Battles of WWII Annexation of Austria 1938 Anchluss

Battles of WWII

Annexation of Austria • 1938 (Anchluss) Hitler sent troops into Austria where he was welcomed by a puppet regime that he had helped to gain power.

Annexation of the Sudetenland • October 1938 Hitler took over a dominate German speaking portion of Czechoslovakia • Munich conference with Great Britain and France where he promised that he was now content. (Czechoslovakia representatives were not invited)

Invasion of Czechoslovakia • March 1939. Hitler takes over the remainder of Czechoslovakia

Non Aggression pact • Russia The agreement not to fight and included the division of Poland. • Aug 1939

Invation of Poland • 1 sept 1939 • Use of Blitzkrieg to smash antiquated Polish forces. • Britain and France who promised to protect Poland give Hitler till September 3 1939 to leave. • He does not WWII begins

Phony war • Countries were officially at war yet there was no fighting as both sides entered a period of heavy armament

Denmark and Norway • April 1940 Germany invades

Netherlands, Belgium and France • May 1940 • Germany invades

Miracle of Dunkirk • June 1940 - After pushing the British and French troops back to the port of Dunkirk the German ground forces suddenly stop. • The German air force is allowed to finish of the victory • While this is happening every boat that can float in Britain is used to evacuate the troops to Britain

Attack on Hong Kong • 8 Dec 1941. • Attack from mainland caught the unprepared Canadian and British troops • Troops had to retreat to the Island while the mainland was pillaged • Hong Kong Island fell December 25 th • While the treatment of officers was good the enlisted men were treated very poorly. The enlisted men were put into groups of 10 if one tried to escape then all were shot.

Dieppe • Test to see if a port in France could be taken. • Appease the Russians • Get the enigma machine • Mount batten the man in charged – postponed the original raid one month – experienced divisions changed to inexperienced Canadian division – Changed tactics from a flanking assault to a frontal assault

Dieppe Raid • 19 Aug 1942 – Raiding ships made contact with German ships which warned the Germans in Dieppe – Delay caused Canadians to Land in Day light – Mistaken information sent more Canadians to the beach their death and capture – 907 Canadians died 1874 were taken prisoner

Battle of the Atlantic • Fight for control of the shipping lanes and ensuring allied war supplies • The use of Convoys with escorts to limit the amount of merchant ships sank by the Germans • Canada’s role was convoy escort, Where we used the Corvettes to depth charge attacking German submarines • Merchant navy men were never given veterans rights or pensions.

The Italian campaign • 1943 kicked off after the defeat of the Germans at El Alamien. • The Canadians first landed at Sicily and worked there way northwards through Italy. – Italy was the first real success for the Canadians, working as part of the 1 st special forces with the Americans and later at Ortona – Ortona was a nasty port town on the Adriatic Sea Canadians suffered heavy losses 2300 men and 16000 due to sickness or battle fatigue. • Canadians pioneered a new technique called mouse holing as moving through the streets were too dangerous

Operation Overlord (D-Day) • The invasion of Normandy June 6 1944 – Largest invasion force ever 6000 planes – 4000 ships 200, 000 sailors – 107, 000 – 1, 000 soldiers 5000 Canadian soldiers gave their lives. – Gave allies a foot hold in Europe. – Canadians landed on Juno beach then their objective was Caen and Verrier ridge (Canada’s heart break ridge)

Liberation of the Netherlands • Canadians objective after Normandy was the Netherlands and secure landing ports • Major battles the Scheldt (Dutch/Belgium border) and Arnhem. Over 6000 Canadians were killed • Liberation of Netherlands

Hitler Commits Suicide • 30 April 1945

V-E Day • May 8 th 1945 • Victory in Europe day as the German forces surrender

The Bomb • Why drop it – Too many deaths if invasion of Japan – Russia was going to enter the war and USA did not want to share – Justify money developing the bomb – Kamikazes were hurting the US fleet – 1, 000 Japanese civilian already dead through fire bombing – Show the world that USA had the bomb • Two Bombs • “Little Boy” dropped on Hiroshima August 6 1945 70, 000 initially died by 1950 200, 000 • “Fat Man” Detonated over Nagasaki August 9 th 1945 70, 000 initially 140, 000 by 1950

VJ day • PEACE: August 14 th , 1945 • VJ day (Victory in Japan)