Western Europe 1939-1945: Invasion
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World War II
World War II. – “The Blitz“ This information report describes the events of “The Blitz” during the Second World War in London. The attacks between 7th September 1940 and 10 th May 1941 are known as “The Blitz”. The report is based upon information from http://www.secondworldwar.co.uk/ , http://www.worldwar2database.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blitz . Prelude to the War in London The Second World War started on 1 st September 1939 with the German attack on Poland. The War in London began nearly one year later. On 24 th August 1940 the German Air Force flew an attack against Thames Haven, whereby some German bombers dropped bombs on London. At this time London was not officially a target of the German Air Force. As a return, the Royal Air Force attacked Berlin. On 5th September 1940 Hitler ordered his troops to attack London by day and by night. It was the beginning of the Second World War in London. Attack on Thames Haven in 1940 The Attacks First phase The first phase of the Second World War in London was from early September 1940 to mid November 1940. In this first phase of the Second World War Hitler achieved great military success. Hitler planned to destroy the Royal Air Force to achieve his goal of British invasion. His instruction of a sustainable bombing of London and other major cities like Birmingham and Manchester began towards the end of the Battle of Britain, which the British won. Hitler ordered the German Air Force to switch their attention from the Royal Air Force to urban centres of industrial and political significance. -
Allied Relations and Negotiations with Spain A
Allied Relations and Negotiations With Spain A. From Spanish "Non-Belligerency" to Spanish Neutrality1 Shortly after the outbreak of the War in September 1939, Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco released an official decree of neutrality in the conflict, despite his open ideological affinity with the Axis leaders who had provided him with critical support in the Spanish Civil War. Nevertheless, he hovered on the brink of intervention on the side of the Axis through much of 1940 and 1941, and even contributed a force of Spanish volunteers estimated to be as many as 40,000, known as the Blue Division, which served as the German 250th Division on the Russian Front from mid-1941 until October 1943. The possibility of Spanish belligerency was premised on an early German victory over Britain and on German agreement to Spanish territorial expansion in Africa into French Morocco and perhaps even in Europe at the expense its neighbors, Vichy France and neutral Portugal. The United States and Britain joined in a continuing effort to keep Franco's Spain out of the War by providing essential exports like gasoline and grain to prop up the Spanish economy, which had been in a state of collapse since the end of the Spanish Civil War. The close ideological and political ties between the Franco dictatorship and those of Germany and Italy were never misapprehended by the United States and Britain. After 1941 Spain drifted gradually from imminent belligerency toward a demonstratively pro-Axis neutrality. Spain cooperated with the Allies in humanitarian efforts, allowing safe passage through Spain of downed Allied fliers, escaped Allied prisoners, and civilian refugees, including Jews.2 The nature of Spain's neutrality in World War II turned in significant measure on Allied and Spanish perceptions of the danger of German invasion. -
WHO's WHO in the WAR in EUROPE the War in Europe 7 CHARLES DE GAULLE
who’s Who in the War in Europe (National Archives and Records Administration, 342-FH-3A-20068.) POLITICAL LEADERS Allies FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT When World War II began, many Americans strongly opposed involvement in foreign conflicts. President Roosevelt maintained official USneutrality but supported measures like the Lend-Lease Act, which provided invaluable aid to countries battling Axis aggression. After Pearl Harbor and Germany’s declaration of war on the United States, Roosevelt rallied the country to fight the Axis powers as part of the Grand Alliance with Great Britain and the Soviet Union. (Image: Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-128765.) WINSTON CHURCHILL In the 1930s, Churchill fiercely opposed Westernappeasement of Nazi Germany. He became prime minister in May 1940 following a German blitzkrieg (lightning war) against Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. He then played a pivotal role in building a global alliance to stop the German juggernaut. One of the greatest orators of the century, Churchill raised the spirits of his countrymen through the war’s darkest days as Germany threatened to invade Great Britain and unleashed a devastating nighttime bombing program on London and other major cities. (Image: Library of Congress, LC-USW33-019093-C.) JOSEPH STALIN Stalin rose through the ranks of the Communist Party to emerge as the absolute ruler of the Soviet Union. In the 1930s, he conducted a reign of terror against his political opponents, including much of the country’s top military leadership. His purge of Red Army generals suspected of being disloyal to him left his country desperately unprepared when Germany invaded in June 1941. -
Timeline - May 1940
TIMELINE - MAY 1940 As the month begins the battle for Norway continues. Just to recap, German naval and ground forces had begun invading both Norway and Denmark on 9th April. Denmark had quickly capitulated but Norway had resisted. British forces were sent to Andalsnes on 18th April to 1st May, Namsos on 16th April to 3rd May, and Narvik from 15th April to 8th June. They were joined by Norwegian, French and Polish forces. But as May begins the evacuation of Allied troops from some of these areas is already underway and nearing completion. With the failure of the campaign for central Norway attention shifts to Narvik in the far north, strategically vital to the Germans for the shipping of iron ore from Sweden. 1 On 2nd May German troops reached Andalsnes, and on the following day Norwegian troops south of Trondheim surrendered to the Germans. The allied evacuation at Namsos was completed, but German aircraft located part of the evacuation fleet and sank the destroyers Afridi and Bison. The Bison was a French destroyer and she was the first to be sunk with the loss of 136 of her crew. The surviving crew were then picked up by the Afridi. But when that ship came under attack a further 35 of her crew were lost, along with 53 of the Afridi’s crew and 13 soldiers - the only casualties among the whole force of 12,000 troops evacuated from Åndalsnes and Namsos On 5th May the Battle of Hegra Fortress ended when the fortress capitulated. The Germans had now achieved complete victory on Norway’s southern front. -
CHAPTER 2 the VITAL FUNCTION: World War II and Diplomatic Security
CHAPTER 2 THE VITAL FUNCTION: World War II and Diplomatic Security CHAPTER 2 8 THE VITAL FUNCTION World War II and Diplomatic Security The experiences of the World War II era (1933-1945) expanded and solidified diplomatic security as a vital function of the Department of State. From the first days of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidency, the Department faced grave threats to U.S. diplomacy, primarily from Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and Japan. As a result, the Department broadened its definition of security and expanded the number of entities monitoring and enforcing security. The Department’s new, expanded security apparatus under President Roosevelt, however, was disjointed. Security responsibilities were dispersed across multiple offices with overlapping jurisdictions. Moreover, the Office of the Chief Special Agent, which had handled security since World War I, often was not involved in many of the new security measures. By the end of World War II, the Department was implementing security in a more extensive, formalized manner that touched and altered every level of the Department’s operations. In fact, many security measures first implemented during World War II—such as coded ID badges, formal document classification procedures, and a courier network—are today accepted as part of the Department’s normal, daily routine. Moscow and Berlin When Franklin D. Roosevelt assumed the Presidency in March 1933, the Department of State faced diplomatic security threats from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Throughout the 1930s, the regimes of both nations respectively targeted the U.S. Embassies in Berlin and Moscow for espionage. Security problems at the U.S. -
Notable Dates Connected with Newcastle During WW2
Notable dates connected with Newcastle during WW2 Local Studies Factsheet No. 4 1 September 1939 The first batch of 31,222 children from Newcastle schools was evacuated. 2 September 1939 A further batch of 12,818 mothers and children under school age was evacuated. 3 September 1939 War declared. 19 September 1939 North Mail amalgamated with Newcastle Journal because of war conditions. 26 September 1939 Lord Mayor’s War Needs Fund inaugurated. 17 October 1939 Air-raid warning on Tyneside for 1hr.30 min. No enemy action. 20 November 1939 Canteen for Service men and women opened on Platform 8 at Central Station. 26 November 1939 Lecture by John Gielgud entitled “Shakespeare in Peace and War” at Theatre Royal, in aid of Lord Mayor’s Red Cross Fund. 1 December 1939 Inspection of Civil Defence and A.R.P. arrangements. 18 December 1939 Newcastle War Savings Campaign inaugurated. 27 March 1940 Lord Mayor received a letter from the Polish Ambassador in London thanking the City for its kindness to Poles stranded here due to the War. 22 May 1940 Decision taken to cancel Race Week Fair. 11 June 1940 Decision taken to cancel Race Week holidays. 21 June 1940 Newcastle Voluntary Training Corps formed. 2 July 1940 Major air-raid in the late afternoon. In Newcastle and Jarrow 13 people killed, 123 injured. Spillers factory was hit in an attempt to destroy the High Level Bridge. 7 July 1940 Second evacuation scheme inaugurated. 4,300 school children left by train. 18 July 1940 High explosive bombs dropped 3 killed, many injured and considerable damage inflicted including a hit on Heaton Secondary School. -
World War II 1931 - 1945
World War II 1931 - 1945 The Treaty of Versailles • Germany lost land to surrounding nations • War reparations – Allies collect $ to pay back war debts to US – Germany pays $57 trillion (modern day equivalent) – Germans are bankrupt, embarrassed, guilt ridden, and angry. The Rise of Dictators The legacy of World War I and the effects of the Great Depression led to mass unemployment, inflation, and the threat of communism in Europe. These factors caused widespread political unrest. The Rise of Dictators Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler preached that became known as . Mussolini became prime minister of Italy in 1922 and soon established a dictatorship. Hitler and his Nazi Party won control of the German government in 1933 and quickly overthrew the nation’s constitution. The Rise of Dictators By 1929, Joseph Stalin was dictator of the Soviet Union, which he turned into a totalitarian state. Stalin took brutal measures to control and modernize industry and agriculture. Stalin had four million people killed or imprisoned on false charges of disloyalty to the state. The Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War offered an opportunity to test the new German military tactics and the strategy of Die Totale Krieg (The Total War). Japanese Aggression General Hideki Tōjō was the Prime Minister of Japan from 1941 to 1944. In 1931, military leaders urged the to invade Manchuria, a province in northern China that is rich in natural resources. Italian Aggression In 1935, ordered the invasion of Ethiopia. Italian troops roared in with machine guns, tanks, airplanes, and chemical weapons quickly overwhelming the poorly equipped Ethiopian army and killing thousands of civilians. -
The Battle of Britain: Mankind's Finest Hour
THETHE BATTLEBATTLE OFOF BRITAIN:BRITAIN: MANKINDMANKIND’’SS FINESTFINEST HOURHOUR 1 WEEKWEEK ONE:ONE: 19181918--19401940 FROMFROM ARMISTICEARMISTICE TOTO THETHE BATTLEBATTLE OFOF FRANCEFRANCE THETHE WARWAR TOTO ENDEND ALLALL WARSWARS FROMFROM VICTORYVICTORY TOTO DEPRESSIONDEPRESSION DEMOBILIZATION FOLLOWS END OF WAR STOCK MARKETS COLLAPSE IN 1929 WORLD ECONOMIES IN TATTERS MASSIVE UNEMPLOYMENT GUNS VERSUS BUTTER WIDESPREADWIDESPREAD OPPOSITIONOPPOSITION TOTO ANOTHERANOTHER WARWAR MASSIVE WORLD WAR I CASUALTIES “THE BOMBER WILL ALWAYS GET THROUGH” CIVILIANS WIDELY SEEN AS VULNERABLE MINUTES TO OVERFLY ENGLISH CHANNEL FEAR OF GLOBAL CATASTROPHE THRTHREEEE MAJORMAJOR EUROPEANEUROPEAN POWERSPOWERS DOMINATEDOMINATE THETHE CONTINENTCONTINENT FRANCE – GERMANY – BRITAIN OPPOSING SECURITY SCHEMES DISARMAMENT PACTS POPULAR BRITAINBRITAIN RULESRULES THETHE WAVESWAVES 300 YEARS OF DOMINANT SEAPOWER NO INVASION SINCE 1066 ENGLAND PROTECTED BY THE CHANNEL ARMY DEPLOYED ACROSS THE EMPIRE FRENCHFRENCH BUILDBUILD MAGINOTMAGINOT LINELINE FROM SWITZERLAND TO BELGIUM KEEP THE HUNS OUT! VULNERABLE TO FLANKING PERFECT FOR THE LAST WAR GERMANSGERMANS REARMREARM BYBY STEALTHSTEALTH STEEL INDUSTRY EXPANDS CAPACITY PANZER CORPS FORMED LUFTWAFFE SECRETLY ESTABLISHED NAVY EXPANDS – BUT NOT ENOUGH 19361936--19391939 THETHE SPANISHSPANISH CIVILCIVIL WARWAR BERLIN SUPPORTS FRANCO’S FASCISTS NAZIS DEVELOP AIR-GROUND TACTICS LUFTWAFFE GAINS COMBAT EXPERIENCE USE OF TERROR BOMBING OF CIVILIANS GERMANYGERMANY ANNEXESANNEXES TERRITORYTERRITORY -
15 September 1940
15 September 1940 This podcast looks at 15 September 1940, a day that represented a turning point in the Battle of Britain. As dawn broke on, Sunday 15 September, there was nothing to distinguish it from other days experienced during the Summer of 1940. The threat of invasion hung over the country and yet the general population continued to get on with their lives as best they could. Weather reports indicated that it would be a fine, clear day so enemy action was therefore anticipated. By the end of the day, the RAF would be left with a sense of having had a good day, the Luftwaffe’s morale would be broken and the 15 September 1940 would consequently come to be seen as being a decisive point in the Battle of Britain; itself a turning point in the history of the war So, where does the 15th lie in the history of the Battle… Traditionally the Battle is seen as running from 10 July to 31 October and the 15th falls into what is known as the 3rd phase: July 10 – August 7 – the Luftwaffe focused their attacks on convoys in the channel; radio direction finding stations and coastal towns August 8-6 September – saw them testing British defences with the aim of destroying FCs aircraft and capability As a result August was a particularly hard month for Fighter Command and for 11 Group especially, as it was this Group that defended London and the South-East. From 13 August, Adlertag or Eagle Day, heavy raids focused on destroying the RAF in the South East. -
Timeline June 1940
TIMELINE—JUNE 1940 This month is mainly about the fall of France, and the continued evacuation of Allied troops not just from Dunkirk but other north western ports. It also sees Italy enter the war, albeit ill-prepared to do so. It ends as the Battle of Britain begins. On 1st June, as Operation Dynamo continued, a further 64,429 Allied troops were evacuated from Dunkirk. The following day Hitler set foot on French territory for the first time, visiting the Canadian National War Memorial at Vimy Ridge near Arras. It had been rumoured, and widely reported, that the Germans had destroyed the memorial, and it is thought that Hitler chose to visit the site to prove otherwise. It is also suggested that he particularly admired the memorial because it is a monument to peace, not a celebration of war. Make of that what you will! Whatever, he ensured that the monument was protected throughout the war. On 3rd June the last British troops were evacuated from Dunkirk, and overnight over 26,000 French troops. At 10.20am on 4th June the Germans occupied the city and captured the 40,000 French troops who were left. Dunkirk was reduced to rubble. Overall Operation Dynamo had rescued 338,226 men – two thirds of them British – from the beaches of Dunkirk, although 243 vessels and 106 aircraft had been destroyed in the process. Lord Gort, the Commander of the BEF, was also evacuated, leaving Lt General Harold Alexander in command of the remaining troops Among those still in France was Private Herbert Mutton. -
The German Military Mission to Romania, 1940-1941 by Richard L. Dinardo
The German Military Mission to Romania, 1940–1941 By RICHARD L. Di NARDO hen one thinks of security assistance and the train- ing of foreign troops, W Adolf Hitler’s Germany is not a country that typically comes to mind. Yet there were two instances in World War II when Germany did indeed deploy troops to other countries that were in noncombat cir- cumstances. The countries in question were Finland and Romania, and the German mili- tary mission to Romania is the subject of this article. The activities of the German mission to Romania are discussed and analyzed, and some conclusions and hopefully a few take- aways are offered that could be relevant for military professionals today. Creation of the Mission The matter of how the German military mission to Romania came into being can be covered relatively quickly. In late June 1940, the Soviet Union demanded from Romania the cession of both Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina. The only advice Germany could give to the Romanian government was to agree to surrender the territory.1 Fearful of further Soviet encroachments, the Roma- nian government made a series of pleas to Germany including a personal appeal from Wikimedia Commons King Carol II to Hitler for German military assistance in the summer of 1940. Hitler, Finnish Volunteer Battalion of German Waffen-SS return home from front in 1943 however, was not yet willing to undertake such a step. Thus, all Romanian requests were rebuffed with Hitler telling Carol that Romania brought its own problems upon itself by its prior pro-Allied policy. -
Factors Affecting the German Decision Not to Invade the Iberian Peninsula, 1940-1945
University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1958 Factors affecting the German decision not to invade the Iberian peninsula, 1940-1945 Gerard F. Rutan The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Rutan, Gerard F., "Factors affecting the German decision not to invade the Iberian peninsula, 1940-1945" (1958). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 2310. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/2310 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FACTORS AFFECTING THE GERMAN DECISION NOT TO INVADE THE IBERIAN PENINSULA, 1940-1945 by Gerard Francis Rutan B. A. Montana State University, 1957 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY 1958 Approved by: Chairman, Board of Examiners Dean, Graduate School AUG 1 81958 Date UMI Number: EP34253 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent on the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI EP34253 Copyright 2012 by ProQuest LLC.