1. From Poland to the Fall of France
World War II
From Poland to the Fall of France

2. Sept. 3, Britain and France declare War on Germany
Blitzkrieg
England and France had promised to defend Poland from German aggression
Sept. 1, 1939 Germany invades
New method of warfare used called Blitzkrieg (Lightning war)
Sept. 3, Britain and France declare War on Germany

3. Parachutists dropped behind enemy lines to create chaos and confusion
First
Take out enemy headquarters and communications with long range artillery and dive bombers
Parachutists dropped behind enemy lines to create chaos and confusion
Second
Tanks and armoured infantry punch hole in weakest part of enemy lines
Encircle strong point and cut them off
Following troops force their surrender
Motorized columns continue to drive through the demoralized enemy

4. Combined operations
Blitzkrieg was characterized by the combined use of communications, coordination and mobility:
Airplanes attacked transportation, supplies and artillery behind enemy lines
Tanks led attacks against the enemy
Infantry was transported in vehicles and supported the tanks
Pincer movements encircled smaller enemy units and cut them off from support

5. Aircraft would attack behind enemy lines and destroy supply lines
Fast moving armoured units would encircle and prevent forces from retreating
Aircraft would attack behind enemy lines and destroy supply lines
Tanks would thrust against forward lines supported by infantry and artillery
ENEMY COMMAND POST
ENEMY SUPPLY LINES
ENEMY FRONTLINE

6. Blitzkrieg in action
The effectiveness of “lightning war” was immediately obvious in the German campaign against Poland:
The German Luftwaffe (“Air force”) destroyed the Polish railways and air force
German armoured “panzer” tank divisions punched through Polish defences and began to encircle them
Poland was defeated in roughly 4 weeks
Even though Poland’s army was of comparable size to Germany’s, its outdated strategies and technology were no match against blitzkrieg.

7. Phoney War October 1939-April 1940
No fighting except Naval Battles – British papers dub it “Sitskrieg”
British Navy (Churchill) wants to seize port of Narvik in Norway
Cut off German supplies
Norway neutral at this time
April Germany strikes first and takes Norway and Denmark
French troops rush to help
but are forced to withdraw
Chamberlain forced to resign
May 10 Germany invades
France

8. The Fall of France
The French and British thought that the Maginot line protected the southern access to France from Germany
Concentrated their troops in the North around Belgium
The Ardennes Forrest was thought to be impassable to a large armoured force.
German forces smashed through the forest and encircled the BEF and French elite divisions at Dunkirk

14. Dunkirk
Germans surround 340,000 British and French soldiers at Dunkirk
200,000 BEF
140,000 French
British begin operation “Dynamo” – the evacuation of surrounded forces (May 27-June 4)
Use every boat at their disposal including private craft
Germans bomb beaches but do not send in Armour
British fighters supply air cover
Almost all troops removed and British see it as a great success
Core of British army saved as well as best of French troops
All equipment lost

20. Paris Falls The rest of France quickly fell to the Germans
An Armistice was signed with Germany in the same railway carriage that Germany was forced to sign in at the end of WWI, 1918
Germany takes control of the North and a new French government is formed that will work with the Germans under Marshall Petain – Vichy Government

24. After the fall of France Churchill ordered the sinking of the French fleet British use torpedo Bombers

25. Next the Battle of Britain!
The End
Next the Battle of Britain!