1. Total War in Europe:

2. After several months of “phoney war”, in April and May of 1940, Europe felt the full extent of the Germany military’s attack called “blitzkrieg” (lightening war)
- April – Denmark and Norway fell
- May – Netherlands and Belgium fell
- June – France surrenders on June 22
“Vichy government” (German/French) established – collaborators with Nazis
“French resistance” movement goes underground – the “Free French”

4. So…in 1940:
Allies = GB, Canada and Commonwealth, and the Free French
Axis = Germany, Italy
In May, German troops reached the English Channel and the Allied Forces were surrounded at the French port of Dunkirk
Allied troops had to escape before the Germans took the town and POWs

5. Allies decided to try an evacuation at sea
GB navy rounded up any boat that could navigate the Channel – fishing, merchant..
Hitler decided to give the “victory” to the German airforce (“Luftwaffe”) vs. the army (“Wehrmacht”)…but the fog rolled in…no planes could fly…
The evacuation began May 26…and by June 4, nearly 340,000 Allied soldiers were evacuated
Called the “Miracle at Dunkirk”

8. In September 1940, Hitler launched “Operation Sea Lion” – the invasion of GB
Germans collected barges to ferry troops to Britain

9. Luftwaffe bombed London as well as military bases and radar stations using high explosives and “incendiary” bombs
Became known as “Battle of Britain

12. Royal Air Force (RAF) was not destroyed and many French, Polish, Czech (etc. ) pilots joined the RAF
After months of battle, the Germans were beaten back – GB and the Allies won and Hitler suffered his first defeat

13. By 1942, Hitler had turned his attention towards the Soviet Union
He broke the Germano-Soviet Pact and launched “Operation Barbarossa” and the invasion of the Soviet Union
This meant that he
now had a 2 front war

14. In 1942:
Allies = GB, Canada & Commonwealth, Free French, US (1941) and Soviet Union
Axis = Germany, Italy, Japan (1941)
By 1942, the Allies were planning to re-take continental Europe
Canadian soldiers had been sitting in British training camps and wanted to see action
The Allies decided to “test” German defences with a raid across the Channel

15. August 19, 1942:
Cdns attempted a landing at Dieppe
Landing craft unloaded them onto the beach in daylight – they arrived late
Bombers to destroy the German guns had been delayed
Immediately, enemy fire came from cliffs above the beach
Commanders who could not see the beach kept sending reinforcements
2800/4900 soldiers were killed or captured – more Cdns died at Dieppe in a few hours than in any other single day of the war