Poland Attacked: Sept. 1, 1939

Blitzkrieg [“Lightening War”]

German Successes Early in WWII

3.2.2

• Poland was pleased to learn that France and

Britain would help defend Poland against a

possible German attack in early 1939. There was

hope that a German invasion could be averted or

possibly halted and the German army defeated.

• Within 4 weeks Poland was crushed at the cost

of just 8000 German dead. The British and

French had hardly fired a shot.

• What had happened?

3.2.1 Blitzkrieg

• The answer is Blitzkrieg . The principle behind

this strategy was that the best way to defeat

an enemy is to throw a massive assault against

the enemy’s weakest point and cut them off

from all supplies, reinforcements

and communication.

Blitzkrieg

• This was achieved by:

• First enemy headquarters and communications were

bombed by artillery and bombers. Parachutists

dropped behind enemy lines to cause panic.

Blitzkrieg

• Second tanks and infantry punch a hole in the

weakest part of the enemy frontline encircling enemy

strong points.

Blitzkrieg

• Third troops following up cut the enemy off from

reinforcements thus forcing surrender.

Blitzkrieg

German Troops March into Warsaw

The “Phoney War” Ends: Spring, 1940

Phoney War 3.2.1

• ‘Phoney War’ is the name given to the period

of time in World War Two from September

1939 to April 1940 when, after the blitzkrieg

attack on Poland in September 1939,

seemingly nothing happened. Many in Great

Britain expected a major calamity – but the

title ‘Phoney War’ sums up what happened in

Western Europe during this time – nothing of

any importance.

France – False Sense of Security?

The Maginot Line

Maginot Line 3.2.1

• The Maginot Line named after the French

Minister of War Andre Maginot, was a line of

concrete fortifications, obstacles, and weapons

installations that France constructed just

before the border with Switzerland and the

borders with Germany and Luxembourg

during the 1930s. The Line did not extend

through to the English Channel because the

French military did not want to compromise

Belgium's neutrality.

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oobject.com%2Fcategory%2F12-of-the-worlds-most-fascinating-tunnel-networks%2F&ei=PSrSVPDUMZKTyASX7YDIAw&psig=AFQjCNHSBUcGFjUEexKSZLff_JieyJimQw&ust=1423145881531741

Maginot Line

• While the fortification system did prevent a

direct attack, it was strategically ineffective, as

the Germans invaded through Belgium, going

around the Maginot Line. Essentially the

Maginot Line provided France with a false

sense of security and Germany invaded and

defeated France in six weeks.

France – False Sense of Security?