Transcript World War Two

World War Two
1939 to 1945
Origins of the War
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World War Two was
caused by two linked
but separate events:
1) The Treaty of
Versailles
2) The Great
Depression
Hitler and the Nazi Party
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The radical agenda of
Lebensraum by Hitler and
the Nazi Party brought a
revolutionary power to the
European state structure.
The efforts to
accommodate Germany
through appeasement
would ultimately lead to
the humiliation of Britain
and France and war.
Mussolini and Italy
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Fascist ideas of war and
the grandeur it brings to
society led Mussolini to
dream of a new Roman
Empire centred on
domination of the
Mediterranean.
Italian ambitions clashed
with France and Britain
and Mussolini joined
Germany.
Japan and Asia
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Japan’s search for raw
materials led to
expansion in China.
The weakness of the
West due to the
Depression opened
the way for Japanese
domination of the
resources of the Far
East.
The Road to War In Europe
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1933 – Hitler becomes the Chancellor of Germany
1934 – President Hindenburg dies, Hitler combines offices
of Chancellor and President becoming the Führer
1935 – Hitler announces massive German Rearmament
plan, signs Anglo-German Naval Agreement to prevent an
arms race with Britain.
Road to War continued…
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1936 – Germans reoccupy the demilitarized Rhineland
1937 – Hitler begins plans for German lebensraum in Eastern
Europe. Lord Halifax gives Hitler the impression Britain will not
intervene
1938 – Hitler invades Austria and annexes the country; Hitler then
calls for national self-determination for the Sudetenland in
Czechoslovakia
The Munich Agreement 1938
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Britain and France
abandon Czechoslovakia
hoping to avoid war with
Hitler.
The defenders of
democracy had become
its betrayers.
The Munich Agreement is
seen as the height and
failure of Appeasement.
The Nazi-Soviet Pact 1939
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Stalin secretly negotiated
this agreement to avoid a
possible war with Hitler.
Stalin hoped to gain
valuable time to rebuild
the Soviet military and
space to protect against a
German invasion.
Hitler secured himself from
a two front war opening
the way for war in Europe.
Polish Guarantees and War
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Following the complete
take over of
Czechoslovakia in 1939,
Britain and France
guaranteed the borders of
Poland, Hungary and
Rumania.
Hitler believed that Britain
and France would not go
to war over Poland and
German preparations for
invading Poland
continued.
Blitzkrieg and Sitzkrieg
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On September 1, 1939, German forces crossed into Poland.
On September 3, 1939, Britain and France declared war on
Germany.
Germany quickly overran Poland while Britain and France dug-in
even though only a small German force was present in the
West.
Germany Strikes 1940
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German military action in
the West began in April
1940 with the
simultaneous invasions of
Denmark and Norway.
Denmark surrendered
after 24 hours, Norway
fought for six weeks.
On 10 May 1940, Hitler
launched Operation Fall
Gelb the invasion of the
Low Countries and
Northern France.
Sedan and the Fall of France
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Germans flanked the
Maginot Line and broke
through at Sedan. French
resistance crumbled and the
Allied armies were soon
divided.
German soldiers advanced
to the English Channel and
began preparations to attack
Paris.
On 22 June 1940 France
surrendered.
Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain
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As France wavered and German armies advanced through northern
France, the British Expeditionary Force retreated toward the sea.
The surrender of Belgium exposed the British flank and the retreat
became a route as British and French forces withdrew toward
Dunkirk.
Lasting from May 26 to June 4, 1940, 330,000 British and French
soldiers were evacuated from the French coast. Hitler controlled
western Europe.
The Blitz 1940-1941
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From July 1940 to May
1941 the German
Luftwaffe bombed British
cities hoping to force
Britain to surrender.
Starting as attacks on the
RAF, the Blitz soon
focused on London
bombing the capital for 57
straight days.
By the end of the Blitz
43,000 British civilians had
been killed.
The Battle of the Atlantic
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Beginning in 1939 and
continuing throughout the
war the Allies fought to
supply goods and
equipment to Britain by
sea.
Germany attempted to
counter Allied naval
supremacy by using
submarines to blockade
Allied shipping to Britain.
The struggle would reach
its highest intensity in
Mussolini’s Adventures
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As Germany overran
France Italy declared war
to gain a seat at the peace
table.
Mussolini then set out to
expand his empire in
North Africa and the
Balkans.
Italian troops were quickly
routed at Beda Fomm and
in the invasion of Greece.
Subduing the Balkans
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As Italian forces were being driven back in the Balkans,
the Germans intervened and defeated the British and their
Greek allies. Culminating with the invasion of Crete.
The Germans also overran Yugoslavia securing their
southern flank before pushing the war to the east.
Operation Barbarossa June 1941
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On 22 June Hitler
launched an attack on the
Soviet Union.
Hitler intended to conquer
eastern Europe and take
the resources needed for
Germany.
Stalin was caught by
complete surprise and
Germany advanced deep
into the USSR.
The Battle of Moscow December 1941
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By December 1941
German Armies had
advanced to the gates of
Moscow.
German armies had also
besieged Leningrad and
taken nearly one-third of
European Russia.
German troops lacked
winter equipment and
desperate Soviet counter
attack would relieve
Moscow.
Japan and China 1937-1941
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In 1937 Japanese forces attacked Chinese troops in Manchuria beginning
a prolonged war between the two.
Japan desiring the resources of China for industrial growth advanced
further inland and by 1941 controlled virtually all of the Chinese coast.
Chinese efforts to combat the Japanese were hampered by a civil war
between Chinese Communists led by Mao Tse Tung and Chinese
Nationalists led by Jiang Jieshi.
Pearl Harbour Dec. 7, 1941
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Following American trade
embargoes on scrap iron
and oil, Japanese leaders
decided on a risky plan to
attack the U.S. and create
a Pacific empire.
On the morning of 7
December Japanese
carrier aircraft attacked the
US fleet in Pearl Harbour.
America and all of its
resources now entered the
war.
Japan Strikes
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Following the success of
Pearl Harbour Japanese
forces attacked European
colonies and American bases
across the Pacific.
Japanese forces overran
Malaya and Singapore,
secured the Dutch East
Indies for oil and defeated
American defenders on
Guam, Wake Island and in
the Philippines. Going so far
as to threaten Australia and
India.
The Battle of the Coral Sea
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At the Coral Sea and Japanese invasion force bound for Port
Moresby on New Guinea was engaged stopped by American carrier
based aircraft.
The Coral Sea was the first naval battle in which opposing forces
never saw each other. The entire operation was fought by planes.
The Japanese withdrawal ended further advances toward Australia
as each side looked for a knock out punch.
The Battle of Midway 1942
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Midway turned the tide of the Pacific war against Japan. Japanese leaders
planned to capture the small atoll in the Pacific as a western base.
American Naval signals had broken the JN 25 naval code and had
advanced warnings of Japanese plans.
American carries Enterprise, Yorktown and Hornet located and sunk four
Japanese fleet carriers turning the strategic advantage to the Allies.
Battle of Guadalcanal 1943
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In August 1942 Allied forces
attacked Japanese forces on the
island of Guadalcanal. The battle
would extend into February 1943.
A nearly completed airfield,
renamed Henderson Field was
the focus for much of the fighting.
However, the battle saw nearly
continuous operations on land,
sea and air.
By November 1942 Japanese
forces had been forced on the
defensive and following
starvation, high combat losses
and supply problems Japanese
troops withdrew in 7 February
1943.
Turning the Tide 1942-1943
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Three battles
represented the turning
of the tide of the war
against the Axis. The
previously mentioned
battle of Guadalcanal
stopping Japan.
The Battle of Stalingrad,
and the Second Battle of
El Alamein both of which
halted German
successes in Europe and
North Africa.
Stalingrad – Death of an Army
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By July 1942 German forces
had reached the outskirts of
Stalingrad on the Volga
River.
For the next seven months
German and Soviet soldiers
would struggle over control
of the city.
In December of 1942 Soviet
troops would completely
encircle the city cutting off
the 6th Army. In February
1942 the Germans
surrendered.
2nd Battle of El Alamein
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This battle was Britain’s
follow up to the tactical
victory at the first El
Alamein.
British troops of the 8th
Army led by general
Montgomery began a
series of counter attacks
culminating in the collapse
of German resistance.
Operation Torch 1943
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Operation Torch saw the
beginning of Allied
offensive operations
against the Axis in Europe.
Anglo American troops
attacked French North
Africa while British troops
advanced from Egypt
forcing Italian and German
troops from Africa.
The Invasion of Sicily and Italy
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Allied forces next struck at
Sicily to secure
communication and
transportation routes through
the Mediterranean.
After conquering Sicily Allied
forces struck Italy and
Mussolini’s government fell.
Italy then surrendered to the
Allies.
German troops raced to
occupy Italy and its natural
defensive terrain made this a
long and costly campaign.
Operation Overlord June 6, 1944
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Allied armies invaded
Northwest Europe as part
of the plan to defeat
Germany.
The Allied beaches of
Utah, Omaha, Gold,
Sword and Juno saw five
invasion forces attack
Hitler’s Atlantic Wall.
The operation was a
success and the liberation
of Western Europe had
begun.
D-Day Continued
The Battle of Kursk – 5 July 1943
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Operation Citadel was
the final German
offensive of the war on
the Russian Front.
Hitler hoped to regain
the advantage held
before Stalingrad, but
Kursk ended any hope
of a German recovery.
Soviet Advances from the East
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From the summer of 1943
the Red Army held
operational and strategic
superiority over Germany.
Soviet forces would
continue to push back the
Germans “liberating”
Eastern Europe bringing
Soviet armies to Berlin in
April 1945.
The Battle of Berlin – April-May 1945
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Soviet forces began
the battle for Berlin on
April 16.
Russian armies
completely encircled
the city on April 25
and Hitler committed
suicide April 30.
Berlin surrendered
May 2nd.
Victory in Europe
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On May 8, 1945
Germany surrendered
unconditionally to the
allies. The war in
Europe was over.
The end of the war
revealed the full extent
of the Holocaust and
the destruction of
modern warfare.
Island Hopping Campaign
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Beginning in 1943 U.S. and Allied forces began the island
hopping campaign the Pacific.
Allied naval forces would bypass Japanese island strong
points and capture lightly defended islands to the rear
cutting off supplies.
Battle of the Philippines
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The U.S. under the
leadership of Douglas
MacArthur attacked the
Japanese occupied
Philippines.
The invasion of the
Philippines destroyed the
remnants of the
Japanese navy, and
fulfilled MacArthur’s
promise to return.
Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa
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U.S. attacks on these islands centred on taking bases for
the American air attacks on Japan.
Japanese resistance on both islands was fanatical and
Japanese soldier and civilians committed suicide rather
than surrender to the Americans.
Battles of Kohima and Imphal
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In March 1944 Japanese
forces attacked the British
in India.
The battles lasted nearly
five months and initial
Japanese attacks turned
into a route as British and
Indian forces drove the
Japanese back.
Operation Olympic
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Olympic was the proposed
invasion of the Japanese
home islands.
Fanatical resistance at Iwo
Jima and Okinawa
convinced American
planners that casualties
would likely top 1 million
and double that for Japan.
American leaders looked
for other ways to end the
war.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Victory in the Pacific
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On 15 August 1945 Japan
accepted Allied terms for
unconditional surrender.
On 2 September 1945
Japanese delegates
signed the surrender
documents in Tokyo Bay
on USS Missouri.
World War Two was over
having killed between 55
and 70 million people.