Course of WWII

• Invasion of Poland:

  • The Germans used Blitzkrieg - a surprise attack consisting of heavy bombing by the Luftwaffe, then followed by Panzer tanks then infantry/soldiers - to invade Poland.
  • This tactic was successful; most of the Polish air force was destroyed before they could fight back. Polish infrastructure were destroyed as well. Germans cut off the Polish army from their supplies and reinforcements.
  • In 5 weeks, Poland was defeated, The Soviets then invaded Poland from the east. The land was then split across Soviets and Nazis.
• Invasion of France:

  • After WWI, the French built the Maginot Line - a series of fortifications along the French-German border. For 8 months, the French army and the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) waited along the Maginot Line expecting a German invasion. This was known as the Phoney War, as no fighting occurred.
  • On 10 May 1940, the Germans invaded France by unexpectedly crossing the Ardennes, pushing back the BEF to Dunkirk. The 350000 BEF soldiers then were evacuated from Dunkirk over 9 days, known as Operation Dynamo.
  • Germany set up a Nazi government, known as 'Vichy France'.
• Battle of Britain:

  • Hitler planned a full invasion of Britain - Operation Sea Lion - by attacking shipping routes and radar bases with submarines. For an invasion to succeed, the RAF had to be badly damaged.
  • The aerial attacks on Britain by the Luftwaffe was known as the Battle of Britain, beginning on 13 August 1940, where 1485 German bombers attacked RAF bases. These attacks went on for a month.
  • RAF pilots and Luftwaffe pilots were in a dogfight - close combat between military aircraft.
  • This was a loss for Germany, as British were warned with radar and because the Spitfires were better.
• The Blitz in Britain:

  • The Luftwaffe changed strategy to bombing British cities at night, known as the Blitz. During the Blitz, Luftwaffe dropped explosives and bombs on British cities, ports, power stations and factories.
  • These air raids killed 43000 civilians and lasted for eight months. An example is Coventry, on 14 November 1940, where 500 German bombers dropped 500 tonnes of explosives and 900 bombs in ten hours.
• Life in wartime Britain:

  • Thousands of homes were destroyed in the air raids. When warning sirens were heard, people took shelter underground. Roughly 130000 slept in the underground train station. Children from the city were sent to stay with families in the countryside - this was known as evacuation.
  • 7 million women entered the workforce during WWII, when men left for WWII. Women worked in war industries such as aircraft factories, ammunition production and also served in the army.
  • Food rationing and ration books came into play in 1942, with citizens being encouraged to grow crops locally.
• War Beyond Europe - The Mediterranean:

  • Between October-November 1942, the British, under Field Marshall Montgomery, defeated the German Afrika Korps in El Alamein, Egypt.
  • In November, the US and Britain joined to launch Operation Torch - the invasion of Vichy France-controlled North Africa. The Axis Powers were circled in Tunisia and surrendered in May 1943. Over 275000 prisoners were taken.
  • Britain and the US planned Operation Avalanche - the invasion of Italy. Sicily was liberated first and Mussolini was taken from power. Italy surrendered in September when mainland Italy was invaded.
• D-Day Landings:

  • Operation Overlord was the plan where Allied troops would land in Normandy, France. However, they fed the Axis Powers false information that they would land at Calais.
  • Led by General Eisenhower, with 7000 ships and landing craft, 6 June 1944 was to be known as Deliverance Day - the largest sea invasion in history.
  • Most German troops were at Calais where an invasion was expected. The Allies landed 156000 troops to the west while 10000 planes protected them overhead.
  • German defences were broken down and they established a fuel pipeline. They liberated Paris on 25 August 1944.