Operation Barbarossa Aims of Lebensraum Communists seen as a significant threat Attack on USSR would stop territorial gains Invasion started on June 22, 1941, massive blitzkrieg attack In the north, Leningrad was besieged (see page 149) In the south, Kiev was captured German army outside of Moscow Germans failed to take Leningrad and Moscow Marshal Zhukov launched a counter-offensive and Moscow was saved

Operation Barbarossa June 1942, Hitler made a massive offensive towards southern Russia and the oilfields of Caucasus August the Germans reached Stalingrad and they had occupied most of the city by September Soviets launched a counter-offensive, surrounding Germans in pincer movement  See document on page 150 and respond to question in notes Here was the turning point of the war 1943, German army is in retreat 1944, Leningrad was liberated

Why were the Soviets able to defeat Germans? See page Then, write paragraph response in notes

The fall of Italy July 10, 1943 attack on Sicily began and within 6 weeks it was in control of Allies Mussolini’s successor, Marshal Pietro Badoglio, signed an armistice and brought Italy on side of the Allies Rome not captured until June 1944

Consequences Fascism had ended in Italy It tied down German divisions that were needed in Russia Allies could not be accused by Stalin of leaving all of the fighting in Europe to the Soviets

Operation Overlord 1944 Operation Overload began on June 6, 1944, known as D-Day The landings of 326,000 British, Canadian and American troops took place from sea and air on a stretch of beaches in Normandy, France Within a month, a million men landed in Normandy First months of 1945 saw the disintegration of Wehrmacht The Allies crossed the Rhine in March Germany was being invaded on 2 fronts May 7, Germany surrendered

Why did the Allies win? By not committing Germany’s full military capacity to the invasion of Britain, Hitler allowed Britain to survive The invasion of the Soviet Union was a huge mistake See excerpt page 154 The entry of the USA allowed allies to defeat Italy, carry out bombing raids on Germany Mussolini was a drain on Hitler’s resources

Strength of Allies Russia producing better armaments by 1943 Centralized state economy proves effective for prolonged war American war capacity 70,000 tanks and 120,000 aircraft a year According to Overy, they turned their economic strength into effective fighting power  Using page , sum up strength of Allies

How was WWII fought? Many historians doubt that Blitzkreig was a well thought-out plan The Blitzkrieg allowed Hilter to achieve quick victories witheout too many causualities andlosss of resources The speed and surprise did not allow other countriesto mobilize and prepare for total war

Successes and failures of Blitzkrieg Operation Barbarossa exposed failures of Blitzkrieg  Which were? Make list. From 1944, Allies had dominance of skies.

Battle for Atlantci Britain was naval power and it was critical for it to maintain its travel routes Sea warfare was about controlling supply lines Germany and Britain fight to see who could control Atlantic Hitler needed the U-boats to keep USA and Britain occupied

U-boats Allies eliminate U-boats as a threat b/c  Use page 162, see bullet points and put in your own words. By 1943, it was clear that the Allies won the war for Atlantic. See graph on page 162.

Naval war Naval warfare palyed a key role in the course and outcome of WWII Victory of the Allies in the Atlantic was vital See page 163, What does Keegan write about the importance of naval war? Explain

War in the air and strategic bombing WWII sees a more radical and independent use for aircraft in strategic bombing This type of bombing focused on t destroying miltary and industrial infrastructre of a country It was also directed against civilians

Strategic bombing in Europe Area bombing is imposed by both sides Look up area bombing and take definition 40,000 people died in Hamburg P-51B Mustang made bombing more deadly in 1944 Germanys respond in 1944 with V1, a pilotles flying bomb and the V2 ballistic missile see page 155 Non-effective b/c too late in war

Debate of strategic bombing