APRIL 14, 2017 Turn in WWII webquest WWII Notes Get out paper and pencil HW: WWII Vocab due Weds. 4/27

World War II 1939 - 1945

War in Europe Begins August, 1939: Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, two nations agree to split Poland Sept. 1, 1939: Hitler invades Poland, starting WWII. Sept, 3, 1939: Britain and France declare war on Germany and Germany and Italy declare war on them.

German Blitzkrieg “Lightning War” tactic used by Germans Rapidly took over Poland, Belgium, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and France

Battle of Britain and the Blitz Air battle (1940-1941) German Luftwaffe bombed London and other industrial targets heavily Blitz: nighttime bombing of UK Germans wanted to force a surrender from UK British don’t give in Germans never invaded UK Turning point in the war https://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=CLauvpD9pH 0

Winston Churchill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuYGkcgzf_ o

North African Campaign Axis powers attack British controlled Egypt for access to Suez Canal

The Battle of Stalingrad Operation Barbarossa-1941 German invasion of USSR Soviets declare war on Germany Hitler broke Non-Aggression Pact Sept.- Nov. 1942: the Germans attack Stalingrad, a major oil and railroad center. Soviets hold off Germans Turning point in Eastern Europe

The Invasion of Italy July, 1943: Am. Troops commanded by General George Patton attacked Sicily. 38 days later, Sicily fell and Mussolini was overthrown by a disillusioned Italian population. Italian people begin to fight Hitler’s forces with the Allies

D-Day June 6, 1944: Allied troops commanded by Eisenhower landed on the beaches of Normandy and began the invasion of W. Europe and the liberation of France.

D-Day Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIIN0Ug8wg 8

The US Frees W. Europe American forces continued to defeat the Germans and freed Paris by August, 1944. In Sept., Belgium and Holland were freed from Nazi control.

The Battle of the Bulge Dec. 1944: Germany launched its last offensive in the war attacking Americans in Belgium and Luxembourg. This was the largest battle ever fought by the US army and the largest battle of WWII. Germans lose and signals the beginning of the end for a Germany https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a8fqGpHgs k

War in W. Europe The US began to bomb Germany in 1942 using carpet bombing tactics. The bombing of Dresden (Feb. 1945) was one of the most famous campaigns of the air war.

Dresden Before & After

The Yalta Conference Feb. 1945: The “Big Three” met at Yalta in the USSR to plan the post-war world.

Yalta Conference All agreed to split Germany into 4 zones of occupation and to also split the capital city, Berlin. Stalin promised to allow free elections in the nations his army liberated from Germany. Stalin agreed to enter the war against Japan soon after the German surrender.

May 8, 1945: V-E Day