WWII

1. WWII History 12 Ms Leslie

2. Technology • Items for war had to be produced on a large scale quickly • Nature of war had changed to be air dominated • Aerial bombing did not slow production - Germany’s production increased until 1944 • Can only slow production through embargos

3. Airplane and tank more important tool - stalemates a thing of the past • Competition increased to get the fastest and most agile with the biggest payload

4. Nature of war different • WWI - little territory gain • WWII - Massive territory covered

5. Radar and Sonar • Crucial in the fight of the Battle of Britain and the Battle of the Atlantic • British mathematicians were crucial in breaking Enigma codes

6. Communications • Radio used for the first time for mass communication • Used radio to rally the home front • Propaganda very important - conserve, buy bonds, control gossip

7. Who’s to blame? Allied powers for being spineless and allowing appeasement Hitler being overly aggressive WWI and WWII are just the same war. Europe just took a break

8. German Quick facts After WWI, still far more powerful then neighbours Has a growing population Not prepared for a long drawn out war. Hitler was aware of the effects of WWI on Germany – Social cohesion. Hitler has many enemies – social democrats, Jews and Roman Catholics

9. Blitzkrieg • Short, intense attacks. Air craft would attack first, followed by Panzers • Short wars = less drain on economy • Allowed German civilian life remain normal until 1942 when the USSR fights back

10. The Polish Campaign • German commander = Gudenrian • Deploy 40 infantry divisions 14 mechanized divisions • Attack starts Sept 1, 1939. • Polish airforce is flattened and they have no motorized divisions - still had a Calvary

12. With in 1 week, the Nazi army is outside Warsaw. • Sept 17 USSR invades from the East

13. Sept 18, Polish gov’t flees into exile. • Polish troops in Warsaw continue fighting bitterly until Sept 28, some units outside the city last until Oct 5. • But it was futile - Poland was no more

14. The Phony War Sept 1939 - April 1940 No attack on the Western Front Until Hitler’s invasion of Norway German and French troops hunkered down in the Siegfried line or Maginot Line. Both waiting for a major push

18. Baltic States and the Russo-Finnish War • Part of the Nazi-Soviet (Molotov-Ribbentrop) pact • Oct 1939 Soviet troops enter Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Finland refuses • Nov 30, USSR starts the Winter War with Finland.

19. Winter War • Soviets only successful in far north • USSR inadequate and inferior troops • Difficult terrain • Bad communications • Invasion declared illegal by League of Nations • Feb 1, 1940 Red Army attacks again and Finland falls in March and signs the Moscow Peace treaty with USSR.

20. Beginning of Atlantic War • U-boats sank 110 vessels in first 4 months • Both sides laying mines • Soon the German surface fleet is sunk or in retreat - never a significant force

21. Towards Scandinavia • A British destroyer chases the German vessel ‘Altmark’ in to a Norwegian fjord and rescued 300 British prisoners on board. • This violation of Norwegian neutrality convinced Hitler that the Allies could not be trusted to stay out of Scandinavia.

22. Scandinavia 1940 • March - French and British navies mine the waters and land in Norweigen Ports. • April 9 Germans land in Oslo, Kristiansand, stavanger, Bergen and Trondhelm

23. Norwegian resistance was quickly over come since Norwegian forces were not even mobilized and local Nazis led by Vidkun Quisling helped the invaders. • Quisling is despised by Norwegians and his name becomes a term to describe ‘traitors’

24. Allies landed on the coast but it was too little, too late. • Allies continue to fight until May but it’s futile • Demark in attacked at the same time, complete German success came with in hours.

25. Holland, Belgium and France • May 10, 1940 the assault in the west begins • Germany decides to avoid the Maginot Line by going through Belgium. • They must go through Holland first • The Dutch have a small, ill trained army, an air force of only 130 ish and they loose 50% of it

26. Luftwaffe bombs airfields • Parachute troops into key locations to secure bridges • The main transportation in Holland is the rivers, take those and the Dutch navy is stuck.

27. May 14, German tanks outside of Rotterdam. • Decide to use the destruction of the city to shock politicians in to surrendering • City is flattened, 30,000 die • Same day, gov’t flees to UK and orders troops to lay down arms • Skirmishes end on the 16 • Blitzkrieg takes the country in 4 days

29. Belgium and France • Again paratroopers near bridges in Belgium • British and French armies slow the advance in the North, but German advancement in the South make that position difficult to maintain

30. Von Runstedt takes German army through the supposedly impassable Ardennes. • May 12 - over the Meuse River • Rapid German advance = confusion behind French lines.

32. Nazi armies able to surround British expeditionary Force (BEF) • Allies cut in half, Germans take Ports • May 21, Britain strikes back at Dunkirk - Successful and shakes up the German high command • British tanks match Nazi tanks

33. Attempt at Dunkirk fails because Nazis use anti-aircraft guns • May 23rd, Evacuations at Bollogne start, 4,000 troops at first, another 1,000 later by fishermen • Britain has suffered worst defeat ever • Winston Churchill become Prime Minister

34. May 23 - BEF and French forces are split • BEF near Lille, 40 miles from Dunkirk • French are further south • German Panzers are 10 miles from Dunkirk

35. "Nothing but a miracle can save the BEF now," wrote General Brooke in his diary. • On 23 May, he put the army on half-rations. In Britain, 26 May was designated a "Day of National Prayer" for the Army • WWII is about to end in German victory

36. But….. • May 24 - Hitler inexplicably halts the attack against the BEF • Might want to be saving his troops to attack France • This event leads to the escape of hundreds of thousands of troops

37. Evacuation of Dunkirk • May 25 it starts • While being pounded from the Luftwaffe, 120,000 BEF pulled out by May 30th • Luftwaffe is also dropping leaflets reading “British soldiers! Look at the map: it gives your true situation! Your troops are entirely surrounded — stop fighting! Put down your arms!” • The Allied soldiers mostly used these as toilet paper.

38. June 2nd - 224,000 more BEF evacuated and 94,000 French • By June 4 it was over - 338,000 troops in Britain while their equipment is on the beach • Dunkirk film part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

39. Reasons for success • RAF and Royal Navy • 900+ fishing vessels and private yachts men • Waters at Dunkirk are shallow, so battle ships can’t get close • Soldiers would wade out into the ocean and wait for fishing boats to pick them up and take them to the navy ships

41. Showed the solidarity of the British • Some came as far at the Isle of Man and Glasgow • ‘Dunkirk spirit’ • http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/launch_ani_fall_france_campaign.shtml

43. Invasion of France • June 7 - Rommel heads south • June 9 - Cross the Seine • June 10 - French Gov’t moved to Tours, Italy declares war on France • June 12 - French commander tells Reynaud France is beaten • June 14 - Paris falls, Gov’t flees to Vichy

44. June 16 - Reynaud resigns and his successor Petain asks the Germans for armistice • June 22 - French surrender happened in the same railway coach, at Compiegne, that the 1918 armistice had been signed in. • Germany occupied the Northern and Western coasts, gaining fine submarine bases, and the French army was demobilized. • Britain is now alone in the fight against Germany.

45. There are now effectively 3 Frances • Nazi occupied France in the North • Vichy France lead by Petain in the South • Free France – fighting the war lead by de Gaulle

47. Why were the German’s successful? • Maginot Line useless • France did not use tanks efficiently • German Panzers and Luftwaffe superior. • Germans actually had a smaller army but awesome leadership • Allies had out of date ideas - fighting in an old-fashioned way.

48. French failures • French high command obsessed with defense • Ignored experts like Charles de Gaulle that tanks should be massed together for rapid movement • Airpower ignored • France not ready for was economically and psychologically • France already had a rising fascist movement

49. Terms of surrender • Northern France and ports given to Germany • French army dissolved • South France turned into Vichy France - collaborates with the Nazis

50. Britain's reaction? • Sinks as much as the French navy as it can so it doesn’t get handed over to Hitler