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- June – France surrenders on June 22

• “Vichy government” (German/French) established – collaborators with Nazis

• “French resistance” movement goes underground – the “Free French”

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

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”

In September 1940, Hitler launched “Operation Sea Lion” – the invasion of GB

Germans collected barges to ferry troops to Britain

Luftwaffe bombed London as well as military bases and radar stations using high explosives and “incendiary” bombs

Became known as “Battle of Britain

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

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

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

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