WWII Begins (13.3) 2b: Investigate causes and effects of significant events in world history. 3e: Analyze ideas critical to the understanding of American history.

WWII Begins Official Start of WWII: Germany invades Poland (9/1/39) Poland defeated in 34 days

VS

German Tactics blitzkrieg: Lighting war use large # of fast, mobile tanks (supported by aircraft) to break through enemy lines + rapidly encircle enemy positions This was characterized by extensive bombing early on to destroy the enemy's air capacity, railroads, communication lines, and munitions dumps, followed by a massive land invasion with overwhelming numbers of troops, tanks, and artillery

Fall of Poland Reasons Tried to fight Germans head to head vs taking a more defensive position Germany had better weapons Poland had large army but many had no combat experience

TPS Summarize why Poland fell after just 34 days of fighting.

Fall of France: Reason #1 Maginot Line: Heavily fortified bunker system along German border French assumed WWII would be like WWI (trench tactics) Result: French forces not able to adapt to more mobile German forces

Maginot Line (cont.)

Fall of France: Reason #2 2) Superior German Tactics (Blitzkrieg) German force invades Belgium (just like WWI) So… French + British forces move into Belgium to face “main” German army (just like WWI)

Fall of France: Reason #2 (cont.) Unlike WWI, main German force (tanks) invade France through Ardennes Forest French only left small force to defend Ardennes Forest (thought tanks could not move through mts. or forest) result: Germans trapped + surrounded French & British forces in Belgium

TPS What characteristic/element of a modern military (and thus war) did the German victories over Poland and France illustrate?

Dunkirk: Hitler’s Failure Stopped attack before defeating British & French- why? 1) Didn’t want to risk tank being destroyed (wanted to wait for more infantry to come up to the front) 2) Goering (Commander of Luftwaffe) convinced Hitler that aircraft alone could destroy British + French forces 3) Thought GB more likely to surrender if he didn’t humiliate them by destroying their forces

Dunkirk Evacuation

TPS If you were an advisor to Hitler, would you have continue the attack into Dunkirk or would you have supported Hitler’s decision to stop the attack? Justify your opinion.

SUMMARY Explain how Germany was able to conquer most of Europe by the middle of 1940.

Hitler vs. Britain Hitler didn’t invade GB after Dunkirk- why? Germany didn’t have enough transport ships to get Army across English Channel If invasion launched, British air force (RAF) might sink the few transports it had Invasion could only work if RAF destroyed

TPS If you were Hitler, would you have invaded Britain (virtually guaranteeing Britain’s defeat) before eliminating the threat posed by the RAF? Justify your decision.

Air War: The Battle of Britain

Battle of Britain Events/causes that led to Britain’s victory in Battle of Britain: 1) Luftwaffe accidentally bombed London, which enraged British 2) British bombed Berlin (retaliation) Result: Hitler orders halt on bombing British military targets and orders Luftwaffe to bomb only London (civilian)

Battle of Britain (cont.) 3) Britain had radar allowed Britain advanced warning when Luftwaffe was coming Result: larger Luftwaffe losses than RAF

“Big Picture” GB only Western European country left fighting Germany by 1941