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European Theatre: Battles

European Theatre: Battles. How did the battles & fighting change over the course of WWII in Europe?. Blitzkrieg- POLAND. “Lightening War” Intended to surprise & quickly overwhelm victim. 1.8 million German troops invaded Poland on 9/1/1938 from 3 fronts: East Prussia in the north

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European Theatre: Battles

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  1. European Theatre: Battles How did the battles & fighting change over the course of WWII in Europe?

  2. Blitzkrieg-POLAND • “Lightening War” • Intended to surprise & quickly overwhelm victim. • 1.8 million German troops invaded Poland on 9/1/1938 from 3 fronts: • East Prussia in the north • Germany in the west • Slovakia in the south • Germany had 2600 tanks; Poland had 180 • G had 2000+ aircraft; P had 420. • France & Britain declared war 9/3/1939 • Warsaw fell September 9/14/1939 • Soviet Union invaded 9/17/1939 • Germans lost: • 50,000 men • 697 planes • 993 tanks & armored cars.

  3. Blitzkrieg-Western Europe • Norway & Denmark were annexed by Hitler • Violated treaties • May 10, 1940 • Blitzkrieg into Holland • Dutch were helpless; 100,000 casualties before surrender. • Blitzkrieg into Belgium • Fell within 36 hours of attack.

  4. Dunkirk • Belgium falls leaves British forces trapped. • From May 26 to June 4, 1940 Operation Dynamo took place. • 887 ships rescued 338, 226 men by crossing the English Channel from northern France. • ~40,000 men were left behind and captured by the Germans • “The picture will always remain sharp-etched in my memory - the lines of men wearily and sleepily staggering across the beach from the dunes to the shallows, falling into little boats, great columns of men thrust out into the water among bomb and shell splashes.”

  5. Battle for Britain September 1940 – June 1941 the Luftwaffe dropped bombs on London & other major cities in Great Britain. Called Operation Sea Lion by Germans; directed by Herman Goering. Purpose to bomb Great Britain into submission. 30, 000 Londoners died; Germans lost 1, 700 planes. British used Radar to detect Luftwaffe. Operation Sea Lion abandoned when Operation Barbarossa was launched.

  6. Operation Barbarossa • 4.5 millions troops launched surprise attack on Soviet from Poland, Finland, and Romania. • Soviets unprepared & suffered heavy losses. • In one week Germans: • advanced 200 miles into Soviet territory • destroyed 4, 000 aircraft • killed, captured, or wounded 600, 000 Soviet men. • “General Winter” halted German advance at the end of 1941. • Germans were in sight of Moscow. • Turning point of the war. • Germans: 775,000 casualties • Soviets: 800,000 killed; 6 million wounded or captured. • http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/07/world-war-ii-operation-barbarossa/100112/

  7. D-Day aka Operation Overlord • Allies landed at Normandy beach in northern France on June 6, 1944. • Largest invasion in history. • 200, 000 Allied forces led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. • 5, 000 ships • 11,000 airplanes • Allies suffered 10,000 causalities, including 4,000 deaths. • Important in starting Allied offensive on European continent!

  8. Battle of the Bulge • Last major offensive by Hitler in WWII. • Purpose to bisect Allied forces and destroy ability to supply. • December 16, 1944 • Ardennes Offensive Germans attacked mostly American troops. • Attack surprised Allied forces, Germans pushed a “bulge” in their line. • Largest battle fought by Americans in WWII. • Americans lost 81,000 men • Germans lost 100,000 (killed, captured, or wounded) • Germans LOST; Allies moved on toward Germany

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