World War Two – 1st Part

3rd YR

Invading Poland• Poland was next after Czechoslovakia• Newly created after WW1• Many Germans lived in the Polish Corridor• Threatened to invade – why? Lebensraum• Britain and France supported Poland• Would declare war on Germany if Hitler invaded Poland

Non-aggression Pact (1)• Soviet Union – the only country Hitler feared could

stop him• Hitler’s ultimate lebensraum aim – conquer Russia• Joseph Stalin – Leader of The Soviet Union• Stalin despised Hitler and Fascism

Non-Aggression Pact (2)• But Stalin didn’t trust Britain

and France either – why?• Because they were also anti-

communist (like Hitler)• Hitler and Stalin signed a pact

promising not to attack each other for 10 yrs

• Secret part of the pact – agreed to divide Poland between them

Non-Aggression Pact (3)• Stalin avoided war• Stalin got east Poland and some other eastern European

countries• Hitler invaded Poland – got West Poland• Hitler was free to concentrate on fighting France and

Britain• Hitler didn’t have to worry about fighting Russia on the east

Poland invaded• Sep 1939 – Hitler’s troops invade Poland• Britain and France demand a withdrawal • Hitler ignored them• 3rd Sep – Britain and France declare war on Germany • WW2 has begun• This lasts 6 yrs – from 1939-1945

Blitzkrieg• ‘Lightning War’ – German military tactic• First drop many bombs from the air...• ...Followed by a land invasion of troops and tanks• Poland defeated in weeks• Poland divided in two between Germany and Soviet Union

Phoney War• Nothing happens for several months – why?• Both sides building up the strength of the army getting

ready for war• According to the Germans, ‘Sitzkrieg’ (the Sitting war)• Ends in April 1940• Germany launches a blitzkrieg attack on Denmark and

Norway• They quickly surrender

Blitzkrieg in action• Hitler invades Holland, Belgium, Luxemburg in 1940• Within days, they have surrendered• Hitler looks unstoppable• France is next

Maginot Line• The French built a line of forts along their border

with Germany• Why? To protect them from German invasion• Gap in the line in a huge forest• Germans poured in through here• Germans also entered across from Belgium

Maginot line

Dunkirk • British troops had been

stationed in France to help them• Now they retreated towards the

English channel• Trapped at the port of Dunkirk • Surrounded by the German army• About to be captured

Operation Dynamo• An emergency rescue attempt – Operation Dynamo• Any available British ships crossed the channel and

rescued the troops• Even yachts and fishing boats manned by normal helped• Loads of English soldiers rescued• Why is it so important?• 1. Allowed Britain to keep fighting the war• 2. Gave the British a huge morale boost –great

propaganda

France Surrenders• German troops enter Paris • France surrenders• The Germans split France in two• They take over the Northern Part – it is ruled by Germany• The rest of France was ruled by a French Government who

promised to obey Hitler• Govt based in a town called Vichy• This half of France is known as ‘Vichy France’

Vichy France• Why did the Germans want to control the Northern Half of

France?• 1. To be able to keep an eye on Britain• 2. To plan an attack on Britain from there• Look how close Northern France is to Britain• Now Britain was the only ally left in Europe against

Germany • Ireland was neutral

Vichy France

Italy joins• Mussolini had remained neutral at

the start of the war• Remem, Italy was fascist• Had signed Pact of Steel with Hitler in

1936• June 1940 – after the Fall of France• When it looked inevitable Hitler

would win,• Italy joins

Winston Churchill• New British Prime Minister• He had always criticised appeasement• Famous for giving great speeches• He inspired the British to keep fighting even though

defeat seemed inevitable

Operation Sealion• The Germans planned to invade Britain• Last country fighting against Germany• But wouldn’t surrender to them• Hitler called it Operation Sealion• The Luftwaffe needed to control the skies over Britain• RAF = The Royal Air Force (British)

Battle of Britain• A huge battle between the airforces • Britain had radar – crucial• Why? It gave early warning of German attacks – where they

were headed• German planes start bombing English airbases• British Hurricane and Spitfires fight back• Dogfights

German Bombings• 1st German mistake – started to bomb London• Why? Hitler thought people would be terrified and demand

peace (surrender to Germany)• The Blitz – the bombing of British cities• Lasted from Sep 1940 – May 1941

The Blitz• But the decision to bomb

London allowed the RAF and their bases to recover

• They fought back• The RAF won• Hitler called off Sealion

Operation Barbarossa (1)• June 1941 – Hitler invades Russia• He wanted lebensraum (living space) for Germany• 3 major cities in Russia – Leningrad, Moscow, and Kiev• The invasion split into 3 groups• Each group to advance and capture one city• Over 3 million German troops enter Russia

Plan for Barbarossa

Operation Barbarossa (2)• The Russian (Red) army begin to retreat• Germans capture millions of soldiers• But Russia is huge – the invasion would take so long • The unbearable Russian winter would defeat them

Battle for Stalingrad (1)• Stalingrad – v important to Hitler • Germany desperately need oil to fight the war• Many oil-fields behind Stalingrad• Aug 1942 Germans attack Stalingrad• Germany led by General Paulus• Marshal Zhukov defended the city

Battle of Stalingrad (2)• Germany invaded the city• Started to fight the Red Army • But Zhukov secretly got 1 million troops to surround

Stalingrad• The German force was trapped in Stalingrad• Cut off from the rest of the army • Not allowed to surrender • Luftwaffe tried to drop food in

Battle of Stalingrad (3)• Germans dying from starvation cold• Forced to eat their horses• Eventually surrendered• Hitler’s first major defeat• Turning pt in WW2• Red Army started to drive the Germans back out of Russia

America • Isolationism =After WW1 America decided to keep out of

European affairs• America remained neutral in 1939• But the president, F D Roosevelt, hated the Nazis• So did most Americans• So they helped Britain by sending weapons and food

Isolationism

Pearl Harbour (1) • Japan became an ally of Hitler in 1936• Japan had conquered some of China and wanted to invade

other countries• Wanted to set up a Japanese empire (like Hitler’s 3rd Reich)• America was attacked in Dec 1941 at Pearl Harbour in

Hawaii• Japan hoped to quickly destroy the American navy• ...and that this would allow them to invade

Pearl Harbour (2)• It was a surprise attack• Japanese planes sank warships and killed over 3000• American reaction – similar to 9-11• Declared war on Japan

America enters European War• Germany declared war on America• Why? Because of the 1936 Pact • Big mistake• He could never defeat America, as well as Br and Russia• America had a distinct advantage over all the other

countries – what?• Sheer size and numbers of population

The Allies Advance, 1943• The Americans had

joined the war on the Allied Side

• They now help the British in Africa

• From Africa the Allies invade Italy

• The Allies capture Italy• Mussolini is captured and

executed

The Allies Advance-1944• Battle of Kursk – largest tank battle• Germans defeated• Russian army now started forcing German soldiers back

from Russia• Kept forcing them back into Germany• Russian army invades Germany in 1944

Operation Overlord• The Allies plan an invasion of Europe• Their aim is to destroy Germany• Codenamed Operation Overlord• The commander of this allied force is General

Eisenhower• They plan to land in France• Start by freeing (liberating) France from the Nazis

Operation Overlord (2)• The invading troops would be a mixture of US, Canadian

and British soldiers• From here they would move towards Germany• Surround the Germans in their own country• This was going to be the ‘second front’• What was the 1st front against Hitler?