European Theater of WWII

World War II

European Theater

The Invasion of Poland

Ju 87

The Invasion of Poland

■
On Sept. 1, 1939, the Germ. Luftwaffe flew over the
Polish border and began bombing selected targets.

■
While this was occurring, armored tank divisions
known as panzers crossed the border.

■
Following the panzers: an infantry composed of a
million and a half men in motorized vehicles.

■
All of these combined to create the new German
war strategy of blitzkrieg: “lightning war.”

Multiple Select

What made up the war strategy of blitzkrieg? (Hint: more than one answer)

• Bombing of select targets

• trench warfare

• panzers crossed the border

• infantry of 1.5 million men in motorized vehicles

The Invasion of Poland

■
Blitzkrieg: an offensive operational-level military
doctrine which involves an initial bombardment
followed by the employment of mobile forces
attacking with speed and surprise to prevent an
enemy from implementing a coherent defense.

■
However, although the Germ. army used blitzkrieg
tactics, they still were being cautious in their attack
by using Vernichtungsgedanken, or a focus on
envelopment to create pockets in broad-front
annihilation.

The Invasion of Poland

■
Sept 1. 1939: Germany invades after a staged
“Polish attack” (Gleiwitz incident; Aug. 31) on
Germany

■
Sept. 17: Polish forces are being pushed back by
Germ.; Soviet Union invades Poland

■
Oct. 1: Germany and Soviet Union have taken
control of Poland – gov’t never surrendered.

■
The remaining Polish land and air forces were
evacuated to Romania and Hungary; they would
later join with allied France

■
Resistance movements began to form.

Multiple Choice

Who took control of Poland?

• Germany

• Russia

• Both

• Neither

Why Did Germany and the

Soviets Invade?

■
Germany:

■
Lebensraum: land expansion for “living space”

■
East Prussia was separated by the Polish Corridor:
wanted to unite with the Reich.

■
They wanted the port city of Danzig.

■
Soviet Union:

■
Wanted to ensure its sphere of influence.

■
They were protecting Ukrainians from Polish
“oppression.”

Aftermath of the Invasion of

Poland

■
Poland was divided between
Germany and the Soviet Union

■
65,000 Polish troops KIA; 420,000
captured by the Germ.; 240,000 more
by the Soviets (660,000 prisoners).

■
120,000 Polish troops escaped to
neutral Romania and Hungary;
20,000 escaped to Latvia and
Lithuania, with the majority eventually
making their way to France or Britain.

■
Most of the Polish Navy succeeded in
evacuating to Britain as well.

■
Germ.: 16,000 KIA.

Aftermath of the Invasion of

Poland

■ 6 million Polish deaths: over 20% of the

country's total population, and over 90% of its
Jewish minority.

■ Mass murder of 3 million Poles, regardless of

religious beliefs in extermination camps like
Auschwitz, in concentration camps, and in
numerous ad hoc massacres where civilians
were rounded up, taken to a nearby forest,
machine-gunned, and then buried, regardless
of whether they were actually dead or not.

Open Ended

What happened to Poland after the invasion?

Aftermath of the Invasion of

Poland

■ Sept. 3, 1939: France and Britain declare

war, but do nothing to help Poland.

■ The Western Betrayal: in spite of having

promoted democracy and self-determination,
signing pacts and forming military alliances
during World War I — nonetheless betrayed
their Central European allies by abandoning
these pacts.

Multiple Choice

What did France and Great Britain do after Poland was invaded?

• They bombed Germany

• They invaded the Soviet Union

• Protected Poland from attacks

• Nothing

The “Phony” War

■ Winter 1939 - Spring 1940: all quiet on the

western front.

■ Sitzkrieg: sit-down war (Germ.)

■ Phony war: Britain and France

■ However, when Finland fell to the Soviets,

the British took steps to make sure the same
fate would not happen to Norway by mining
Norwegian waters in April 1940: blocking
trade with Germany

Hitler Looks to the West

■
Hitler used the British mining to support his claim
that the allies were going to invade Scandinavia.

■
Hitler sends Norway and Denmark an ultimatum
that they accept “protection from the Reich;”
Denmark accepts, Norway does not.

■
April 9, 1940: Germany invades Copenhagen
(capital of Denmark) with little resistance and
takes control.

Multiple Choice

Which country accepted "protection" from the Reich but ended up being invaded anyway?

• Denmark

• Norway

• Scandinavia

• Sweden

Denmark

Hitler Looks to the West

■
April 9, 1940: Germany launches an invasion of
Norway while invading Denmark.

■
British forces had been busy laying mines in
Norwegian waters in an effort to cut off Germ.
shipment of iron ore from neighboring Sweden.

■
Despite British efforts, Germany was able to capture
Norway’s major cities, including the capital of Oslo.

■
Although Germany was now in control of Norway, it
came at a high cost: British mines destroyed a large
number of destroyers and cruisers, however, Hitler
won access to the Atlantic.

Multiple Choice

When Hitler captured Oslo, what else did he gain?

• He gain control of all of Scandinavia

• Access to the Atlantic Ocean

• Tons of resources and supplies

• He didn't gain anything

Norway

www.cnn.com/WORLD/europe/9812/10/nobel/index.html

After Demark and Norway

■
The fall of Norway resulted in the Norway Debate in
London.

■
The Norway Debate took place in the Brit. House of
Commons May 7-8, 1940.

■
The Labour and Liberal opposition strongly attacked
Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and his policies.
Knowing that he had lost confidence of his own
Conservative party as well, Chamberlain stepped down.

■
May 10, 1940: King George VI appoints Winston Churchill
(recommended by Chamberlain; one of the few politicians
to warn of the Nazi danger in the 1930s) as the new Prime
Minster and asks him to form a new gov’t.

Multiple Choice

Who becomes the prime minister of Great Britain

• King George VI

• Neville Chamberlain

• Winston Churchill

• They do not have a prime minister

King George VI and
Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill

■ Adopted a policy of no surrender, even when

defeat seemed imminent, and refused to
make any negotiations with Germany
throughout the war.

■ Churchill kept democracy alive in the UK and

created the basis for the later Allied
counter-attacks of 1942-45, with Britain
serving as a platform for the supply of the
Soviet Union and the liberation of Western
Europe.

Multiple Choice

What kind of policy did Churchill enact?

• no surrender

• surrender if London is bombed

• armistice

• guerilla warfare