The Second World War European Theatre September May 1945

Blitzkrieg : Means lightning war Tanks, planes and armoured infantry Shut down communication transportation Tanks attack in massed columns Armoured infantry secures ground captured

Invasion of Poland Sept. 1 st 1939 Danzig and the Polish corridor. Britain declares war Sept. 3 rd, France Sept. 4 th, and Canada Sept. 10 th Sept. 17 th the Soviets invade from the East Poland Surrenders on Sept. 27 th. FpW9wXJb6ZU FpW9wXJb6ZU

Panzer 6Tiger20mm Canon

The Phony War Hitler started military build up as early as For 5 years they built superior tanks and planes that would deliver a blitz. Allies focused on Economic reform and appeasement (not ready for war) Hitler invades Norway in April 1940 May 1940 Hitler invades France For 10 months the Allies did nothing

The Invasion of France They split the French and British armies in two, with the French encircled and the British with their backs to the sea. Captured Paris and swung to the east to encircle French Army (Schlieffen Plan) June 25 th the French surrender (6 weeks) Vichy France – puppet government lead by Marshal Petain

Dunkirk On June 1 st 1940 British evacuate men. Keeps British in the Fight

The Battle of Britain Operation Sea Lion (German invasion of England) To risky for German troops to invade English terrain to rough for tanks Bomb the civilian population to break morale British invented the radar Hitler is losing too many planes After 10 months Hitler gives up and plans invasion of Russia

Operation Barbarossa This will cost Hitler the war He opens an eastern front with the Soviets He should have learned from Napoleon June 1941 (3 months to late) His advance is halted by the Russian Winter December 1941 Hitler declares war on the United States Starts up again in the Spring of 1942

Stalingrad October 1942 Hitler divides forces and heads for the Southern oil fields of Crimea Destination Stalingrad 6 th army commanded by Gen. Paulus First two months capture 85% of the city (Soviets Surrounded) Dec. 19 th Stalin springs the trap Germans are surrounded when the Russian army cuts off their escape route at the rive Donnets Germans will freeze in the Kessel Germans captured

The Big Three Left Winston Churchill British Prime Minister. Center Franklin Roosevelt U.S. President. Right Josef Stalin Premier of the USSR They would be reponsible for the victory and the Peace that would come after WWII. Stalin wants U.S. and Britain to take pressure off.

Invasion of North Africa 1941 the British have pushed the Italians back to Tunisia Spring 1942 Hitler puts Rommel in command of Afrika Corps He pushes the British all the way back to Cairo (Battle of El Alamain) October 1942 the Americans land on West Coast (Casablanca and Algieres) Rommel must fight on Two fronts May 1943 Germans Surrender ( )

D-Day The idea was to create the two front war to divide the German forces in Europe. The British and American air Force had been bombing German industrial centers for two years. It was time to deliver the knock out punch. This would come on the beaches of Normandy (Saving Private Ryan) The Allies worked hard at convincing the Germans that it would come at Calais in he East some 300 km from Normandy. The American General Dwight Eisenhower would be in command.

The landing June 6 th 1944 it begins. 1,273 ships U.S. troops75000 British and Can air craft 900 armored vehicles and 600 guns. Five beaches :Utah/Omaha = U.S Sword/Gold = British Juno = Canadian

The plan airborne troops would land behind the German defenses and secure the strategic towns, bridges, and railways troops would swarm the beaches at dawn with the protection of the naval guns as artillery. The defenses at Omaha were brutal. Over three thousand Americans would die on that beach. By the evening of June 6 th the allies had established the Western Front. The War would take a rapid turn for the allies.

The Bombing Campaign US and British Airforces set out to destroy Germanys ability to make weapons for the war Factories and industrial centers are carpet bombed by Lancaster's and B-17’s Fire bombing of Dresden – Break German will to fight by using incendiary bombs Dresden is not an industrial sity

Bombing Campaign DresdenLancasters

The End of the War Hitler launches a winter offensive Christmas 1944 = Battle of the Bulge. They run out of fuel and the allies dominate the skies Jan. 15 th 1945 – The Soviets cross the German Border in the East The U.S. are pushing for Munich and the Canadians and British are liberating Holand

Yalta Feb. Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill meet to discuss the rebuilding of Europe Germany will be occupied with the Three powers taking responsibility to rebuild a sector Roosevelt wants to make sure that England and the Soviets help with Japan Plans for the United Nations are discussed

The Last Days Roosevelt dies April 15 th – Replaced by Truman Hitler commits suicide April 30 th 1945 The Nazi’s believe they can still negotiate a peace A big push by both fronts to capture Germany – You keep what you take May 8 th 1945 Germany surrenders