Download World War II

World War II
The War in Europe
Mr. Herneisen
Background – World War I
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Germany & Ottoman
Empire (Turkey) vs. USA,
Great Britain, France
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Germany loses
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Germany forced to pay
back money and loses lots
of land.
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Germany goes into their
own “great depression”.
How did the Great Depression in the USA affect Europe?
Background

Adolf Hitler’s Rise to Power
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Soldier in WWI
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Joins the “Nazi” political party
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Upset when Germany surrenders
Blames the “Jews and the Communists”
Promises to help Germany recover from the
Great Depression
Hitler elected as “Chancellor” in 1932
Causes of WWII
Battle of Britain (1940)
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After the fall of France, Hitler turns
toward Great Britain
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Can’t invade until Germany establishes
air and sea superiority
Begins bombing Great Britain night &
day
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a.k.a.
The British stay strong & never give up
Hitler gets frustrated, turns towards
Russia
Hitler Targeting Russia

After 1941, Hitler’s goal was to
avoid a crushing defeat, rather than
achieve victory.
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He wants to increase the attacks on
Russia to try and get Russia to
abandon the Allies and ask for a
truce
The Allies must strike back before
Russia is beaten!
Operation Barbarossa (1941)

When Hitler can’t defeat Britain, he takes on
Russia (Big mistake #1)

Wants to rid Russia of Jews and Communists to give
Germans “living space”

Hitler breaks the Non-Aggression Pact with Russia,
declares war on Russia

After Japan attacks U.S.A at Pearl Harbor, Germany
declares war on U.S.A. as well (Big Mistake #2)
Taking Back Europe!
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Hitler now must fight a war on two sides

Western Front (France)
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Fighting against the USA, Britain, & France
Hitler is very worried about an Allied invasion
Eastern Front (Russia)

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Fighting against the Russians
By 1943, Russia had killed or captured 1
million German soldiers
Where will the Allies invade?
Where will the invasion occur?

Hitler knows the Allies will invade in France
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Why? (Geography!)
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Allies have built up supplies and soldiers in Britain
for 3 years
Easiest place to invade is the Pas-de-Calais (map)
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Hitler expects that, B
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Builds up his defense all along the Northern coast of
France, but he still doesn’t know exactly where the
invasion will occur
U.S. uses General George Patton and a bunch of fake tanks
at Dover to make Hitler believe the invasion will occur at
Calais
Operation Overlord (D-Day)
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The Invasion of France

When?
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Where?
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Normandy (map)
Why there?
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June 6, 1944 (after weather delays)
The element of surprise!
What does “D-Day” stand for, anyway?
D-Day
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One day and One Night
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5,300 ships and 11,000 airplanes moved…
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175,000 men
50,000 vehicles
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…70 miles across the English Channel
Largest fleet EVER assembled, in history!
Short battles…Heavy casualties
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5 Beaches
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Utah (U.S.A.)
Omaha (U.S.A.)– Longest Battle/Toughest beach to take
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6,600 combined U.S. casualties that day
Gold (Britain)
Juno (Britain)
Sword (Britain)
Liberating France
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After D-Day, General Patton
and his tank battalion swept
across northern France.

Paris was liberated two
months after D-day, by the
French “Resistance” and a
French division of the U.S. 1st
Army
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The British and Canadian
forces moved across Belgium
and the Netherlands
Battle of the Bulge
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Huge “last ditch effort” offensive attack by
the Germans in Belgium
600,000 American troops involved

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80,000 Americans killed
Germany loses about 100,000 soldiers
After losing this battle, most German
commanders realize the war is lost
War in Europe Ends
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Russian troops suffer huge losses, but keep
pushing into Germany
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On the Eastern Front:
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11 million Russian soldiers killed (7 million
civilians)
3 million German soldiers killed
Russians consider taking Berlin to be a matter of
pride.
After Berlin falls, Hitler commits suicide in his
underground bunker rather than be captured