Transcript The Mediterranean and the Eastern Front

THE MEDITERRANEAN AND
THE EASTERN FRONT
(More notes from 32.1)
Axis Forces Attack North Africa
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July 1940: Italy enters the War on Axis Side
Sept 1940 Italian army attacked British-controlled
Egypt
 Suez
Canal was key to reaching Middle East’s oil fields!
 Italy pushed 60 miles inside Egypt, then both sides dug
trenches and waited
Britain Strikes Back
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December 1940 GB struck back, disaster for Italy!
By Feb 1941 GB had swept 500 miles across North
Africa, taken 130,000 Italian prisoners
Hitler Sends Help
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Hitler sent his German tank force, the Afrika Korps,
under command of General Erwin Rommel
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Rommel attacked in late March 1941, caught GB
forces by surprise, retreated east to Tobruk, Libya
GB began to drive Rommel back, pushed him by
mid-Jan 1942 to original position
June 1942 tide turned again: Rommel regrouped,
pushed GB back and seized Tobruk, shattering
defeat for Allies
The War in the Balkans
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Hitler had begun plans to attack USSR
Early 1941, through threat of force, persuaded
Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary to join Axis Powers
April 1941 invaded Yugoslavia and Greece, which
had resisted-fell in days
Hitler Invades the Soviet Union
June 22, 1941 Hitler began Operation Barbarossa:
plan to invade USSR
 USSR army not prepared, Germany pushed 500
miles inside
 Russians used
scorched-earth policy
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Sept 8 Germany began siege of Leningrad,
completely cut off from rest of USSR
-to force surrender
Hitler decided to
starve the 2.5
million inhabitants.
-nearly 1 million
died during winter
of 1941-42, but
would not surrender.
Lake Lagoda:
“Road of Life”
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Hitler impatient so looked to capital of Moscowbegan drive on Oct 2, 1941, made it to outskirts
USSR counterattacked; Hitler sent order to troops
not to retreat even though temperatures began
dropping; German soldiers dug in, held line until
march 1943
Attack against USSR gained nothing but cost
500,000 German lives
The US Aids Its Allies
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Most Americans wanted to stay out of the war
1935-1937 Congress passed Neutrality Acts
Sept 1939 FDR asked Congress to allow Allies to
buy Americans arms if they paid cash, carried
goods=Cash and Carry Act
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Lend-Lease Act of 1941 President could lend or
lease arms to countries vital to the US-by summer
US Navy was escorting British ships carrying US
arms. Hitler ordered subs to sink any cargo ships
FDR and Churchill met and issued joint
declaration Atlantic Charter: upheld free trade,
right of ppl to choose their own gov’t
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this would later serve as Allies peace plan to end
WWII