Phony War

1
Phony War

• Germany not much in winter 1939 American
  Newspapers (Phony War)
• Stalin Turned attention to Baltic States
  (Estonia, Lith., Latvia) for Soviet military
  bases
• Finland stiff resistance. Finns experts in
  winter warfare.
• Soviet troops badly led..because political
  purges claimed many Red Armys senior officers
• Finns outnumbered 5 to 1, but held kept
  fighting into the new year, Unsuccessful in end.

2
Axis Advances - Europe

• Blitzkrieg - March to June 1940 Scandinavia
  Lowland Countries..gained outlet Atlantic for
  submarine bases
• Denmark
• Norway
• Holland
• Belgium Lux
• France
• Now Immediate threat to GB France
• May 1940 Churchill PM

3
Fall of France May 1940
Maginot Line
4
The Line- Fortifications
Under the Line
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6
Fall of France Dunkerque

• Neth, Belgium, Luxembourg fell by end of May 1940
• Hitlers forces good position to outflank Maginot
  Line. . .armored units punched through Ardennes
• Drove westward towards English Channel
• At coast, cut off large of British, Belgian,
  French troops from main French force in south
• Allied troops encircled. . .tried to escape from
  French seaport, Dunkerque
• Hitler stopped ground forces????

7
Evacuation of Dunkerque

• Forces at Dunkerque escape w/ every available
  ship and/or boat
• All under attack by aircraft, subs, artillery
• May 27-June 4th, 338,000 men safely transported
  across Channel
• Heavy equipment left behind
• Why Hitler stopped? Hitlers air force could have
  finished off Allied forces.
• Not want war w/ America!!!!!
• Costly mistake. . .gave time to GB to regroup
  renew spirits

8
Fall of France

• French alone after Dunkerque
• Maginot Line useless
• Germans in good position in North
• June 1940, turned southward into heart of France
• French expected stationary battles
• Not trained for new warfare (planes, bombs,
  machine guns killing civilians
• Mussolini declared war on GB France June 10th
• June 14th Germans entered Paris
• French cabinet refused to surrender, instead
  resigned
• Some French leaders willing to surrender
  Philippe Petain
• Formed a govt signed a harsh peace w/ Germany
  Italy

9
Vichy Government

• Peace Treaty TERMS
• German troops occupy northern France, including
  Paris
• Strip of territory along Atlantic coast southward
  toward Spain
• France had to pay cost of occupation
• Navy disarmed / not allowed in ports
• Govt moved to city of Vichy in south
• RESULT
• France divided into occupied France
• Administered by Germans Vichy France
• Vichy govt controlled most French possessions in
  North Africa Middle East

10
French Resistance

• Escaped to Africa or GB
• Leader General Charles de Gaulle
• Free French Govt
• Headquarters in London
• Equipped by GB later by U.S.
• Inspired resistance movement in other occupied
  countries Maquis
• Saboteurs

11
Battle of Britain

• Bombing raids by Both
• Started by Germans Hitler used Luftwaffe to
  soften Britain
• GB resisted strengthened Royal Air Force (RAF)
• Germans blockade of GB shipping
• July 1940 - Aug. 1942.
• GB saved by America entering war

12
Atlantic GB Controlled Sea Routes

• US Involvement Rising in 1940 move away from
  Isolationism. Fear grew that Nazis would get
  world domination
• (1935-1939) NA forbade sale of arms loans to
  belligerents
• No travel of Americans on WNs ships
• Move to cash carry basis to GB
• (1940) FDR loaned 50 old Amer warships to GB
• GB gave US use of naval air bases
• FDR
• Lend-Lease Act of 1941 (all aid short of war to
  GB on credit)
• Atlantic Charter August 1941 FDR Churchill
  met off coast of Newfoundland
• Publicly announced democratic goals shared by GB
  US

13
Atlantic Charter

• US GB sought no territorial gain
• No terr. changes w/out consent of people
• Self determination
• All nations have equal rights to trade raw
  materials
• Nations have decent standard of living
• Right to security freedom from want and fear
• Freedom of seas guaranteed
• Creation of new international peace organization
  (prelude to United Nations)

14
Clash of the Titans

• Hitler always intended to east
• Signs Directive 21
• Mein Kampf (hatred)
• Lebraumstraum in Ukraine
• Confident
• Began June 22nd 1941 with massive air strikes
  (Blitzkrieg)

• Stalin cries Wolf NA Pact broken
• Anticipated attack from Hitler
• After GB France defeated
• Not until summer 1942
• Sent Molotov for talks after Frances defeat, buy
  time
• Believed Hitler not rash to risk winter assault

15
Operation Barbarossa (the invasion of Russia)

• Einsatzgruppen Ger. mobile killing units
  (3,000,000)
• Hitler brutal esp. in Ukraine
• Early great success, pushed Soviets back
• Old equipment
• Soviets same methods as w/ Napoleon retreating
  soldiers destroyed everything guerilla warfare
• 9 million men military age
• Stalin willing to give up 10 men per 1 German

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Operation Barbarossa (Cont.)

• Battle of Leningrad ( then Moscow)
• Operation TYPHOON
• Hitler still expected quick surrender
• Soviet defense stiffened
• Result Longer. . .forced to stay winter. .
  (cold, starvation mud)
• Outskirts of Moscow
• Hitler decides not to. . .Ukraine???
• Economic reserves

18
Operation Barbarossa (Cont.)

• Siege of Stalingrad (Spring 1942) New offensive
• Oil-rich reserves around Baku (Caspian Sea)
• Soviets stiff resistence
• Hitler ordered Stalingrad to be taken at all
  costs
• Battle of Stalingrad begun- does not end until
  Feb 1943
• Too many in RED ARMY

19
Axis Domination 1942
20
Operation Torch North Africa

• European Theatre 1942
• Operation Torch North Africa
• FDR America not ready for direct attack in
  Europe
• Assist British Field Marshall Montgomery
• Engage Germans in 1942
• Eisenhower named Commander in Chief of Allied
  Forces
• Mussolinis forces almost lose everything North
  Africa,
• Forced Hitler sent 2 divisions Gen. Erwin
  Rommel Desert Fox
• Rommels Afrika Korps pushed British back to
  Egypt, holding entire Libyan coast, except Tobruk
• Instead of chasing British into Egypt, Rommel
  hammers at Tobruk
• Churchill Oper. Torch tightens ring around
  Germany

21
Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941

• Japanese attack Pearl Harbor
• Admiral Yamamoto, Commander Chief Imperial Navy
• A day which will live in infamy Sun. a.m., Dec.
  7th
• Japan destroyed 7 battleships
• Total 18 ships sunk or badly damaged
• 2400 Amer. Killed
• 1100 wounded
• 188 planes destroyed
• 159 planes damaged
• Yamamoto realized attack was failure???
• Aircraft carriers in Pacific, not anchored at
  Pearl Harbor

22
Declaration of War

• Dec. 8th FDR asked Congress declaration of war
• Senate 82-0
• House 388-1
• One dissent from Rep Jeanette Rankin, Montana
• A good democracy does not always vote
  unanimously for war.
• Dec. 11th, Italy Germany declare war on US
• Congress passed a joint resolution accepting the
  state of war which has been thrust upon the
  United States.
• Japan Dec. 1941 captures
• Guam
• Wake Island
• Hong Kong
• Invade Malaya
• Highlight Handout to become familiar w/ terms