World War II Begins: The Invasion of Poland to the Fall of France.
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Transcript of World War II Begins: The Invasion of Poland to the Fall of France.
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World War II Begins:
The Invasion of Poland
to the Fall of France
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The Gathering Storm
• Failure of appeasement
• Repeated gambles by Hitler had paid off
• Nazi-Soviet Pact
• Germany still not fully prepared but opposition even less prepared
• Hitler confident in German blitzkrieg
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Hitler’s Gamble
• Hitler believed that Britain wanted to (and would) avoid war
• Less likely that France would declare war if left alone to fight
• Hitler gambled that the invasion of Poland would produce many complaints but little action
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Invasion of Poland
• 4:45am on September 1st, 1939• 62 German divisions pour into Poland• 1,300 aircraft in support• Polish forces all but defeated within 2-3 weeks• Soviet invasion in East made things worse• Poland completely occupied in just over a month• However…Britain and France refused to accept
Hitler’s offers for peace
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The Phoney War
• War declared…but no major conflicts on the continent
• “Sitzkrieg”, “Bore War”, “drôle de guerre” • Maginot Line stand-off• Winter War (USSR vs Finland)• German occupation of Norway & Denmark• May 10/40 – Invasion of Benelux countries ends
Phoney War (Winston Churchill becomes British PM on same day)
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Nazi Blitzkrieg• “lightning war”• Significant departure from WWI attrition• Weak spots identified and attacked by surprise• Required highly-mobile fighting force• Enemy communications, command centres,
supplies & defenses bombed/shelled• Slower enemy forces would normally huddle
together to defend• Emphasis on confusing & demoralizing the enemy• Infantry would then surround enemy forces
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Blitzkrieg (continued)
• Ran the risk of over-extending supply lines
• Worked best against stationary defences
• Required multiple types of forces to work in unison
• “Get there the fastest with the mostest.”
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8gMBZCM--Q
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Fall of France
• May 10/40 – Nazis begin sweep through Low Countries and into France
• French feared repeat of Schlieffen Plan• Best French forces amassed on Belgian
border• Germans fake invasion through Belgium• Surprise attack comes through the Ardennes
(splitting French forces in two)
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Newsreel on the Fall of France
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=eJ74HakQZTo&feature=endscreen
• How did the Germans succeed in taking France?
• What mistake did the French and British forces make?
• Could they have done anything differently to save France?
• What do you think was the prevailing attitude among the Allies after the fall of France? Why?
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Miracle at Dunkirk (May 22nd-June 3rd, 1940)
• Within a week of the German invasion, the French government was preparing to evacuate & capitulate
• French & British forces (BEF) surrounded at Dunkirk
• Hitler orders forces to stop (to let Luftwaffe finish Allies off)
• Allies only expected (and planned for) evacuation of 30,000-50,000
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Dunkirk (continued)
• Halt of German forces permitted over 300,000 troops to escape (200,000 Brits, 140,000 French)
• Everything was used to evacuate troops – military and civilian vessels (“little ships”)
• RAF helped to protect vulnerable troops on the beaches
• Left behind 2,472 guns, 84,427 vehicles of all kinds and 657,000 tons of ammunition
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Newsreel of Dunkirk
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSoDLfQKhGI
• What attitude does the announcer seem to have towards the escape from Dunkirk?
• Why would this event have been presented in this light?
• What do you think is not being said in this video?
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Fall of France
• Following Dunkirk, Germany quickly conquered the rest of France
• Nazis occupy Paris by June 14th
• France officially surrenders on June 25th, 1940
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Fall of France
• 3/5 of France occupied by Germany• Armistice signed in WWI railway car• Lower portion reorganized & administered by
collaborationist French (dubbed “Vichy France”) • Invasion cost Germany approximately 150,000
casualties• Allies suffered over 2,250,000 casualties (most as
prisoners of war)
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Continental Europe, 1940
• Conquered nations: Poland, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France
• Soviet expansion in East• Plans for Operation Sea Lion being
developed• Battle of Britain about to begin• British Commonwealth stands alone