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EVENTS OF WWII. YEARS OF CRISIS. Operation Sea Lion. German Plan to take over Britain They were going to land 25 divisions along the south coast of England-thrust forward to take London. Tank divisions and infantry troops could only reach Br by ship. The Battle of Britain.
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EVENTS OF WWII YEARS OF CRISIS
Operation Sea Lion • German Plan to take over Britain • They were going to land 25 divisions along the south coast of England-thrust forward to take London. • Tank divisions and infantry troops could only reach Br by ship
The Battle of Britain • Germany would have to control the ocean; they could do that only by controlling the air. (Br. defences were limited, apart from the Royal Navy) • July 1940: Hitler unleashed a savage air attack on British ships in the English Channel • By mid Aug., 2000 German aircraft were in the skies over Britain
The Battle of Britain • The British RAF was small in comparison to the German Luftwaffe (LW)- knocking out air fields and supply factories. • Then the LW tried to break the will of Britain by targeting cities/civilians (“Blitz”) • The Germans feared that winter might delay the planned invasion.
CHURCHILL’S RESPONSE • In response, PM Churchillordered bombing raids on Berlin. • Hitler was outraged with what he called "terror bombings” • German air attacks peaked on Sept 15, 1940 when 1000 LW bombers and 700 fighters flew over London in a daylight raid. • RAF Spitfiresand Hurricanes climbed high to meet them, and spectacular air battles took place.
VIDEO • THE END OF THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN
The LW losses were great and Germany realized that their tactics were not working. Operation Sea Lion was abandoned (another of Hitler's errors). By 1941, Hitler had redeployed the LW to the Balkans and later the Russian front. For Br. the worst was over. The Reasons for the Br. victory: radar insular geography ability to hold out RAF ("Never have so many owed so much to so few.") GERMANY LOSES
Germany's Invasion of the Soviet Union • On June 22,1941 Hitler attacked the Soviet Union. • This was Operation Barbarossa. • The Soviet Union found itself in the allied camp. • What would have motivated Hitler/Ger. to attack the USSR? • Largest country in the world • Natural Resources-Minerals, oil • LEBENSRAUM At first, the Soviets were unable to stop the German blitzkrieg and suffered over 1 million casualties.
Operation Barbarossa • 3 million Nazi troops • Stalin was shocked at this betrayal • Blitzkreig looked to be successful • Nazi Soviet War • Largest most brutal battles • Deadliest atrocities • Miserable conditions
SCORCHED EARTH POLICY • The Soviet army just kept retreating into the massive land area • By late fall, the Ger. soldiers were headed for Moscow and got within 39 km. • Russia used a ‘scorched earth’ policy in its retreat, which involved destroying all resources that could be of use to the enemy- shelter, rail and communication lines, livestock, crops, and supplies.
The Germans did not get to Moscow before winter, and suffered great hardships – temps. as low as -50 c, no warm clothing, no anti-freeze, no oils suitable for winter operation of their tanks....
GERMANY LOSES • Siberian troops were brought in to defend Moscow. • Hitler's gamble failed and a quick, decisive victory did not occur. • It would be a long, hard fought war. • HOWEVER Russia’s unlimited supply of soldiers along with the weather forced Germany to retreat by January 1943. • The Soviet Union suffered over 21,000,000 casualties during WWII.
The Battle of Dieppe • Aug. 1942, 5000 Canadian soldiers were picked up from England for a raid on the French port of Dieppe. They had trained for 3 years. • The Canadians, with 1000 Br. and some Americans, were to attack Dieppe. • The raid was intended to pull German forces away from the Russian front and to test Ger. defences.
Dieppe Beaches German forces were planted on the cliffs above the Dieppe beaches. They started shooting as the Canadians charged down the landing ramps.
Results of Dieppe • Out of 5000, almost 1000 died, more than 500 were wounded, 2000 were captured and became POWs • Soldiers never had a chance to fight • Dieppe was a costly learning experience • Future attacks against the Germans would have to be MASSIVE and WELL ORGANIZED The few who made it to the beach were killed there; only a few made it to the town.
Officer and soldiers examining a Churchill tank stuck on the beach in front of the boardwalk after the battle, its left track broken. Wounded men lying on the ground are about to be evacuated.
Canadian prisoners escorted by German guards marching through Dieppe, August 19th, 1942.
THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC WWII Events
JAPANESE AGRESSION • Japanese expansion in East Asia began in 1931 with the invasion of Manchuria and continued in 1937 with a brutal attack on China. • On February 24th, 1933, Japan stuns the world and withdraws from the League of Nations.
The Tripartite Pact • On September 27, 1940, Japan signed the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy, thus entering the military alliance known as the "Axis."
Question #1 • How do feel about this? Should you be concerned? Should something be done?
Embargo Against Japan • United States, Britain and the Netherlands froze all Japanese financial assets. • The effect was to prevent Japan from purchasing oil, which would, in time, cripple its army and make its navy and air force completely useless.
THE SITUATION • Relations between Japan and Western nations had reached a breaking point • Japan was hard hit by US tariffs • Having invaded Korea and China, begun to build its empire in the Pacific (the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere) • The U.S. had stationed a naval fleet in Hawaii in case of war in the Pacific • Britain wanted to help, but could not spare the troops. • Canada helped by sending soldiers to Hong Kong.
PEARL HARBOUR • U.S. and Japan were trying to sign a peace treaty. • Secretly, Japan was planning an attack because they wanted the West's colonies in the Pacific • Admiral Isoroku Yamamotoplanned a surprise attack using fighter planes launched from Japanese aircraft carriers.
THE ATTACK • Dec. 7, 1941 – the attack began… Japan had not declared war (it was late) and the U.S. was caught off guard. • After 2 hrs. the U.S. fleet was destroyed and 1000s were killed… • VIDEO
THE SLEEPING GIANT • The U.S. immediately declared war. (Dec. 8, 1941- "A day that will live in infamy") • The US was the richest nation in the world and could invest enormous amounts of $ and troops to the war effort. • The US became the Arsenal of Democracy • Japan had awoken the “sleeping giant”
The Battle of Hong Kong • On Dec. 8, 1941, Japan launched its attack on Hong Kong. • Their air force destroyed docks, military barracks, airplanes etc. • Churchill had asked Canada to send troops to help
HONG KONG • Every Canadian soldier in HK was killed or taken prisoner. • The battle was considered a "death trap” • Dec. 19, 1941- Japanese soldiers attacked. Canadians were outnumbered 10 to 1.
HONG KONG-Why did they Fail? • More than 50 000 Japanese soldiers were stationed 50 km from Hong Kong • The Japanese were well-equipped and experienced • Plans for the Japanese attack had been drafted 1 yr. earlier-code name was Hana-Saku —"flowers in bloom” • Canadian troops were insufficiently trained - 30% of them had not even fired a gun • Can & Br. troops did not total more than 14 000, including nurses and civilian volunteers.
RESULTS • By Christmas 1941, Hong Kong surrendered after only 17 days. • 286 Canadians died and another 266 would die in Prisoner of War (P.O.W.) camps.
Question 2 • Has your stance changed? What are some of the potential implications for Canada?
JAPANESE POW`S • Canadian prisoners were brutalized and starved. They stayed in crowded barracks and were used as slave labour, building landing strips and shipyards, etc. • A single serving of plain rice 3 times a day. Many fell ill from exhaustion, malnutrition, pneumonia, or cholera. • Red Cross medicine was sent to the camps but was stolen and sold on the black market. • Death rates in Japanese P.O.W. camps were 6 times higher than in German camps.
