The Course of World War II Chapter 26 Section 2 1939-1945

Europe At War After Hitler had made his intentions about Poland known, he quickly moved to attack Poland. Using his very advanced military and a strategy known as blitzkrieg, or lightening war his troops and armored divisions quickly defeated the Polish army. Based on a prior agreement, Nazi Germany & the U.S.S.R. divided Poland between them. After Poland, Hitler stayed quiet although he continued to build up his military. Using the Blitzkrieg strategy he was able to conquer the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium in 1940. France and Britain were taken by surprise and quickly fell. France built a defensive wall along their border with Germany, but the Nazi’s instead went through Belgium (again, WWI) which was not fortified.

Polish Military

German Military

Europe At War Hitler was able to advance so far into France that he now occupied 3/5th’s of France’s territory. France signed an armistice (putting down arms) agreement with Germany. Germany established an authoritarian regime who renamed their territory Vichy France. Britain was able to avoid defeat at the hands of the Nazi’s but knew that they were in for a long war with Hitler. Britain asked the U.S. for help but president Franklin D. Roosevelt claimed the U.S. was to be neutral. The U.S. would follow a policy of isolationism, refusing to get involved in the war. Although the U.S. refused to get involved they later agreed to supply G.B. with food, ships, planes and weapons.

Nazi occupation of France

The Battle of Britain Hitler soon turned his attention to Britain. Knowing that a land-sea invasion would not be enough, Hitler relied heavily on his air force (Luftwaffe). German planes targeted factories, military bases, communication centers and harbors. Britain was able to get a warning of impending attacks by the use of radar. Britain Royal Air Force was struck hard but they were able to gather any planes that they had left and planned an attack on Berlin. As a result of British aggression, Hitler’s strategy changed from bombing military installations to bombing the most populated cities. Hitler new focus on cities allowed the industrial centers to continue producing goods for the war, allowing Britain to reestablish their air force rapidly.

Bombing of London

Bombing of London

Attack on the Soviet Union Although Hitler wanted to avoid a 2 front war (similar to WWI), he realized that the only possible ally Britain could have in Europe would be the U.S.S.R. . As a result of this Hitler decided to attack Russia who he perceived to have a weak military. Hitler's invasion of Russia was delayed b/c Italy had failed to secure Greece which would have hurt the British military. As a result of this Germany focused on Greece, defeating them and taking their territory along with Yugoslavia. Hitler invaded Russia on June 22, 1941, violating the treaty he signed with Stalin. Early on the German forces easily defeated the Russians, advancing all the way to Leningrad, (30 miles from the capital, Moscow). It was at Leningrad that the Nazi’s were held do to fierce resistance and brutal winter.

Japan at War After Japan bombed Pearl harbor, they began to take territory in the Pacific basin and moving into SE Asia like they had planned, taking all the resources, incorporating new countries along the way. Japan claimed to have established a new community of Asian countries, he called this the Greater east Asia Co-Prosperity sphere. Japan also claimed that they were eliminating colonialism in Asia to justify their actions. Japan believed that the U.S. would bow out of the Pacific after having their fleet destroyed. It had the adverse effect and Americans were more than willing to stand up for their country. Believing that the U.S. was very weak, Hitler declares war on the U.S. 4 days after Pearl Harbor.

The Allies Advanced With the U.S. entering the war, a new alliance would be made between Great Britain, The U.S.S.R, and the U.S., they called themselves the Grand Alliance. They agreed to continue to fight until the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, Japan) were all defeated. Germany took the early lead in the war, they controlled most of Europe and were easily defeating the British and the Russians. They also had advancements made in North Africa. Japan easily took SE Asia after the destruction of the American Pacific Fleet. In 1942, the tide starts to turn as American and British troops defeat German and Italian forces in Africa. Along the new eastern front Hitler decided to go after Stalingrad instead of listening to his generals who stressed the importance of getting oil from the Caucasus. Hitler would later regret this decision.

The Asian Theater Japan continued to advance with ease in the Pacific until they finally net resistance from the remnants of the U.S. navy in Australia. The war in the pacific started to turn with a decisive American victory at the battle of Midway. The U.S. tried to defeat the Japanese in Asia by staging 2 operations. One was lead by Gen MacArthur who planned to move through the Philippines into the South pacific Islands. This process was refereed to as island hopping and the goal was to eventually reach Japan.

McArthur Landing in a South Pacific Island

Last Years of the War - Europe In 1943 the war began to turn in favor of the Allies after they began succeeding in Africa. Through Tunisia the Allies advanced on Italy. Winston Churchill, the new Prime minister of G.B. called Italy the “soft underbelly of Europe”. Mussolini was eventually captured but later freed by the Germans. After losing control of most of Italy, the Germans maintained a small chunk in the North and placed Mussolini there as its leader. By June of 1944 the Allies had taken Rome and were now able to provide a legitimate threat to German via a new 2nd front. The Allies then concentrated on entering France to retake that territory. On June 6th,1944 (D-Day) The Allies landed on the beach of Normandy led by Gen. Eisenhower. This would be some of the deadliest fighting seen in Europe.

Eisenhower during D- Day

Last Years of the War - Europe Within 3 months of D- Day the Allies land 2 million troops and 500,000 military vehicles. By March 1945 the Allies freed Paris and were marching into Germany. Russia, part of the Allies marched down from the North posing an additional threat to Nazis. The Soviets had come a long way since their defeat at Stalingrad, defeating the Germans numerous times including the greatest tank battle in history , the battle of the Kursk. By January on 1945, Hitler confined to a bunker in Berlin is said to have committed suicide, although no body was found. Mussolini was killed by resistance fighters known as partisans.

Last Years of the War - Asia With the war in Europe drawing to close, American president Harry S. Truman had a difficult decision to make, use the most powerful weapon ever created (Atomic Bomb) to end the war and kill thousands of Japanese citizens, or continue the current strategy which would have endangered many American lives. On August 6th 1945, Truman decides to drop the Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima. 3 days later a 2nd bomb was dropped in Nagasaki. Thousands of people died as a result. Japan finally surrenders on August 14th, bringing WW2 to an end. At it’s conclusion, 60 million people lost their lives.

Bombing of Nagasaki

Destruction at Hiroshima