barbarossa to ve day
DESCRIPTION
Class notes about WW2. We are using plenty of maps etc in this unit.TRANSCRIPT
The German invasion The German invasion of the Soviet Unionof the Soviet Union
Hitler’s Big Mistake
June 1941Operation Barbarossa
Over 3 MILLION German soldiers(more than 130 Divisions) and over 3,000 tanks blitz into the Soviet Union
Germans Blitzkrieg the Soviet front line forcesSoviets cut off
–Hundreds of thousands surrender
Germans advance on Leningrad, Moscow and the Southern Caucasus Region
“The Cauldron Battles:
665,000 Red Army
soldiers surrender on 25 August at
Kiev
The Opening Phases Stalin was so surprised he was paralyzed by fear.
Cant make a decision Stalin finally announces a scorched earth policy
– If it can be moved east - move it. If it can’t – burn it.• Just like Russians did against Napoleon
– Soviets move entire factories to the east to keep them from getting captured
• Then reassemble them and start churning out equipment even before the walls are in place or the roof is on
A Brutal War
Soviets never signed Geneva Convention– Germans often shot Soviet prisoners– In return, Soviets shoot German prisoners
Civilians targeted– Massacres on both sides
Enemy At The Gates
Germans reach the outskirts of Moscow. Leningrad is surrounded and under siege
Stalin brings in Marshal Zhukov from Siberia– One of the few generals to
survive the Great Purge
Citizens of Moscow prepare to defend the city
Will the Germans capture Moscow?
Then the first snows of winter begin to fall
Germans still have summer uniforms!
Soviets are nice and warm in their winter uniforms
Germans can not take Moscow. Barely hold on during the winter
But they will try again in the spring
Meanwhile: In the Pacific
Japan taking over much of China– Many atrocities
• “Rape of Nanking”
US cuts off exports to Japan– Oil, scrap metal.
Japan looks to Southeast Asia to get the resources it needs– But first it must make sure the US navy can not
intervene to stop them.
Tojo – if you don’t
stop killing Chinese, we will cut off
your oil
Do not threaten
us! That’s it, no oil for
youThen we will have to take it
from somewhere else
Dec 7th, 1941US Fleet at Pearl Harbor Hawaii bombedBy Japanese
US Enters the War
Dec 8th 1941, US declares war on Japan
Dec 9th 1941 – Germany declares war on US
The Limits of Japanese Expansion (Spring 1942)
1942 – The Year the War Changed
US is now in the war Germans stopped at Stalingrad by Soviets Germans stopped at El Alamein in North
Africa by British Americans land in North Africa to help
Brits Japanese stopped by the US at the Battle of
Midway in the Pacific
1942 Germans finally halted at Stalingrad
Tried for 4 months to take city
House to house, even room to room fighting
January of 1943 Russians counterattack.
330,000 German troops killed
or captured
Africa and Italy Continued
1942 – 1943 US and British seize Sicily and then invade Italy– Italy surrenders in 1943. – Mussolini overthrown and executed by Italian
mob– Germans continue to occupy and fight in Italy
1943 - Allies invade Italy
Mussolini arrested by King of ItalyGermans occupy Italy and continue to fight
The Return to FranceThe Return to France
Build up to D-Day
The Normandy Invasion“Operation Overlord”
D-Day, June 6th, 1944.– US, British, Canadian and Free French forces
land in Normandy (Northwest coast of France)– Allied Troops under command of Gen. Dwight
D Eisenhower.
OOOPS!!
August 1944 – The BreakoutAllies fight hard in Normandy during summer.
Then break out and race across France.http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/
launch_ani_overlord_campaign.shtml
Germany seems about to surrender
September 1944
Allies outrun their supply capabilityRun out of gas
“A Bridge Too Far”
Germans regroup. Plan for counteroffensive in the winter
December 1944
Battle of the Bulge– German Counteroffensive– Attack through Ardennes Forrest.
• Same as in 1940
– Germany’s Last Great Roll of the Dice Initially very successful, then allies counterattack
and defeat the Germans.– 101st Airborne holds Bastogne
Germany has lost its last shot at the war.
May 1945 – Hitler kills himself