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The War Begins for Europe

The War Begins for Europe . Europe falls, North Africa, Russian Front, and the Pacific. 1 September 1939 Having already agreed to divide the Baltic states and Poland with Soviet Union, Hitler invades Poland saying he wants Danzig. All Hell Breaks Loose. Combined air and ground assault

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The War Begins for Europe

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  1. The War Begins for Europe Europe falls, North Africa, Russian Front, and the Pacific

  2. 1 September 1939 • Having already agreed to divide the Baltic states and Poland with Soviet Union, Hitler invades Poland saying he wants Danzig All Hell Breaks Loose

  3. Combined air and ground assault • German planes bomb target while tanks and infantry advance under air attack • Ground units mop up resistance • Highly mobile way of fighting Blitzkrieg (the term that’s really British)

  4. 3 September 1939 - Allies declare war on Germany • SITZKRIEG – “phony war”, no fighting WAR!!

  5. Polish Boy left in Ruins of Warsaw home after Blitzkrieg 4,400 bodies were found in Katyn Forest near Russia. The Soviet Union had massacred prisoners they had taken during the invasion. One of the biggest cover-ups in the war

  6. Poland is divided between Germany and Soviet Union • Hitler takes the initiative and takes Finland as well The Lights Go Out in Poland

  7. Baltic countries (Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia) surrender 1939 • Finland resists until 1940 • Called the “Winter War” – hard on the soviets • The Finns use Ski Troops • Finns eventually surrender in March 1940 • Reason for taking Finland : Protect St. Petersburg from Germany USSR in Scandinavia

  8. April 1940 UK mines Norwegian harbors to prevent German attack • Germany claims Allied invasion is coming, forces Norwegians and Danes to accept “protection” • Norway refuses. So the allies…

  9. April 1940 – end of the Sitzkrieg • Hitler takes Denmark then invaded Norway • Lost many ships in the mined harbors • Hitler wins outlet to the Atlantic A Pyrrhic Victory for Germany

  10. After Norway and Denmark are subjugated, Chamberlain is attacked politically and quits • 10 May 1940, King George VI asks Winston Churchill to become Prime Minister New UK Resolve

  11. 10 May 1940 • Germany attacks BeNeLux countries • Paratroops used for the first time against Dutch forts • Maginot Line and the French • 50 mile gap by Ardennes Forest considered protected (by the trees…) The Domino Effect

  12. 15 May – Holland surrendered so France and Britain move to support Belgium • Germans attack through Ardennes Forest • French and British forces surrounded with their backs to the sea Oh France…

  13. Hitler orders attack to halt 26 May • 338,000 soldiers evacuated across English Channel by private vessels over 9 days Dunkirk

  14. French army falls in 35 days • Poland held out longer! • Hitler find the RR car from WWI to sign the surrender 14 June 1940…France is lost

  15. Germany occupied and ran the North • Southern France ran as a puppet state under WWI general Marshall Henri Petain • Capital at Vichy, “Vichy France” France under the 3rd Reich

  16. Charles de Gaulle & the Free French • De Gaulle, a French tanker, had warned of weakness of Maginot Line • Fled France to UK to organize French Resistance, form new government. De Gaulle speaking via radio to keep up French resistance

  17. Hitler’s Rise by June, 1940

  18. Seeing resilience of UK, Hitler planned for occupation of Britain • Starts bombardment of RAF fields and factories to soften up the enemy • Britain wearing down Operation Sea Lion

  19. British counter RAP destruction with bombing raids on Germany • Hitler changes his plan and orders Luftwaffe to bomb London over RAF targets • The Blitz on London – the mistake Morale Raid A mistake by Hitler?

  20. Britain, under Churchill, steels their resolve • Luftwaffe starts taking enormous casualties • Sea Lion called off Morale Raid Con’t

  21. Hitler’s Change in Tactics • Failed Battle of Britain, Hitler moves to consolidate Mediterranean • Preparing for Soviet Invasion

  22. Mussolini Invades UK’s Egypt • To help Hitler, Italy invades Egypt… wants Suez Canal • UK counters & pushes Italians back 500 miles, captures 130K!!! • Hitler moves to aid Axis ally

  23. The Desert Fox • Erwin Rommel and the AfrikaKorps win at Tobruk • Begins see-saw battle for N. Africa • Nazis Holding Famous for treating POW’s humanely & for refusing to kill captured Jews or civilians. No war crimes attributed to his troops. Took part in plot to overthrow Hitler.

  24. Prepping for the USSR • Early 1941, Nazis get Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary • Yugoslavia & Greece resist. Both fall in 2.5 weeks

  25. Wolf Packs • Allied Convoys • Air Recon • Cracking the Enigma U-Boats

  26. Hitler distrusts Communists • Operation Barbarossa • Surprise attack • 5 months long • Point was to avoid the winter • Take Moscow and the USSR will fall Going after the Bear

  27. Bad weather and Hitler’s mysticism delay the attack • Late Spring (May 15) turns into early summer (June 22) • 4,000,000 German troops move against 2,300,000 Soviets • Move 20 miles per day Early Issues - 1941

  28. Stalin appeals to the West for help • Appeals to Soviet nationalism • SCORCHED EARTH POLICY - military strategy that involves destroying anything that might be useful to the enemy while withdrawing from an area • Trade land for time The Soviet Defense

  29. City cut off from the rest of Russia • Hitler lays siege – wants to starve out the people • 3 years later – 1 out of 3 people are dead, 1 million • Cannibalism • Eating shoes, rats Leningrad – September 1941

  30. Early November 1941 • Germany 21 miles from Moscow • Winter hits • Equipment freezes • German soldiers not equip for the weather battle as well The Advance Freezes (literally)

  31. 4-5 million casualties to get to the winter • Soviets know winter warfare, counter-attack under General Georgi Zhukov • Move to encircle the Germans • Forces the Germans to retreat from Moscow – until the Spring Russians Finally Fight Back

  32. US is now in the War so it needs to end quickly • 7 Dec 1941 • Hitler decides to go after the blood of the war machine…OIL from the Caucuses 1942 – New Plan

  33. Hitler’s Objective- Stalingrad • Stalingrad gateway city to the Caucuses • continued loss of lives AND Oil would bring down USSR • Symbolic battle for Soviet leader’s city

  34. The Soviets Hold • Stalin throws everything at Germany to save this city (now Volgograd) • Uses Volga River and Winter as aids • City Utterly destroyed, but Hitler denied Soviet oil…

  35. German Losses • Hitler ordered General Paulus to commit suicide • Over 91,000 men captured • 150,000 had died • German prisoners were forced to march to Siberia. • 45,000 die on the march • 7,000 survived the war. • The Turning Point of the War against Hitler

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