Download Eastern Front World War II

The Eastern Front
World War II
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Hitler wants Greece
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If Hitler can take Greece he can have control
of the Mediterranean Sea.
He has to go through Europe to get there.
Italy invades Greece through Albania
10/28/1940
Germany joins April 1941
The Greeks fight hard.
One of the worst battles is the Battle of
Crete.
Italy and Germany attack the
Balkans
Soviet Union; Russia
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One of Hitler’s greatest enemies is Russia.
Hitler breaks the non-aggression pact signed
by both countries in 1939 and starts to
invade.
The Russians fight hard and have the most
causalities in the war.
The Russian winter proves extra hard for the
Germanys and they can’t maintain the army.
Russia at War
The people of Russia greatly suffer.
 In the Ukraine “The Bread Basket” of Russia the people
burn crops in order to keep the Germanys from eating.
 This is a picture of Tanya Savicheva who kept a list of
family
members that died
from stravation
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Russia at War
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In Leningrad/St. Petersburg the people suffer
through a harsh winter and have to boil leather
(horse skin) to eat fat.
But eating too much could poison you…
Soviet soldiers on skies patrolling the city
Russia’s Resistance against the
Nazi’s.
Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No.
7 in C major,
 Dedicated to the city of Leningrad on
27 December 1941.
 Symbol of resistance and defiance to
Nazi totalitarianism and militarism.
 People all over the world listened to
this symphony.
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Map of Russia
Palestine
Under British control the Palestinian's were with
the Allies in World War II.
 It was hard for Palestine to pick a side they
didn’t want to side with Germany who was
attacking them.
 But the British were always
helping the Jewish people
take Palestinian land.
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Yugoslavia’s options
1. Let Germany take over after all they are much
stronger.
2. Fight back because it’s not right to take over
another country.
Please note:
After World War I the country of Yugoslavia was created by the allies
to include Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Macedonians, Montenegrins.
Yugoslavia was a Constitutional Monarchy headed by the Serbian
Monarchy the Karageorgivch Family
Yugoslavia after the Nazi’s
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Notice how the map has changed.
What happened to Yugoslavia?
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The Serbs resist instead of giving in
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Draza Mihailovic and the Chetniks revolt in May.
Milan Nedic want to save the as many Serbs as
possible creating the Serbian Government of
Salvation.
Josip Broz Tito is the leader of the Partisan
(communists) and he fights the Nazi’s
Croatians join the Nazi’s and are known as Ustashi
(Ustasi)
Images of the Ustasi Occupation
Ustasa leader Ante Pavelic with Nazi Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop.
Serbs being converted to Catholism
Victims in Jasenovac Concentration Camp
What did Croatia want?
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According to the Simon Wiesenthal Center
(citing the Encyclopedia of the Holocaust),
"Ustasa terrorists killed 500,000 Serbs,
expelled 250,000 and forced 250,000 to
convert to Catholicism. They murdered
thousands of Jews and Gypsies.“
Explaining the Tragedy
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The crimes of the fascist Ustashe against
the Serbs in the notorious camp of
Jasenovac must be known - crimes that
are the worst ones along with those
committed against the Jews in the
Holocaust."
- Simon Wiesenthal
Concentration Camps
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Dakovo
Danica
Jastrebarsko (children’s camp)
Jadovno
Jasenovac
Kerestinec
Krucica
Lepoglava
Loborgrad
Pag
Stara Gradiska
Travnik
Jasenovac then;
Jasenovac Memorial Now
What should the Serbs do?
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The choices were hard either be killed by the
Ustasa or fight against them.
The Nazi’s had a formula for every 1 German
killed 100 Serbs; 1 German injured 50 Serbs
killed.
Many Serbs from Bosnia, Lika, Dalmatia decided
to fight.
Some sided with the Partisans (Tito and the
communists)
Some went along with the Chetniks.
Draza Mihailovic
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A World War I soldier Dragolub took the
responsibility of organizing the Chetniks to
fight against the Nazi’s in the name of the
Royal Army in May 1941 after the Nazi’s
invade.
Momcilo Djuic
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A priest and Duke of the Dinarska Division under
the leadership of Draza organized the Serbs.
In the Independent State of Croatia and Bosnia
many Serbs resisted under the Chetniks.
Milan Nedic
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Led a group of Serbs in Serbia known as
the Serbian Government of Salvation.
He did this to save as many Serbs as
possible from the Nazi’s and Communists.
What were the Allies doing?
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In the beginning of the War the Allies
supported the Chetniks.
The Chetniks saved 500 U.S. Airmen.
But the Allies changed sides and
supported Tito/Partisans.
The Chetniks had no choice either flee
Yugoslavia or stay and be killed.
Djuic Leaves
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Duke Djuic leaves with 20,000 Serbs north
for Slovenia
They walk almost all winter long and stay
over night in houses when the weather
gets really bad.
Eventually the Dinarska Division Chetniks
walk to Italy and surrender to the Allies on
May 6th (Djurdjev Dan)
A New Chapter
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This begins the life in the Camps of Italy,
and Germany after the war.
The Chetniks are joined by Nedic’s Serbs
who also have to flee because the
Communists won.
Eventually they come to the United States,
England, Australia, Canada etc…
Why is this important to know?
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First of all people should know their history.
Second the hatred of Serbs from WWII is still
around today in Croatia.
“Those who cannot remember the past, are
condemned to repeat it,"
George Santayana (12/16/1863- 9/26/1952
philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist.
Croatia Today
Serbs are not welcome
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Independence Day April 10 1991 same
day as 1941)
Same flag from W.W.II
Famous Ustashi leaders are common
street names and historical landmarks.