Pact
•
•
•
•
•
August 1939
Agreement to partition Poland
Agreement to NOT fight one another
Germany gets ½ Poland
USSR gets other ½ plus Baltic states
Invasion of Poland
• September 1, 1939
– Germany invaded Poland
– Official start of World War II
• Germany over ran Polish defenses with BLITZKRIEG attack … air attack,
followed by armor (tanks) … mechanized infantry
• Poles fought bravely, but USSR invaded from East on September 15th
• Poles slaughtered on two fronts
• Entire Polish army of 1,000,000 men killed, wounded or captured
• One of the most overwhelming victories in history
Blitzkrieg – “Lightning war”
Luftwaffe – German Air Force
Sitzkrieg
• September 3, 1939
• Great Britain and
France declare war
on Germany
• They do NOTHING
• They sit and wait
• French strategy was
one of defense
• Maginot Line …
Denmark
• April of 1940
• Germany conquers Denmark by telephone
• One day
Norway
• April 1940
• Hitler had three reasons for conquering
Norway
– Iron Ore from Sweden
– Location (bombing and observation flights
over England
– Long coastline … break blockade
– Norway subdued by May
Germany Turns West
• May 1940 – Germany invades Holland and
Belgium
• Belgium’s major defense was an old
fortress … German practice …
• By June it was time for France to pay!
• France crumbles in three weeks …
• Hitler insists that France sign surrender in
a railroad car in Compiegne, France
Dunkirk
•
•
•
•
June 1940
Miracle at Dunkirk
British Expeditionary force escapes
Every ship, boat, raft, etc. from Britain
rescued troops
• Left equipment behind
Battle of Britain
•
•
•
•
•
•
July – October 1940
All air war all the time
“Operation Sea Lion”
RAF (Royal Air Force)
Winston Churchill … inspirational
Radar
Battle of Britain – the “Blitz”
Battle of Britain – the “Blitz”
The London “Tube”:
Air Raid Shelters during the Blitz
The Royal Air Force
British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill
Battle of Britain
• Significance
– First German defeat
– Preserved Britain as base when USA
eventually entered war
– First battle entirely in air