Transcript Early Battles in WWII

Early Battles in WWII
Early Stages of War: Germany on the Offensive
Early Conquests:
After taking Poland, Germany turned towards Northern Europe. In April,
1940 Hitler attacked Denmark and Norway. It took only two months to
take these countries. He then turned towards Holland, Luxembourg and
Belgium in May. The Blitzkrieg proved to be too much for these countries
as well.
Battle for France:
The Maginot Line
After WWI France had developed an intricate line of defense known as the
Maginot Line. This was a heavily armed tunnel system that spanned the
entire border between France and Germany. It made the French feel safe
from any German attack. On May 12, 1940 Germany invaded France.
Instead of attacking the Maginot line, the Germans simply went around it.
The Maginot line proved to be an expensive joke that was never used.
The Maginot Line
The ‘Miracle’ of Dunkirk
When France was invaded Britain sent in troops to help
defend the country. Both France and Britain though
were not prepared for the speed of the Blitzkrieg. The
German army forced the allies back to the French city
of Dunkirk where they remained trapped. The allies
faced certain defeat while Hitler prepared the
Luftwaffe for the final blow. In his delay the British
sent out a call for help. Nearly 900 ships (including
fishing boats and passenger craft) came across the fogy
English Channel. Between May 27 and June 4 over
300,000 soldiers were evacuated to England from
Dunkirk. It was expected that only 10,000 would have
survived.
The ‘Miracle’ of Dunkirk
Thousands of men
stranded on the
beaches of Dunkirk,
France
Evacuation of Dunkirk
The French destroyer
Bourrasque sinks off
Dunkirk while loaded with
troops
British Prime
Minister, Winston
Churchill: Speaking to the
House of Commons, June 4, 1940
about the Miracle of Dunkirk.
... We shall go on to the end, we shall
fight in France, we shall fight on the
seas and oceans, we shall fight with
growing confidence and growing
strength in the air, we shall defend
our island, whatever the cost may be,
we shall fight on the beaches, we
shall fight on the landing grounds, we
shall fight in the fields and in the
streets, we shall fight in the hills; we
shall never surrender ...'
The Fall of France
On June 13, 1940 Paris was occupied by
Germany and two weeks later France
surrendered.
The Battle of Britain
On July 10, 1940 Hitler ordered an air attack on British ships
in the English Channel signaling the start of the Battle of
Britain. Hitler’s plan was to destroy Britain’s fighter planes,
factories and the morale of the people. This would allow him
to mount a ground attack. At first the German Luftwaffe was
extremely successful by knocking out airfields and supply
factories. The Royal Air Force (RAF) despite being badly
outnumbered held it’s ground. On September 7, 1940 two
German planes bombed London which prompted Churchill to
retaliate with a strike on Berlin. An infuriated Hitler ordered
an all-out assault on London which peaked on September 15th.
This allowed the RAF time to recover and turned the tide of
the Battle. By the end of the summer Hitler realized that he
could not win control of British air space. The RAF won the
Battle of Britain.
Battle of Britain Video
The Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain BBC - History
- Audio: Churchill and World
War Two
Hitler Invades the Soviet Union
On June 22, 1941 Hitler violated the non-aggression pact
by invading Russia during Operation Barbarossa. The
blitzkrieg was successful at first, reaching within 39 km
of Moscow. Russia used a ‘scorched earth’ policy in its
retreat, which involved destroying all resources that could
be of use to the enemy- livestock, crops, and supplies. By
winter, Hitler’s troops were ill prepared for the
temperatures (-50 degrees Celsius) and they along with
their equipment began to freeze. Russia’s unlimited supply
of soldiers along with the weather forced Germany to
retreat by January 1943. the Soviet Union suffered over
21,000,000 casualties during WWII.
Russian Infantry Charge Germans
at Stalingrad
Russian Winter Offensive, 1942
Russians Fight From Rubble
Russians Fighting in City of Stalingrad
Defeated German Gunner After Stalingrad
Assaulting the German 6th Army in ‘The Pocket’
December 7, 1941: Pearl Harbor Invasion
Pearl Harbor, on the Island of O'ahu, Hawaii, (then a
territory of the United States) was attacked by the
Japanese Imperial Navy, at approximately 8:00 A.M.,
Sunday morning, December 7, 1941. The surprise attack
had been conceived by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. The
strking force of 353 Japanese aircraft was led by
Commander Mitsuo Fuchida. There had been no formal
declaration of war.
Pearl Harbor - FDR's "Day
of Infamy" Speech
Pearl Harbour
Footage
USS Arizona
Destroyers
Roosevelt Declaring War
The Pacific Theatre
WWII Engagement in the Pacific
Kamikaze
Attack Video