The Blame Game in WWII: Analysis of Allied Powers and Hitler's Actions

1. WWII History 12 Ms Leslie

2. Who’s to blame? Allied powers for being spineless and allowing appeasement Hitler being overly aggressive WWI and WWII are just the same war. Europe just took a break.

3. German Quick facts After WWI, still far more powerful then neighbours Has a growing population Not prepared for a long drawn out war. Hitler was aware of the effects of WWI on Germany – Social cohesion. Hitler has many enemies – social democrats, Jews and Roman Catholics

4. Blitzkrieg Short, intense attacks. Usually with aircraft Short wars = less drain on economy Allows German civilian lift remain normal until 1942 when the USSR fights back

5. The Polish Campaign German commander = Gudenrian Deploy 40 infantry divisions 14 mechanized divisions Attack starts Sept 1, 1939. With in 1 week, the Nazi army is outside Warsaw. Sept 17 USSR invades from the East

6. Sept 18, Polish gov’t flees into exile. Polish troops in Warsaw continue fighting bitterly until Sept 28, some units outside the city last until Oct 5. But it was futile

7. Baltic States and the Russo-Finnish War Part of the Nazi-Soviet (Molotov-Ribbentrop) pact Oct 1939 Soviet troops enter Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Finland refuses Nov 30, USSR starts the Winter War with Finland.

8. Winter War Soviets only successful in far north USSR inadequate and inferior troops Difficult terrain Bad communications Invasion declared illegal by League of Nations Feb 1, 1940 Red Army attacks again and Finland falls in March and signs the Moscow Peace treaty with USSR.

9. The Phony War • Sept 1939 - April 1940 • German and French troops hunkered down in the Siegfried like or Maginot Line. • Both waiting for a major push • War is at sea

13. U-boats sank 110 vessels in first 4 months • Both sides laying mines • Soon the German surface fleet is sunk or in retreat - never a significant force

14. A British destroyer chases the German vessel ‘Altmark’ in to a Norwegian fjord and rescued 300 British prisoners on board. • This violation of Norwegian neutrality convinced Hitler that the Allies could not be trusted to stay out of Scandinavia.

15. Scandinavia 1940 • March - French and British navies mine the waters and land in Norweigen Ports. • April 9 Germans land in Oslo, Kristiansand, stavanger, Bergen and Trondhelm

16. Norwegian resistance was quickly over come since Norwegian forces were not even mobilized and local Nazis led by Vidkun Quisling helped the invaders. • Quisling is despised by Norwegians and his name becomes a term to describe ‘traitors’

17. Allies landed on the coast but it was too little, too late. • Allies continue to fight until May but it’s futile • Demark in attacked at the same time, complete German success came with in hours.

18. Holland, Belgium and France • May 10, 1940 the assault in the west begins • Germany decides to avoid the Maginot Line by going through Belgium. • They must go through Holland first • The Dutch have a small, ill trained army, an air force of only 130 ish and they loose 50% of it

19. Luftwaffe bombs airfields • Parachute troops into key locations to secure bridges • The main transportation in Holland is the rivers, take those and the Dutch navy is stuck.

20. May 14, German tanks outside of Rotterdam. • Decide to use the destruction of the city to shock politicians in to surrendering • City is flattened, 30,000 die • Same day, gov’t flees to UK and orders troops to lay down arms • Skirmishes end on the 16 • Blitzkrieg takes the country in 4 days

22. Belgium and France • Again paratroopers near bridges in Belgium • British and French armies slow the advance in the North, but German advancement in the South make that position difficult to maintain

23. Von Runstedt takes German army through the supposedly impassable Ardennes. • May 12 - over the Meuse River • Rapid German advance = confusion behind French lines.

25. Nazi armies able to surround British expeditionary Force (BEF) • Allies cut in half, Germans take Ports • May 21, Britain strikes back at Dunkirk - Successful and shakes up the German high command • British tanks match Nazi tanks

26. Attempt at Dunkirk fails because Nazis use anti-aircraft guns • May 23rd, Evacuations at Bollogne start, 4,000 troops at first, another 1,000 later by fishermen • Britain has suffered worst defeat ever • Winston Churchill become Prime Minister

27. May 23 - BEF and French forces are split • BEF near Lille, 40 miles from Dunkirk • French are further south • German Panzers are 10 miles from Dunkirk

28. "Nothing but a miracle can save the BEF now," wrote General Brooke in his diary. • On 23 May, he put the army on half-rations. In Britain, 26 May was designated a "Day of National Prayer" for the Army • WWII is about to end in German victory

29. But….. • May 24 - Hitler inexplicably halts the attack against the BEF • Might want to be saving his troops to attack France • This event leads to the escape of hundreds of thousands of troops

30. Evacuation of Dunkirk • May 25 it starts • While being pounded from the Luftwaffe, 120,000 BEF pulled out by May 30th • Luftwaffe is also dropping leaflets reading “British soldiers! Look at the map: it gives your true situation! Your troops are entirely surrounded — stop fighting! Put down your arms!” • The Allied soldiers mostly used these as toilet paper.

31. June 2nd - 224,000 more BEF evacuated and 94,000 French • By June 4 it was over - 338,000 troops in Britain while their equipment is on the beach

32. Reasons for success • RAF and Royal Navy • 900+ fishing vessels and private yachts men • Waters at Dunkirk are shallow, so battle ships can’t get close • Soldiers would wade out into the ocean and wait for fishing boats to pick them up and take them to the navy ships

34. Showed the solidarity of the British • Some came as far at the Isle of Man and Glasgow • ‘Dunkirk spirit’ • http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/launch_ani_fall_france_campaign.shtml

36. Invasion of France • June 7 - Rommel heads south • June 9 - Cross the Seine • June 10 - French Gov’t moved to Tours, Italy declares war on France • June 12 - French commander tells Reynaud France is beaten • June 14 - Paris falls, Gov’t flees to Vichy

37. June 16 - Reynaud resigns and his successor Petain asks the Germans for armistice • June 22 - French surrender happened in the same railway coach, at Compiegne, that the 1918 armistice had been signed in. • Germany occupied the Northern and Western coasts, gaining fine submarine bases, and the French army was demobilized. • Britain is now alone in the fight against Germany.

39. Why were the German’s successful? • German Panzers and Luftwaffe superior. • Awesome leadership • But actually had a smaller army • Allies had out of date ideas - fighting in an old-fashioned way.

40. French failures • French high command obsessed with defense • Ignored experts like Charles de Gaulle that tanks should be massed together for rapid movement • Airpower ignored • France not ready for was economically and psychologically • France already had a rising fascist movement

41. Battle of Britain • Nazis called it Operation Sea lion • Luftwaffe = 2,800 planes RAF 700 and counting • August 12 - aerial attacks on harbours, radar stations, aerodromes and munitions factories

42. Again Hitler inexplicable switches tactics • Instead of wiping out the RAF when he had the chance, he attacks Civilians • This allows the RAF to recoup

43. The Blitz • Refers to the aerial bombardment of London • Sept 7 Luftwaffe bombards London in retaliation for an RAF bombing of Berlin • London bombed for 57 nights in a row • Blitz lasts from Sept 1940-May 1941 • 127 large night attacks, 71 of which are in London

44. 2 million houses destroyed, 60% are in London • 60,000 civilians die, 87,000 wounded • The Queen, a teenager at the time, lives through it all

48. RAF advantages • Parachuted pilots land on home soil • Luftwaffe can only be in the air 60-90 mins • Britain had superior radar

49. 1,389 Luftwaffe lost - 792 RAF lost • Operation Sea lion called off as with out air superiority any invasion force would be cut to pieces by the Royal Navy