World War II The Buildup to World War

World War II The Buildup to World War II

Phony War – “Sitzkrieg” 1939 -40 British & French waited for Germany to attack

1940 – Germany invades France and the Netherlands

Blitzkrieg “Lightening War” v Germany used Blitzkrieg tactics to invade France and the Netherlands. v British troops were forced to retreat to the beaches of Dunkirk in northern France. v British miraculously rescued 338, 000 troops from Dunkirk v Lost all their equipment. v By June 1940, France had surrendered to the Germans

September 1940 -May 1941: “the Blitz” “Battle of Britain” The German air force (Luftwaffe) launched repeated bombing raids on British towns and cities. Lasted nine months, This was known as the BLITZ or the Battle of Britain An attempt to bomb Britain into submission.

Code Breaking v. Both the U. S. and Britain had broken the Japanese codes before the start of the war. § U. S. broke the military code § Britain broke the diplomatic code v. The British had broken the German codes early in the war, thanks to a captured enigma maching v. The British built Colussus – the first super computer – to speed up decoding. v. The British established a code breaking center at Bletchley Park, outside of London

Winston v Leader of British Empire during World. Churchill War II v “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. ” v Refused to consider defeat, surrender, or a compromise which inspired British resistance.

Charles de Gaulle v Leader of Free French Forces supported by the British & Americans v de Gaulle always insisted on full freedom of action for the French v Led allied entrance into Paris

Franklin D. Roosevelt U. S. President during the Depression & WW II Elected to four terms as President Cash & Carry and Lease Policies Four Freedoms & Arsenal of Democracy Died in office before the end of the war

“The Arsenal of Democracy” v America “officially neutral” as European war began v FDR increased military production and skirted Neutrality Acts after Nazi victories v FDR ran for third term v Cash and Carry Policy v Lend-Lease Act passed v U. S. embargoed oil and scrap-iron sales to Japan

Battle of the Atlantic 1939 - 1945 German submarines (U-boats) sank millions of tons of allied ships ammunition, equipment, and supplies.

North Africa 1940 - 1943 v British army destroyed an Italian army attempting to invade Egypt. v Hitler sent the Afrika Korps to reinforce Italian forces v A series of battles followed. v British forces defeated to the Axis forces & pushed them back to Tunisia. v American forces saw their first action during Operation Torch, the invasion of Algiers

Erwin Rommel v Commanded the German Afrika Korps in North Africa v Nicknamed “The Desert Fox” v Helped Germany prepare to defend against Allied invasion of Normandy

Bernard v Top. Montgomery British general in World War II v Led British forces to victory in North Africa. v Led British forces in the invasion of Sicily and D-Day.

Operation Barbarossa, June 1941 May, 1941, Hitler ordered an invasion of Russia. He betrayed Stalin and ignored the promises he had made. A bold move that would prove to be an important turning point in the War.

Georgy Zukov v Top Soviet general during World War II v Planned & led Soviet counterattack at Moscow v Directed Soviet forces at Stalingrad and Kursk v Led Soviet forces in the invasion of Eastern Europe and Germany