A typical discussion of the European Front includes North Africa as well though it isn’t technically a part of Europe. THE EUROPEAN FRONT

Erwin Rommel, the “Desert Fox” NORTH AFRICA Before 1942, most ___________ took place in North Africa. By 1941, the _______________ were defeated leaving only the German Afrika Korps under Erwin Rommel to fight the British. Rommel pushed Allied forces back as far as ____________. Rommel is considered a great military general whose reputation was tainted by his association with the extreme policies of Nazism. Rommel's skill was fighting with limited resources, which was important as Germany was at war on 3 fronts by 1942. Erwin Rommel, the “Desert Fox”

NORTH AFRICA The British were in Africa to protect the _______ Canal. Churchill also believed that North Africa was a perfect base for _______________ Nazi Europe Suez Canal was a strategically important waterway, drastically shortening the distance to Asia (trade & military access). Churchill referred to Italy and Yugoslavia of the “soft underbelly of Europe.”

FRANCE (Western Front) May 1940: Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg & France surrender to Germany within ___ weeks. France surrendered in June 1940 & divided into ____ zones. The 3 zones: German occupied zone in the north A small Italian occupied zone in the southeast A “free” zone in the south under French control Called “Vichy France” because government had fled from Paris to city of Vichy after the invasion.

FRANCE _____________ France (French- controlled zone) under the leadership of Marshal Pétain. Vichy government collaborated with the ___________. Gen. Charles De Gaulle helped the Allies launch their invasion of Europe & became _____________ of France after the war. Vichy laws applied in all the occupied zones so long as they didn't conflict with German laws. The Vichy government’s authority to govern France was questioned by General Charles de Gaulle. Instead of collaborating, he organized French resistance forces against the Nazi regime.

USSR (Eastern Front) Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa in _______. USSR was unprepared for the attack, so initial invasion was __________. Fall 1941: Nazi troops on outskirts of ____________ & Leningrad. Unprepared for the harsh winter, they ___________. 2nd offensive planned for _________. Hitler had always intended to invade USSR. Signed Nazi-Soviet Pact to help him avoid a war on multiple fronts. Had wanted to finish his conquest of Western Europe first, but Soviet aggression in the Balkans forced his hand.

BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC Britain dependent on North American supplies, but ____________ of Allied ships were being sunk by German U- boats in the North Atlantic. Ships and _________________ ferries were even attacked by U-boats in Canada's St. Lawrence River. The _______________ navy was given the job of protecting vital supply lines. After the failure of Operation Sea Lion, Germany planned to starve Britain into submission. The most important boat in the Canadian navy was the corvette, which was small, fast & manoeuvrable But many doubted that corvettes were seaworthy; they could be very unsteady in the water and had a tendency to leak. Before 1943, Allied ships were being sunk faster than they were built.

BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC May 1942: British cracked the German naval code & could better track Nazi ship ________________. Improved RCN training & equipment, invention of ________ and introduction of the long-range Liberator bomber also aided the Allies. Allied ship production began to ___________ the number of ships destroyed. Enigma code machine. Other code machines would later be invented, but those codes were also cracked. SONAR=SOund Navigation And Ranging Uses sound to detect things underwater and for communication and navigation Can be used to navigate submarines or to detect them

BRITAIN Luftwaffe’s ______________ bombing of British cities continued throughout the war. Troops from all over the Commonwealth, including Canada, were stationed in Britain, but saw little ___________ before 1942. During the Blitz, nightly bombings killed nearly 23 000. Failing to force British surrender, Hitler postponed Operation Sea Lion indefinitely in May 1941. London, Coventry and Plymouth = hardest hit.

THE DIEPPE RAID ____________ wanted the Allies to open a 2nd European front. Allies weren't ready for a full invasion, but planned a reconnaissance ________ of Dieppe. Element of surprise was lost when a Canadian troop ship encountered a German _____________ & the noise from their brief battle alerted the Germans on shore. Delays meant soldiers landed after dawn & were ______________________to German machine gunners. Over 1500 Canadians were killed or wounded in less than ______ hours. If Vimy was Canada’s biggest military glory, Dieppe was our biggest military disaster. By 1942, the Soviets had lost 1 million soldiers fighting the Nazis. While some claim that success on D-Day would have been impossible without the knowledge gained at Dieppe, most consider it a disaster.