1. USA’S ENTRY INTO THE WAR 2. GERMANY’S WEAKNESSES AND HITLER’S MISCALCULATIONS 3. RESISTANCE MOVEMENTS Reasons for Germany’s Defeat in WW2

1. USA ENTERED THE WAR Ended policy of Isolationism In 1939, revised the 1937 Neutrality Act to sell arms to Britain and France In 1941, Lend Lease Agreement to help Britain and France Arsenal of Democracy 1940, gave Britain 50 old destroyers Started to equip US Army and Navy in anticipation of war Other Forms of Aid Escort roles for Allied convoys at sea

1. U SA ENTERED THE WAR Formal Entry into War 7th December 1941 – Japan attacked US Pacific Fleet 8 th December 1941 – USA declared war on Japan (listen to Roosevelt’s speech) Contribution of vast resources USA convert its factories for military production Send large numbers of American military personnel to aid Allied campaigns against Germany Collaboration with Allied military strategies Help Allied powers gain control of sea and air Contributed to tactical successes against Germany – example Operation Overlord

2. Germany’s Weaknesses and Miscalculations Ineffective Command Structure Overlapping authority Hitler made decisions (sometimes wrong ones) and went against the advice of his generals Example – Battle of Britain and invasion of Soviet Union Heavy reliance on petroleum No petroleum resources but need it for war machineries Invented synthetic oil to overcome shortages 1943 – oil plants and oil fields subjected to heavy Allied bombing War machine came to a halt

2. Germany’s Weaknesses and Miscalculations War on 2 Fronts Britain on Western Front and Soviet Union on the Eastern Front Also declared war on the USA, thinking that USA was busy fighting Japan Roosevelt concentrated his troops and efforts in Europe and Africa

3. Allied Resistance Reorganisation of the Soviet Union June 1941 – Germany broke Nazi-Soviet Agreement July 1941 – Soviet Union formed a military alliance with Britain. Entered the war on the side of the Allies. German tactical errors and aid from the Lend Lease Agreement helped Soviet Union win the war British Resistance to German Invasion When France was defeated, Churchill prepared Britons for war – fight the Germans to the finish Attacked by Germany in a series of battles – Battle of Britain Tactical errors on Germany’s part gave Britain time to recover German bombings also strengthened morale and resolve of people instead of weakening it

3. Allied Resistance Resistance movements Those in Nazi-occupied territories provided vital information and behind the lines support to the Allies Prominent groups – Free French Forces, The Yugoslav, Polish and Soviet Resistance In the SU, civilians joined communist resistance movements