the SECOND WORLD WAR Further Steps Toward Inevitable
the SECOND WORLD WAR Further Steps Toward Inevitable War Lightning Strikes Poland Germany Moves West
MUNICH PACT � MEETING OF GERMANY, GREAT BRITAIN, FRANCE, ITALY � SIGNED SEPTEMBER 30, 1938 � ADOLF HITLER, NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN, BENITO MUSSOLINI, EDOUARD DALADIER � GERMANY GIVEN SUDETENLAND CONTROL OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA � NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN: “PEACE FOR OUR TIME” (SEE MUNICH PACT DESK AUCTION STORY)
L TO R: CHAMBERLAIN, DALADIER, HITLER, MUSSOLINI, CIANO
"My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time. . . Go home and get a nice quiet sleep. " --NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN
ADOLF HITLER Adolf Hitler, in his speech to his generals on 22 August 1939, a week before the invasion of Poland: "The enemy did not expect my great determination. Our enemies are little worms, I saw them at Munich. . . Now Poland is in the position I wanted. . . I am only afraid that some bastard will present me with a mediation plan at the last moment. "
KRISTALLNACHT – NIGHT OF BROKEN GLASS �November 9/10 1938
� NIGHT OF BROKEN GLASS � FIRST MAJOR ROUND-UP OF JEWS � NEARLY 100 JEWS MURDERED � JEWISH HOMES/BUSINESSE S RANSACKED � 267 JEWISH SYNAGOGUES BURNED � IMPLEMENTED BY HITLER YOUTH, GESTAPO, SS � THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR MANY JEWS KRISTALLNACHT
THE ABYSS OF WAR �HITLER DEMANDS: • DANZIG’S RETURN TO GERMANY • RAILROAD BUILDING THROUGH POLAND �POLAND • STANDS FIRM AGAINST GER. • BRITAIN/FRANCE PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR POLAND �PACT OF STEEL (NAZI/SOVIET NONAGGRESSION PACT) STRENGHENS HITLER’S PLAN
LIGHTNING STRIKES POLAND � 1 SEPTEMBER 1939 �BLITZKRIEG “LIGHTNING WAR” AGAINST POLAND �“FAKED” POLISH AGGRESSION �HORSEMEN AGAINST TANKS �SOVIET ATTACK BEGINS 17 SEPT. �WARSAW FALLS 27 SEPT. �LAST RESISTANCE EARLY OCTOBER � 10, 000 POLES ESCAPE
BLITZKRIEG “LIGHTNING WAR” �WAR STRATEGY BASED ON SPEED �CONCEPT CONCEIVED BY TWO BRITISH THEORISTS: Major General J. F. C. fuller and Captain Basil Liddell Hart �IN RESPONSE TO STALEMATE/CARNAGE OF WWI �DESTROY ENEMIES’ BRAIN NOT BODY �SUDDEN, CONCENTRATED ATTACKS ON HEADQUARTERS/COMMUNICATIONS, NOT ON MASS OF ARMY
GERMANS EMBRACE STRATEGY �GENERAL HEINZ GUDERIAN MAIN PROPONENT � 4 STEPS: IDENTIFY ENEMY WEAK SPOTS 1. EMPLOY PANZER TANK DIVISIONS BYPASSING STRONG POINTS (DEEP PENETRATION) �CUT TROOPS INTO SEPARATE POCKETS 2. AIR POWER PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE 3. DIVE BOMBERS W/ TANKS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL IN EARLY PART OF WAR 4. ARTILLERY AND INFRANTRY (CRUSH
IN THE WAKE OF GERMAN AGGRESSION �CASUALTIES • • • – 10, 000 POLES ESCAPED # DEAD UNCERTAIN 694, 000 TAKEN PRISONER BY GERMANS 217, 000 TAKEN PRISONER BY RED ARMY GERMANS LOST 10, 761 MEN �BRITAIN AND FRANCE DELCARE WAR ON GERMANY Warsaw Uprising, 1944: Polish home forces against Nazis http: //www. warsawuprising. com/photos. htm
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, Spring 1943 – largest Jewish uprising in war
Brigadier Erwin Rommel (Oct. 2) Wrote to wife: “There is hardly a building not in some way damaged…The people must have suffered terribly. For seven days there has been no water, no power, no gas, and no food…The mayor estimated there are 40, 000 dead and injured…The people are probably relieved that we have come and that their ordeal is over…The field kitchens are besieged by starving, exhausted people. ”
Mussolini �April, 1939 �Sees Hitler’s success; awakens his own ambitions � 100, 000 troops into Albania; annexes it �Romania under threat; Britain and France promise military aid to Romania �Britain begins partial conscription under threat of war
NEUTRALS NORWAY AND DENMARK BY SEA � German operation headed by Grand Admiral Erich Raeder, Commander in Chief of Navy; EARLY APRIL 1940 � One of most daring gambles in history of naval warfare � IRON ORE/AIR & NAVAL BASES � Winston Churchill, Britain’s First Lord of the Admiralty advised in support of Allied help � RESISTANCE FAILS, NORWAY AND DENMARK FALL TO GERMANY BY EARLY JUNE
WINSTON CHURCHILL “ENGLAND HAS BEEN GIVEN A CHOICE BETWEEN WAR AND SHAME. SHE HAS CHOSEN SHAME AND WILL GET WAR” CHAMBERLAIN OUT, CHURCHILL IN AS PRIME MINISTER OF BRITAIN
FEARLESS LEADER “WE SHALL FIGHT ON THE BEACHES, WE SHALL FIGHT ON THE LANDING GROUNDS, WE SHALL FIGHT IN THE FIELDS AND IN THE STREETS, WE SHALL FIGHT IN THE HILLS; WE SHALL NEVER SURRENDER”
GERMANY MOVES WEST �GERMAN GOALS • ATTACK QUICKLY THROUGH NETHERLANDS AND BELGIUM • DRIVE BRITISH FROM MAINLAND FRANCE • SUBJUGATE FRANCE WITHIN 6 WEEKS OF ATTACK �PROBLEM: EMAEL BELGIUM’S FORT OF EBEN
German attack plan
“The Top is like a meadow. Gliders can land on it. ” --Hitler �Belgium Fort Eben Emael attacked � 10 May 1940 �Blitzkrieg style: stukas, tanks, infantry �Gliders landed on top of fort w/ explosives �In one day fort was captured, in shambles �http: //www. ushmm. org/wlc/en/media_nm. p hp? Module. Id=10005137&Media. Id=3376 : Interactive Map, German Advances
DUTCH TRICKEDNETHERLANDS � SIMULTANEOUS ATTACK 10 MAY � DUTCH SOLDIERS TRICKED W/ MEN IN DUTCH UNIFORM ESCORT “CAPTURED SOLDIERS” TOWARDS THEM � GAINED CONTROL OF MAAS RIVER BRIDGE � ***BRIDGES KEY: SURPRISE ATTACK TO PREVENT ENEMY FROM BLOWING UP BRIDGE*** � END OF DAY (MAY 10): GERMANS EN ROUTE TO CAPITALS OF BELGIUM AND HOLLAND
FRANCE �ALLIED FORCES CONCENTRATED IN NORTH �GERMANS ATTACK FROM SOUTH THROUGH THE ARDENNES FOREST �MAY 10 ATTACK INITIATED � 2, 270 TANKS; AT ONE POINT LINE WAS 100 MILES LONG W/ SUPPORT AIRCRAFT OVERHEAD
RESULTS OF 10 MAY 1940 �BELGIUM AND DUTCH FORCES IN RETREAT �BRITISH/FRENCH MOVING TO FACE GERMANS IN LOW COUNTRIES IN NORTH (BEL. /HOL. ) �GERMAN ARMY FROM SOUTH �ALLIES WALKING INTO TRAP �HITLER OVERJOYED
GERMAN ARMY PUSHES FORWARD �MAY 13 TH HOLLAND FELL �MAY 14 TH GERMANS PUSHING THROUGH BELGIUM/FRANCE Churchill met w/ French Premier Paul Reynaud “We are beaten”; from garden they met in, Churchill could see clouds of smoke; French already burning archives and sensitive documents; evacuation of Paris being planned
MIRACLE OF DUNKIRK �MAY 23 - BRITISH TROOPS RETREATED TOWARDS SEAPORT OF DUNKIRK; TRAPPED BY GERMANS �COMMANDER “ONLY A MIRACLE CAN SAVE US NOW” �NOWHERE FOR THEM TO GO �CHURCHILL ADVISES ALL SEAWORTHY VESSELS TO ASSEMBLE ON THE ENGLISH CHANNEL AND ATTEMPT TO RESCUE ALLIED FORCES
“THE MIRACLE OF THE LITTLE SHIPS” �(MIRACULOUSLY) HITLER ORDERED STOP OF GERMAN GROUND FORCE ADVANCEMENT • AIR FORCE CALLED TO FINISH THEM �ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY LED PRAYERS “FOR OUR SOLDIERS IN DIRE PERIL IN FRANCE” �BRITISH BOATS ARRIVED JUST IN TIME �IN 9 DAYS (MAY 26 -JUNE 4), 338, 226 TROOPS EVACUATED (HALF BRITS/HALF FRENCH) TO ENGLAND
BRITISH TROOPS WAITING FOR EVACUATION; MANY STOOD IN WATER FOR HOURS WAITING TO BOARD A SHIP
KING GEORGE VI CALLED FOR AN UNPRECEDENTED WEEK OF PRAYER
LEGACY OF DUNKIRK �MILITARY DEFEAT FOR BRITAIN �GAVE THEM PSYCHOLOGICAL HOPE �DESIRE TO FIGHT ON �A MIRACLE TO BUILD ON WHEN EVERYTHING LOOKED BLEAK
THE SWASTIKA FLIES OVER PARIS � 10 TH JUNE FRENCH GOVT. ABANDONS PARIS � 14 TH JUNE GERMANS ARRIVE IN PARIS �SWASTIKA FLIES FROM EIFFEL TOWER �VICHY FRENCH GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED W/ FRENCH • PUPPET GOVERNMENT CONTROLLED BY GERMANS, “RULED” BY FRENCH (UNDER PETAIN) • HITLER FELT HE HAD WON THE WAR
IN ROUGHLY HALF A YEAR… �HITLER GAINED CONTROL OF: • HALF POLAND • CZECHOSLOVAKIA • DENMARK • NORWAY • BELGIUM • HOLLAND • FRANCE • AUSTRIA
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