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Total War in Europe:

Total War in Europe:. 1940-1942. After several months of “ phoney war ”, in April and May of 1940, Europe felt the full extent of the Germany military’s attack called “ blitzkrieg ” (lightening war) - April – Denmark and Norway fell - May – Netherlands and Belgium fell

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Total War in Europe:

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  1. Total War in Europe: 1940-1942

  2. After several months of “phoney war”, in April and May of 1940, Europe felt the full extent of the Germany military’s attack called “blitzkrieg” (lightening war) - April – Denmark and Norway fell - May – Netherlands and Belgium fell - June – France surrenders on June 22 • “Vichy government” (German/French) established – collaborators with Nazis • “French resistance” movement goes underground – the “Free French”

  3. So…in 1940: Allies = GB, Canada and Commonwealth, and the Free French Axis = Germany, Italy In May, German troops reached the English Channel and the Allied Forces were surrounded at the French port of Dunkirk Allied troops had to escape before the Germans took the town and POWs

  4. Allies decided to try an evacuation at sea GB navy rounded up any boat that could navigate the Channel – fishing, merchant.. Hitler decided to give the “victory” to the German airforce (“Luftwaffe”) vs. the army (“Wehrmacht”)…but the fog rolled in…no planes could fly… The evacuation began May 26…and by June 4, nearly 340,000 Allied soldiers were evacuated Called the “Miracle at Dunkirk”

  5. In September 1940, Hitler launched “Operation Sea Lion” – the invasion of GB Germans collected barges to ferry troops to Britain

  6. Luftwaffe bombed London as well as military bases and radar stations using high explosives and “incendiary” bombs Became known as “Battle of Britain

  7. Royal Air Force (RAF) was not destroyed and many French, Polish, Czech (etc. ) pilots joined the RAF After months of battle, the Germans were beaten back – GB and the Allies won and Hitler suffered his first defeat

  8. By 1942, Hitler had turned his attention towards the Soviet Union He broke the Germano-Soviet Pact and launched “Operation Barbarossa” and the invasion of the Soviet Union This meant that he now had a 2 front war

  9. In 1942: Allies = GB, Canada & Commonwealth, Free French, US (1941) and Soviet Union Axis = Germany, Italy, Japan (1941) By 1942, the Allies were planning to re-take continental Europe Canadian soldiers had been sitting in British training camps and wanted to see action The Allies decided to “test” German defences with a raid across the Channel

  10. August 19, 1942: Cdns attempted a landing at Dieppe Landing craft unloaded them onto the beach in daylight – they arrived late Bombers to destroy the German guns had been delayed Immediately, enemy fire came from cliffs above the beach Commanders who could not see the beach kept sending reinforcements 2800/4900 soldiers were killed or captured – more Cdns died at Dieppe in a few hours than in any other single day of the war

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