Operation Barbarossa

Aims of LebensraumCommunists seen as a significant threatAttack on USSR would stop territorial gainsInvasion started on June 22, 1941, massive blitzkrieg

attackIn the north, Leningrad was besieged (see page 149)In the south, Kiev was capturedGerman army outside of MoscowGermans failed to take Leningrad and MoscowMarshal Zhukov launched a counter-offensive and

Moscow was saved

Operation Barbarossa

June 1942, Hitler made a massive offensive towards southern Russia and the oilfields of Caucasus

August the Germans reached Stalingrad and they had occupied most of the city by September

Soviets launched a counter-offensive, surrounding Germans in pincer movement See document on page 150 and respond to question in

notes

Here was the turning point of the war1943, German army is in retreat1944, Leningrad was liberated

Why were the Soviets able to defeat Germans?

See page 150-151Then, write paragraph response in notes

The fall of Italy 1943-45

July 10, 1943 attack on Sicily began and within 6 weeks it was in control of Allies

Mussolini’s successor, Marshal Pietro Badoglio, signed an armistice and brought Italy on side of the Allies

Rome not captured until June 1944

Consequences

Fascism had ended in Italy

It tied down German divisions that were needed in Russia

Allies could not be accused by Stalin of leaving all of the fighting in Europe to the Soviets

Operation Overlord 1944

Operation Overload began on June 6, 1944, known as D-Day

The landings of 326,000 British, Canadian and American troops took place from sea and air on a stretch of beaches in Normandy, France

Within a month, a million men landed in Normandy

First months of 1945 saw the disintegration of Wehrmacht

The Allies crossed the Rhine in March 1945. Germany was being invaded on 2 fronts

May 7, Germany surrendered

Why did the Allies win?

By not committing Germany’s full military capacity to the invasion of Britain, Hitler allowed Britain to survive

The invasion of the Soviet Union was a huge mistake

See excerpt page 154The entry of the USA allowed allies to defeat

Italy, carry out bombing raids on GermanyMussolini was a drain on Hitler’s resources

Strength of Allies

Russia producing better armaments by 1943Centralized state economy proves effective

for prolonged warAmerican war capacity 70,000 tanks and

120,000 aircraft a yearAccording to Overy, they turned their

economic strength into effective fighting power Using page 155-56, sum up strength of Allies

How was WWII fought?

Many historians doubt that Blitzkreig was a well thought-out plan

The Blitzkrieg allowed Hilter to achieve quick victories witheout too many causualities andlosss of resources

The speed and surprise did not allow other countriesto mobilize and prepare for total war

Successes and failures of Blitzkrieg

Operation Barbarossa exposed failures of Blitzkrieg Which were? Make list.

From 1944, Allies had dominance of skies.

Battle for Atlantci

Britain was naval power and it was critical for it to maintain its travel routes

Sea warfare was about controlling supply lines

1940-43 Germany and Britain fight to see who could control Atlantic

Hitler needed the U-boats to keep USA and Britain occupied

U-boats

Allies eliminate U-boats as a threat b/c Use page 162, see bullet points and put in your own

words.

By 1943, it was clear that the Allies won the war for Atlantic.

See graph on page 162.

Naval war

Naval warfare palyed a key role in the course and outcome of WWII

Victory of the Allies in the Atlantic was vitalSee page 163, What does Keegan write about

the importance of naval war? Explain

War in the air and strategic bombing

WWII sees a more radical and independent use for aircraft in strategic bombing

This type of bombing focused on t destroying miltary and industrial infrastructre of a country

It was also directed against civilians

Strategic bombing in Europe

Area bombing is imposed by both sidesLook up area bombing and take definition

40,000 people died in HamburgP-51B Mustang made bombing more deadly

in 1944Germanys respond in 1944 with V1, a pilotles

flying bomb and the V2 ballistic missile see page 155

Non-effective b/c too late in war

Debate of strategic bombing