Lessons of Interwar Years: WWI & Paths to WWII

1. Exam 2 - Lessons 12-21 Review Slides

2. Lesson 12 The Interwar Years: Preparing for the Next War

3. Treaty of Versailles Extremely harsh conditions • Significant territorial concessions • Huge reparations • Severe limitations on military • German admission of responsibility for war

4. Lessons of World War I France: Defense! Germany: Offense! Britain: Navies work U.S.: Stay out of war altogether

5. Lessons of World War I France: Defense! • Maginot Line: static defense • Huge expenditure • Repeated mistake of 1914: • Assumed Belgian neutrality would be honored • Had good armored forces • Not enough funds to develop properly • Neglected innovations in tactics

6. Lessons of World War I Germany: Offense! Size of army limited by Versailles Treaty • Not enough to defend against attack • Strategy: “Best defense is good offense” Capitalized on tactics under development in WW I =Blitzkreige • Stormtrooper tactics + Armor Lightning War!

7. Interwar Revolutions 1920’s – ’30’s Perfected concepts introduced in WW I • Mechanized warfare • Aerial warfare • Carrier aviation • Amphibious warfare • Radio-based command & control Proliferation of new organizations • Armored divisions, • Carrier battle groups • Strategic bombardment wings

8. Lesson 12 WW II – Paths to Global War

9. Events September 8, 1926 Germany joins League of Nations Germany signs Kellogg-Briand Pact August 27, 1928 Hitler becomes chancellor January 30, 1933 Germany withdraws from League October 19, 1933 Germany signs 10 yr non-aggression pact with Poland January 26, 1934 August 2, 1934 President Hindenburg dies; Hitler declares himself Führer

10. Events March 16, 1935 Germany announces conscription, formation of new army units, navy ships and an air force October 3, 1935 Italy invades Ethiopia; League of Nations imposes economic sanctions March 7, 1936 Germany occupies Rhineland, successfully challenging France

11. Events Germany & Italy form Berlin-Rome Axis October 25, 1936 Germany & Japan sign Anti-Comintern Pact November 1936 January 17, 1937 Hitler renounces Versailles Treaty July 7, 1937 Sino-Japanese War begins November 5, 1937 Hitler discusses secret plan for Lebensraum (“living space”) March 12, 1938 Germany annexes Austria (Anschluss)

12. Events Chamberlain: “Peace for our time” September 30, 1938 "My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honor. I believe it is peace for our time... Go home and get a nice quiet sleep." Peace For Our Time http://library.byu.edu/~rdh/eurodocs/uk/peace.html

13. Events Germany acquires Sedetenland October 1, 1938 March 10, 1939 Germany occupies Czechoslovakia

14. Summary Hitler’s Pre-War Expansion March 7, 1936 Germany occupies Rhineland, successfully challenging France March 12, 1938 Germany annexes Austria (Anschluss) Munich Conference Sept 29, 1938 Sept 30, 1938 Chamberlain: “Peace for our time” Germany acquires Sedetenland October 1, 1938 March 10, 1939 Germany occupies Czechoslovakia

15. Events Hitler negotiates non-aggression pact with Soviet Union (Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact) August 23, 1939 September 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland Holocaust Encyclopedia

16. Japan’s Next Step After China Two factions in Japanese government • “Northern” Faction (Northern Strike Group) • Led by Army • Favored move north into USSR • “Southern” Faction (Southern Strike Group) • Led by Navy • Favored move south into Dutch East Indies

17. Events Battle of Khalkin Gol (Nomonhan) July-August 1939 Soviet victory Significance: • Japan abandoned northern strategy • Turned south • Set up confrontation with US • USSR able to divert resources toward the west and Germany • Established Gen. Georgi Zhukov as armor commander Reader’s Companion to Military History: Khalkin Gol

18. Japan’s Path to War Increase in Militarism in Japanese society US moves Pacific Fleet to Hawaii (May 1940) Great East-Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere declared (Aug 1940) Move into northern French Indochina (Sep 1940) Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis formed (Tripartite Pact, Sep 1940) US embargos iron & steel exports to Japan (Sep 1940) Vichy government accedes to Japanese request for bases in southern Indochina (July 1941) US embargos shipments of oil to Japan (Jul 1941)

19. Events US Pacific Fleet attacked at Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941

20. Instruments of National Power Diplomacy Information Military Economic Power Resolve Resolve What did the Japanese miss?

21. Lesson 13 WW II – 1940: Fall of France & Battle of Britain

22. Events September 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland September 3, 1939 Britain, France declare war on Germany “Phony war” begins April 9, 1940 Germany invades Denmark & Norway May 10, 1940 Germany invades Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg Chamberlain resigns * Churchill becomes PM * Britain occupies Iceland * * Not related to invasion

23. German Halt at Dunkirk German army had little amphibious experience • Looked at the Channel as a barrier • Didn’t believe British could possibly get away Panzer units arrived well ahead of the infantry • Were exhausted, out of supply • Called halt to rest, resupply, allow infantry to catch up Luftwaffe hadn’t gotten much credit in battle • Asked for and received permission to destroy BEF British saw Channel as a highway - organized evacuation

24. Miracle of Dunkirk 300,000+ rescued Equipment abandoned

25. Events September 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland September 3, 1939 Britain, France declare war on Germany “Phony war” begins April 9, 1940 Germany invades Denmark & Norway Germany invades Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg May 10, 1940 May 27-29, 1940 Evacuation of Dunkirk June 4-22, 1940 Battle of France June 22, 1940 France Surrenders

26. Operation Sealion Germans began planning for invasion in November 1939 Initial criteria for success: * The Royal Navy had to be eliminated. * The Royal Air Force (RAF) air strength had to be eliminated. * British coastal defenses had to be destroyed. * British submarine action against landing forces had to be prevented.

27. Battle of Britain British Challenge: How to overcome a numerical disadvantage

28. Climax September 15, 1940 Massive daylight raid on London • Largest to date 56 German aircraft lost versus 28 RAF fighters RAF used every fighter in 11 Group (no reserves) Germans switched to night raids on cities Considered the turning point of the battle

29. Battle of Britain Factors British use of radar (command & control) German underestimation of RAF strength British “home field” advantage German loss of focus (Change of Objective)

30. Lesson 14 WW II -- Unrestricted Submarine Warfareand the Second Battle of the Atlantic

31. Battle of the Atlantic Allied Strategy • Protect existing shipping • Build to replace shipping losses, expand fleet • Go on the offensive against the U-boats

32. Allied Strategy • Protect existing shipping • Employ convoy system immediately • Increase escort capability

33. Allied Strategy • Protect existing shipping • Build to replace shipping losses, expand fleet • Expand US shipbuilding industry • Apply mass production techniques to shipbuilding

34. Allied Strategy • Protect existing shipping • Build to replace shipping losses, expand fleet • Go on the offensive against the U-boats • Improve intelligence on U-boat operations • Close Mid-Atlantic Gap • Develop Hunter-Killer teams

35. Hunter-Killer Team

36. Lesson 15 WW II – The Axis Advances

37. Germany Turns East The Battle for Russia

38. Hitler’s Rationale Hitler regarded the Soviet Union and Bolshevism as the greatest threat to Germany He felt that the weakness of the Red Army created the best possible opportunity to eliminate this threat • Rejected (or ignored) the possibility of two-front war

39. Operation Barbarossa June 22, 1941

40. Initial Germany Plan

41. Battle of Stalingrad August 1942 - February 1943 Fatal Distraction?

42. German Grand Strategy German Grand Strategy

43. German-Soviet War Until June 1944 • Soviet Union bore main thrust of German army • Stalin pressed for Second Front

44. Soviet Losses Significance The Soviet war effort was so overwhelming that impartial historians of the future are unlikely to rate the British and American contribution to the European theatre as much more than a sound supporting role. Norman Davies Europe at War, 1939-1945 Quoted by Benjamin Schwarz “Stalin's Gift” The Atlantic, May 2007

45. Summary Operation Barbarossa German Invasion of the Soviet Union The classic example of the cost of not learning the lessons of history

46. Lesson 16 WW II: The Pacific: America Enters the War

47. Japanese Situation 1936: Army began to gain upper hand in government of Japan Goal: Make Japan preeminent in Asia Objectives: • Conquer China • Expand into SE Asia for bases & raw materials • Strengthen military • Build war industry • Improve air & sea transportation Return to Japan’s Decision Ref: Morton: Japans Decision for War

48. Japanese Situation Driving Concern: Make Japan self sufficient (particularly in oil) Problem: US, Britain, Netherlands control Japan’s oil Morton: Japans Decision for War

49. Japanese Options Move North: Attack Soviet Union Move South: Invade East Indies Reach Accommodation with US Morton: Japans Decision for War

50. Timeline Japan colonizes Korea League of Nations awards Japan control of former German possessions in Micronesia Japan invades Manchuria Japan establishes a puppet state, Manchukuo, in Manchuria Japan & Germany sign Anti-Comintern Pact Japan provokes incident with China, declares war Italy joins Germany, Japan in Anti-Comintern Pact Japanese planes sink gunboat USS Panay in Yangtze River 1910 1921 1931 1932 1936: Nov 25 1937: Jul 7 Nov 6 Dec 12 Ken Polsson: Chronology of World War II