Download World War Two in a Nutshell

World War Two PowerPoint: An Overview and Canada’s Role
World War Two in a Nutshell
• Rhineland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Munich Agreement, Rest of Czech, Non-Aggression Pact,
Poland, France, Britain, Russia, Italy, Pearl Harbour, Hong Kong, Dieppe, D-Day, Berlin, the
Bomb.
Rhineland
• Treaty of Versailles took away land from ___________________.
• The Rhine River - a great source of national pride
• “unite the German People”
Austria
• The ______________________
• “The Sound of Music”
• unite the German people
• not one shot fired
• Adolf Hitler’s _________________.
Sudetenland
• Lebensraum - ___________ for the German
people.
• First 1/2 of Czechoslovakia
• worldwide reaction to German/Nazi/Hitler
advances
Munich Agreement
• Great Britain’s PM Neville _______________________ “Peace in Our time”
• Adolf Hitler viewed the agreement differently.
• Perhaps delayed the eventual war
Rest of Czechoslovakia
• Hitler’s troops went against the Munich Agreement and the rest of the world realized it was just a
matter of time until the war was on.
Non-Aggression Pact
• Russia’s leader Josef _______________ and Adolf Hitler despised one another
• Stalin was getting nervous as the world stood by and watched Germany’s aggressive expansion.
• Just a matter of time before they fought.
• They made a deal not to attack and divide up ___________________
• world is shocked
Poland
• September 1st, 1939.
• Hitler’s troops move into Poland and because of a previous alliance France and Great Britain
declare war on Germany 2 days later.
• Canada joins the war Sept ________, 1939.
Enter Canada…
• How did Canada’s entry to WWII differ than her entry to
WWI? _________________________________________
• What new law allowed Canada to make her own decisions?
______________________________________
• Prime Minister Mackenzie King was prepared to send
roughly 40 000 troops and anticipated a role as the main
supplier of food and war materials for Britain
Strategy: Blitzkreig
• “_______________ war”
• planes, paratroopers, tanks, armed forces (soldiers)
• very quick form of attack
• new and innovative approach to battle
• other countries were still used to trenches etc.
Phony War
• “Sitzkrieg” (Sept 1939-May 1940) – no action
• both sides ( GB + F ) and Germany build up their armies in _____________________ for war
• THEN in 1940, Hitler’s modern army overran Denmark, ____________, Belgium, Luxembourg
and the Netherlands. Soon, Hitler turned his attention to France.
• France’s “Maginot _______________”
May 1940: Germany turned west and invaded France and the Netherlands
• Hitler studies military History
• Von Schlieffen Plan is used once again.
• Germany uses the Blitzkrieg and goes around the Maginot Line defenses and enter France via
Belgium.
• Little resistance from Belgium or France
• ________ weeks later France surrenders in railway car
The ‘Miracle’ of Dunkirk – May 1940
• Thousands of British troops raced across the English Channel to defend ____________. A contingent
of Canadian soldiers remained in Britain to defend against the expected German invasion.
• Despite Britain's valiant effort, the Germans advanced rapidly into France leaving both British and
French troops ________________.
• In May, 1940, British troops had to be evacuated from the seaport town of Dunkirk on the French
coast.
• ________________ soldiers were rescued by boats of all sizes- in addition to the British
destroyers, a makeshift fleet of sightseeing boats, river ferries, fishing boats and privately owned
crafts sailed across the British Channel to return the stranded troops safely back to Britain.
• Despite the “miracle” it was a terrible defeat, much of the heavy British war ________________
had to be abandoned and France fell in six weeks.
At this point....
• Hitler has been unstoppable
• He has control over almost all of continental Europe and seems invincible
• . . . He turns his attention to Britain
Canada -- The Move to Centre Stage…
• QUESTION: How would Hitler’s successes in Europe change Canada’s role in war?
•
ANSWER: Canada’s role in WWII evolved to the centre stage
-_____________ became a vital lifeline to the survival of Britain
-more Canadian troops sent to Britain
-Canadian increased wartime industries such as food, guns, munitions, supplies and armed
forces
Battle of Britain: ‘The Blitz’
• First all out battle fought in the air
• September 1940-May 1941, the German air force (Luftwaffe) launched repeated bombing raids on
British towns and cities. This was known as the _____________ and was an attempt to bomb
Britain into submission.
• “never have so many owed so much to so few” (Churchill)
• despite being greatly outnumbered the RAF and RCAF hold off the _________________
Operation Barbarossa, June 1941
• in May 1941, Hitler ordered a change of tactics. He decided to halt the bombing of Britain and
break the Non-Aggression Pact with Russia. He betrayed ______________ and ignored the
promises he had made.
• Germany launches an attack against Russia in Operation Barbarossa.
• This was a bold move that would prove to be an important turning point in the War.
• Russia uses “scorched earth _______________” as it retreats – destroying its own property as it
withdraws
• Battle of Stalingrad – Russian hold off the many German attempts to capture the city
The Russian Front
• On August 23rd, 1939, Stalin and Hitler signed a “Non-Aggression Pact” which vowed not to
interfere in each other’s business
• in May 1941, Hitler ordered a change of tactics. He decided to halt the bombing of Britain and
break the Non-Aggression Pact with Russia. He betrayed Stalin and ignored the promises he had
made.
• On June 22nd, 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet ________________ – Operation Barbarossa
• Having purged his military of many of its best officers, Stalin and the Soviets were not ready for
war
The Eastern Front
• Operation “Barbarossa” – began on June 22nd, 1941
• The early days saw the Germans drive into the Soviet Union almost reaching Moscow by October
• Russia uses “scorched earth Policy” as it retreats – destroying its own _________________
(crops, buildings and bridges) as it withdraws
• The German army besieged Leningrad for what was to become a two year struggle ending in the
death of more than one ______________ civilians
• When the severe Russian winter arrived the Nazi offensive broke down and the German attack
was halted
The Tide Turns
• The Nazis needed supplies and resources to continue the war so victory in the Soviet Union was
essential
• From Sept. 14th, 1942 – Feb. 2nd, 1943 – the Germans and Russians fought for the strategic city
of ___________________ on the Volga River
• Hitler and the Nazis lost the battle – 500 000 German and other troops were killed or taken
prisoner
• By the Autumn of 1943 the Germany army of ______ million soldiers faced an army of _____
million Soviet soldiers