european theater of war world war ii. adolf hitler in defiance of versailles treaty, hitler...

European Theater of WarWORLD WAR II

ADOLF HITLER

In defiance of Versailles Treaty, Hitler rebuilds military

Plans to recapture territory lost in WWI

Accused Jews of polluting the Aryan master race

GERMANY UNDER HITLER

1936, Germans march into the Rhineland (western border)

1938, Anschluss, annexation of Austria

1939 took Czechoslovakia

1939 marched through Poland, causing France and Britain to declare war on Germany

1940 smashed through Denmark and Norway

1940 invaded the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France

France surrendered and installed a government at Vichy that collaborated with Nazis

Poised to invade Britain.

WINSTON CHURCHILL BRITAIN’S NEW PRIME MINISTER

1940, relentless bombing of Britain,

Britain is successful, partly due to technology in radar, and the ability to decipher Germany’s top-secret military codes

first major defeat for Germany

BATTLE OF BRITAIN

SOVIET UNION

Unable to overpower Britain, Hitler launched a surprise attack on the Soviet Union

Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along an 1,800 mi front.

600,000 motor vehicles and 750,000 horses

THE LARGEST MILITARY OPERATION IN HUMAN

HISTORY

STALIN

US extends Lend-Lease to Soviet Union

Stalin demands that the US and Britain open a second front against Germany in France

They are not ready, causing deep resentment from Stalin

German U-boats repeated tactics of World War I, trying to starve and isolate Britain In 1941-42

Patrolled Atlantic Coast Sank 4,700 merchant vessels and almost 200 warships Killed 40,000 allied sailors

U-BOATS

NORTH AFRICAN CAMPAIGN

Allies opted to strike in Mediterranean rather than western France as Stalin wanted

BENITO MUSSOLINI

July, 1943, Allies landed 160,000 troops in Sicily; Italian troops withdrew to MainlandMussolini was deposed, and Italian government surrendered. Germans sent reinforcements and took Rome.

ITALY

By spring 1943, Allies had defeated Germany in North Africa, allowing for invasion of Italy

442ND

The 442nd fought (all Japanese-Americans) with distinction in Italy, southern France, and Germany, becoming the most highly decorated regiment in the history of the US armed forces, including 21 medal of honor recipients.

D-Day, June 6, 1944Largest amphibious assault in history175,000 troops landed 195,000 troops involved over 5,000 ships

“OPERATION OVERLORD”

D-DAY

BATTLE OF THE BULGE

Dec 16, 1944-Jan 31, 194570,000 allied soldiers killed including more Americans than in

any other battle of the war Nazis lost 100,000. the “bulge” being the initial incursion the Germans put into

the Allies' line of advance

BATTLE OF THE BULGE

THE FINAL SOLUTIONHOLOCAUST

1938, in the Anschluss, thousands of Austrian Jews attempted to emigrate to the US. They were turned away.

In 1939, legislation was introduced to grant 20,000 German Jewish children asylum in the US. The bill was defeated.

Of the millions of Jews in Europe, only 150,000 were admitted to the US before entry into the war. After the war began, vastly fewer were admitted.

DISPLACED JEWS

• Passport Certificate from the local police noting the

formal dissolution of residence in Germany• Certificate from the Reich Ministry of Finance

approving emigration, which required:– Payment of an emigration tax of 25 percent on total assets valued at more than 50,000 R M.--This tax came due upon the dissolution of German residence.

– Submission of an itemized list of all gifts made to third parties since January 1, 1931.

--If their value exceeded 10,000 R M, they were included in the calculation of the emigration tax.

Payment of a capital transfer tax of 25 percent (levied only on Jews) of assets in addition to the emigration tax.

Certification from the local tax office that there were no outstanding taxes due.

Certification from a currency exchange office that all currency regulations had been followed. An emigrant was permitted to take 2,000 R M or less in currency out of the country. Any remaining assets would be transferred into blocked bank accounts with restricted access.

Customs declaration, dated no earlier than three days before departure, permitting the export of itemized personal and household goods. This declaration required:

– Submission of a list, in triplicate, of all personal and household goods accompanying the e m i grant stating their value. The list had to note items acquired before January 1, 1933,

those acquired since January 1, 1933, and those acquired to facilitate emigr a t i o n .– Documents attesting to the value of personal and household goods, and written explanations for the necessity of taking them out of the country.

– Certification from a currency exchange office permitting the export of itemized personal and household goods, dated no earlier than 14 days before departure.

With the preceding documents, emigrants could leave Germany, if and only if they had valid travel arrangements and entrance visas for another country.

After the union of Germany and Austria in March 1938, emigrants from Austria holding an Austrian passport had to apply for a German exit visa before they were permitted to leave the country.

REQUIREMENTS TO LEAVE GERMANY, 1937

Reported Hitler’s “final solution” that Jews and other “undesirables”—old people and children, homosexuals, Gypsies, and religious or political dissenters—were systematically being killed and cremated.

Requested Allies to bomb the concentrations camps and the trains leading to them.

WORLD JEWISH CONGRESS

US officials in the State Department and the military said the claims were exaggerations.

EXCUSES

RAVENSBRUECK CONCENTRATION CAMP

GENOCIDE THAT BECAME KNOWN AS THE HOLOCAUST

Pile of shoes Survivors at liberation

BERGEN-BELSEN

A CREMATORIA OVEN WHERE THE CORPSES OF

PRISONERS WERE BURNED IN BERGEN-BELSEN

VARIAN FRY

1942

The New Republic published “The Massacre of the Jews of Europe” by Varian Fry. It got very little notice.

YALTA

February 1945Churchill, Stalin

and Roosevelt met secretly at Yalta, a Russian resort town on the Black Sea