What are we looking at today?• Review• Pacific Theatre• Pearl Harbour• Battle of Hong Kong• Axis Family Trouble

Literally means lightening war. “German way of war” Effective battle technique used by the

Germans whereby:◦ Air- Bombings weaken defenders ability to defend◦ Infantry- Engage defenders to distract◦ Tanks/Mobile Units- Break through enemy line◦ Encirclement happens

Significance◦ Allowed Germany to conquer most of Europe in a

matter of months.

Review:What should I know about Blitzkrieg

PURPOSE of Battle:◦ The Luftwaffe attacked the Royal Air Force over southern England to

pave the way for the invasion of Britain (aka Operation Sealion) DESCRIPTION of Events:

◦ Phase 1- Channel Battles Cripple RAF

◦ Phase 2- Eagle Day Destroy RAF

◦ Phase 3- The Blitz Bury London

◦ Phase 4- German Retreat Postpone invasion

OUTCOME/SIGNIFICANCE of Event:◦ German defeat◦ Cripple the British’s ability to attack Germany while it invaded Russia. ◦ Stop the Germans from fighting a two front war

Review:What Should I know about the “Battle of Britain”

PURPOSE of Battle:◦ Conquer Russia to provide living space for the German master

race. DESCRIPTION of Events:

◦ Hitler has three main objectives and three armies: North- Take Leningrad Central- Take Moscow South- Take Kiev then Stalingrad

OUTCOME/SIGNIFICANCE◦ Crushing German defeat

North: did not take Leningrad- huge loss of life Central: unable to occupy Moscow- attrition South: Took Kiev but could not take Stalingrad- bloodiest battle in war

and an example of how hard nationalism makes Germans fight for their country

Review:What Should I know for “Operation Barbarossa”?

• September 1940• US embargo on Japan

• April 1941• Soviet-Japanese neutrality treaty

• June-July 1941• Japan takes French Indo-China• Internationally rebuffed

• July-November 1941• Japanese government seizes foreign territory

• December 1941• Japanese Premier sets 1 December as the last day the will

accept a solution to embargo without going to war• After 1 December, Japan makes war plan

Pacific Theatre:Japanese-American Relations

• March 1932• Japan declares Manchuria an independent state (puppet

government)• International scrutiny causes Japan to leave the League of

Nations- 1933• July 1937• Minor conflict between Chinese and Japanese troops• General war

• December 1937• Japan capture Nanjing (wartime atrocities committed)

Pacific Theatre:Japanese-Chinese Relations

The following slide will show two examples of Japanese wartime atrocities...

Pacific Theatre:Japanese-Chinese Relations

The steps of downtown Nanjing were littered with dead bodies as Japanese soldiers raped and murdered their way through the city.

The Japanese government used civilians as targets for practise. Age, gender or class were of little consequence.

• Early1939• Unit 731- research lab for biological weapons created in Harbin

• March 1940• Japan creates puppet government in Nanjing• Japan bombs Ningbo with fleas carrying the bubonic plague

• September 1940• Japan inherits French Indochina from Vichy government

Pacific Theatre:Japanese-Chinese Relations

Japanese troops enter Saigon. The stage is set for the Pacific War.

PURPOSE of Battle:◦ Japanese want to eliminate the US navy ability to

fight war in the Pacific DESCRIPTION of Events:

◦ Japan plans a sneak attack on Pearl Harbour which destroys their battleships but not aircraft carriers

OUTCOME/SIGNIFICANCE of Event:◦ Japanese victory◦ United States ends policy of isolation and joins the

war

Pacific Theatre: What should I know about “Pearl Harbour”?

• American Embargo• Need aviation fuel/

resources to wage war

• Naval Supremacy• American Pacific

Navy located here• Counter-offensive

not possible• Territorial Ambitions• Invade China

following the bombing

Three major

reasons:

Pearl Harbour:Attack, why? 1

2

3

1) Artificially deepened channel2) Battleship row3) Ford Island (defensive

headquarters)

• Surprise!• Launched at night

• Myth-• Pearl Harbour as impenetrable

• December 6, 1941• Franklin D. Roosevelt requests

peace• Intercepted communication alludes

to attack

Pearl Harbour:Japan Engages

•December 7, 1941• Attack begins at 7:53 a.m. • Japanese attack planes came in two

waves• Wave One: airfield and battleships• Wave Two: ships and shipyard facilities

Marine Corporal E.C. NightingaleHe was aboard the USS Arizona when the explosion ripped open the ships sides and engulfed the whole thing in flames.

“I was the last man to leave secondary aft because I looked around and there was no one left. I followed the Major down the port side of the tripod mast. The railings, as we ascended, were very hot and as we reached the boat deck I noted that it was torn up and burned. The bodies of the dead were thick, and badly burned men were heading for the quarterdeck, only to fall apparently dead or badly wounded. The Major and I went between No. 3 and No. 4 turret to the starboard side and found Lieutenant Commander Fuqua ordering the men over the side and assisting the wounded. He seemed exceptionally calm and the Major stopped and they talked for a moment. Charred bodies were everywhere.”

Pearl Harbour:Results

From the Japanese perspective: Was the attack on Pearl Harbour a success?

• Negative Results:• 350 aircraft were damaged or

destroyed• All 8 battleships of U.S. Pacific

Fleet were sunk or badly damaged

• 3,500 Americans killed or wounded; 54 civilians

• Saving Grace: • No aircraft carriers were

damaged or destroyed• The Japanese failed to destroy

the fuel tanks.

“Leaving aside the unspeakable treachery of it, the Japanese did a fine job.”-American Admiralty

Pearl Harbour:Reaction- American vs. Japan

America’s Reaction Japan’s Reaction

• Politicians:• Roosevelt declares

December 7, 1941 a "day of infamy“

• Government declares war on December 8, 1941

• US government converts to war economy

• Citizens:• Popular outrage expressed

in song• Isolation to intervention

• Politicians:• The Imperial Rescript

Declaring War• Greater East Asia Co-

Prosperity Sphere• Citizens:• Surprise to be at war• Whole-hearted acceptance

PURPOSE of Battle:◦ Japan wished to control all major allied colonies to

avoid being attacked after Pearl Harbour DESCRIPTION of Events:

◦ Japanese launch amphibious invasion and split the garrisoned troops in half.

◦ Canadians fight- showing resilience and commitment SIGNIFANCE/OUTCOME of Event:

◦ Resounding Japanese victory; Canadians prove their worth as soldiers

◦ Canadian soldiers are taken as POWs

What should I know about the battle of Hong Kong?

Battle of Hong Kong:Prelude

• Hong Kong as colony

• Troops as deterrent • Canada sends

troops• Japanese

motivations

1

23

1) New Territories- Primary Defense2) Mainland Chine ends3) City of Hong Kong

Battle of Hong Kong:Attacking and Defending

Japanese British

• Began attacks on 8 December 1941• Hit airfields• Forces into New Frontier• Captured high ground (Dec

9)• Japanese attack island• Bombard defenses• Air raids• Shell pillbox defenses on

north of island• Prepare attack on Hong

Kong Island

• 7 December 1941• Pulled troops back main

island• Ordered to war stations

• Resisted across Kowloon• Attacked in the dark

• 13 December 1941• Japanese ask for surrender;

British refuse• On the Island• East Brigade: Winnipeg

Grenadiers with Lawson• West Brigade: Royal Rifles• Beach defenses

Battle of Hong Kong:Taking the Island• 18 December 1941

• Japanese launch separate amphibious attacks in North• Surface to fierce resistance by British troops• Japanese push for high ground• Split the East and West Brigade

• The East Brigade• Destroyed: British

brigade defending beaches

• Royal Rifles pushed to dislodge Japanese control of high ground

• 22 December 1941• Given permission

to withdrawal to Stanley Peninsula

• The West Brigade• Orders to clear out

Japanese high grounds• Forces

surrendered• Personal bravery

• 22 December 1941• Grenadiers

surrender

25 December 1941at 3:15pmBritish officially surrender

the colony of Hong Kong to Japan

Axis Family Trouble:Japan and Germany

As the Americans enter the war in the Pacific and Europe, the defeat of the German and Japanese armies can be seen to

happen quickly. Hard won gains by both empires taken away by a military giant roused from slumber.

• Operation Overlord• Dwight Eisenhower

discusses American involvement in the operation

• 6 June 1944: D-Day• Landing conducted in two

phases• Airborne paratroopers • Amphibious attack

• Canadians:• Landed at Juno • Canadian experience• Success

Axis Family Trouble:Allied Counter-Offensive

With this, the Allies create a two front war for the Nazis.