Transcript Hitler`s Lightning War – Western Front

Hitler’s Lightning War
Why was the German army
able to take over countries so
quickly?
Western Front
• Sept 1939: Germany uses a “blitzkrieg” or lightning war in Poland
• Blitzkrieg is a surprise attack using fast moving airplanes, relentless
bombing, tanks & massive troop deployment
• Sept 1939-March 1940: After Stalin takes E. Poland, Soviets annex
three Baltic countries & Finland as a “buffer” zone
• Mar 1940: Allies mobilize their armies on French-German border
• France & Britain wait, Germany doesn’t attack – “phony war”
• Apr 1940: Hitler attacks Denmark & Norway (bases for later attack)
• May 1940: Hitler blitzkriegs Netherlands, Belgium, & Luxembourg
Fall of France
• From Belgium, German troops get passed French Maginot Line
•May 1940: French troops
are trapped at coastline.
•British send 850 ships during
Rescue at Dunkirk
Rescue at Dunkirk
Map Time!
Stripe 26, 27, 28 and 29 in red
Stripe 6,7,8,10,11 in purple
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After Dunkirk, Mussolini joins forces with Hitler to attack France
June 1940: French resistance crumbles, Germans enter Paris
In S. France, Henri-Philippe Petain is named French Prime Minister
Petain creates “puppet government” loyal to Germany = Vichy France
•French general Charles de Gaulle flees to London,
De Gaulle
We
dedicates himself to retaking France
Will
Retur
n
Battle of Britain
•August 1940: Hitler must take out the British
Airforce (RAF) – New PM Churchill in charge on GB
•German Luftwaffe (airforce) led Great Britain stops Nazis
but only Allied Nation left
by Hermann Goering begins
bombing Britain - “the blitz”
•Oct 1940: Radar & a German code breaking
machine named Enigma, help British
We Shall
Never
Surrender!
•May 1941: Stunned by the resistance Hitler calls
off attacks – proves Germany’s can be stopped!
Winston Churchill
Map Time !
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Stripe 5 in purple, put purple “x’s in 5b, purple x’s in German Allies
Color #1 in blue, color Allies on key in blue