The War In Europe

NAZI-Soviet Nonaggression Pact Signed August 23, 1939 What it said: –Germany & the USSR would never attack one another –If one became involved in war, the other would remain neutral –Secret agreement to create spheres of influence in Europe Germany would get the western part of Poland USSR would get eastern Poland, Finland, part of Romania, Estonia, Latvia, & Lithuania

Political Cartoon Analysis Write a paragraph to interpret the political cartoon from the previous slide.

September 1, 1939 NAZI Germany invades Poland from the West, USSR occupies Poland from the East September 3, 1939, Great Britain & France declare war on Germany –Germans used Blitzkrieg to devastate Poland in a few weeks –Britain & France didn’t even have time to send troops

The USSR Stalin forced the Baltic republics of Latvia, Lithuania, & Estonia to accept Soviet military bases Finland refused & war between these two broke out –The Finns held on until March 1940 when they were forced to surrender. –This gave the USSR a 70 mile buffer on the west from the Germans

Think-Write-Pair Share Hitler and Stalin did not like each other; nor did they trust each other. Why do you think they created the NAZI-Soviet Nonaggression Pact?

After the Quiet (Sitzkrieg/Phoney War) April 1940, British mined Norwegian waters to keep German ships from trading there Hitler claimed that this was a sign that Britain was going to invade Scandinavia Hitler delivers an ultimatum to Norway & Denmark to accept “protection of the Reich”. –Denmark accepts, Norway does not

NAZI Invasion of Scandinavia April 9, 1940 Germans meet little resistance in Denmark & take control Same morning German forces land in Norway & within hours control major cities, including the capital of Oslo Although Germany lost destroyers & cruisers, they gained access to the Atlantic

The Fall of France The Maginot Line –A series of fortifications 200 miles long to protect against German invasion. –Concrete bunkers & trenches along France’s border with Germany. May 10, 1940, Hitler carried out massive attacks on Luxembourg, the Netherlands, & Belgium. –NAZI paratroopers land in the Netherlands. 1 st large scale air-borne attack in history.

The Fall of France (cont) May 10, 1940, Britain & France moved their best troops into Belgium. They become encircled by German Panzers. Panzers go through Luxembourg toward France. British, Belgian, & French troops are pushed to the English Channel by NAZI troops.

Miracle of Dunkirk 300,000 Allied troops are surrounded by NAZI troops on 3 sides & the English Channel on the other. May 26, 1940, an evacuation mission begins. –850 vessels included: destroyers, cruisers, trawlers, tugs, yachts, & fishing boats. –Smaller boats were operated by civilians –Lasted for 9 days under fierce air & ground attack –All Allied troops were evacuated

Predict After the “Miracle of Dunkirk”, what do you think happens in France?

Vichy French June 14, 1940, NAZI troops enter Paris. One week later, France signs an armistice with Germany. Nazis occupy northern France & the Atlantic coastline to Spain. Southern France is governed by the Vichy, a “puppet” government which collaborated with Germany “Free French” fought from elsewhere & the “French Resistance” was an underground movement to fight against NAZI occupation

Critical Thinking Why would France sign an armistice with Germany in June 1940? Why would the Vichy government collaborate with Germany?

“You ask, what is our policy? I will say: it is to wage war, by sea, land, and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us: to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask what is our aim? I can answer in one word. Victory---victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however hard and long the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.” Winston Churchill, May 13, 1940

Battle of Britain August 1940, Luftwaffe began to bomb Britain’s southern coast. From August 24-September 6 Goering sent 1000 planes a day to bomb Britain. –RAF (Royal Air Force) lost 466 fighters & 103 pilots. Germans lost even more. September 7-November 3, Germans bombed London with 70,000 fire bombs. This was called the “blitz”.

Results of the Blitz Thousands of civilians were killed & injured Damaged light, power, & gas lines Destroyed buildings, roads, & railways Heavy losses to the RAF –RAF downed more than 1,700 German aircraft. –RAF effectively blocked Hitler’s invasion of Great Britain

Interpret Churchill said of the RAF pilots: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.” Using your own words, write what Churchill meant by this statement.