Sec 2 Chapter 18 notes :)

Introduction:
World War two lasted six years from 1939 to 1945. The War was against the Axis powers in which we found Germany, Italy, and Japan against the Allied powers: Britain, France, The Soviet Union, China, The United States and 45 other smaller powers.

Early Axis Gains:
On September 1,1939 Nazi forces stormed into Poland, revealing the enormous power of Hitler’s blitzkrieg or other wise known as the lightning war. The “plan” was first German planes bombed airfields, factories, towns, and cities. Then fast moving tanks and troops transporters went into the country. The Polish army tried fighting back but failed. While Germany attacked from the West, Stalin’s forces invaded from the East. Within a time of a month Poland no longer existed. Hitler passed the winter without much further action, however Stalin’s armies, however, pushed on into the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Soviet forces also gained control of part of Finland.

The “Phony War”:
The Phony War was a quite time during the war. Reports started referring to this time as the “Phony War”. During this time of World War Two the French stationed behind the Maginot Line and Britain sent troops with them. This was all during the first winter of the war. Then later on that year in April 2010 the war took action. Hitler decided to launch a blitzkrieg against Norway and Denmark both of which fell because of this. Once these nations fell Hitler contiuned into the Netherlands and Belgium.

Miracle of Dunkirk:
By May German forces were going into France. The British, who had their troops in france, were put in a very bad position. The British decided to send all the available naval vessels, and any other kind of boats across the channel to take troops from the beaches of Dunkirk and Ostend. These ships rescued up to 300,000 troops making this a “miracle.”

France Falls:
While Britain was safe German troops were making there way into Paris. Italy declared war on France and started attacking from the South. France soon surrendered. Hitler forced France to sign a the surrender documents in the same railroad car in which Germany had signed the armistice which ended World War One. Germany gained and occupied northern France. Lots of French officers escaped to England and with the permission of Charles de Gaulle these “free french” set up a government in-exile in which they had to liberate their homeland. In France the resistant fighters uses Guerrilla tactics against German forces.

Africa and the Balkans:
Axis armies soon started pushing into North Africa and the Balkans. On September, 1940 Mussolini ordered Italian forces which were stationed in Libya to go into Egypt. Britain tried fighting against it but German forces managed to to push the British all the way back toward Cairo.
On October 1940 Italian forces invaded Greece. Greece fought back till German troops came in to help in 1941. Greece and Yugoslavia were added to the growing Axis empire. Later on that year (1941) both Bulgaria and Hungary joined the Axis alliance. By 1942 the Axis powers and their alliance controlled most of the Western Europe.

The Technology of Modern Warfare:
Even though World War Two causes lots of problems and mostly caused more harm then good but it did have some advantages when it came to the worlds technology. Air power took a prominent role. War technology improved guns, submarines, tanks, would have never been the way they are today in not for world war two. Also new technology such as radars and sonars were invented. While the war was going on medical advances and research was going on while treating the wounded.

The Battle for Britain and the Blitz
Once France had fallen in 1940 Britain stood alone in Western Europe.
Hitler thought that soon enough Britain would give up and ask for peace but he was very wrong. Once Winston Churchill replaced Neville Chamberlain as prime minister different plans where made. Churchill wanted to defend his island and he planed to do what ever it takes but one thing he was not planning on doing is giving up. Once Hitler found out that Britain would not surrender, Hitler ordered his generals to invade Britain. Massive air strike bombs were thrown by the Germans, this invasion was called “Operation Sea Lion.”

The London Blitz:
On August 12 1940 German forces bombed the Southern coast of England almost everyday. The British with the help of the French fought back but soon the Germans changed their plan and instead of bombing military targets in the south they started bombing London and other cities. German bombers first appeared over London late on September 7. All through the night high explosives and fire bombs were thrown. This continued to happen for 57 nights. Most of the cities were destroyed and by the end of the 57 nights 15,000 people lost their lives. Surprisingly England made sure to keep it self together. People carried on with their daily lives and even the King and Queen joined the people in the bomb shelters rather than feeling to the countryside.

Failure of the Blitz:
German plans continued to bomb cities in england till june 1941. Hitlers goal was to make Britain surrender but Britain would not give up. Instead it made Britain stronger wanting to get back at Germany even more. Since Hitler considered his plan a “failure” he decided to go and attack the Soviet Union because of this Britain was saved and it ended up being one of Hitlers worst mistakes.

Operation Barbarossa:
On june 1941 Hitler embarked on Operation Barbarossa- the conquest of the Soviet Union. Hitler wanted to crush communism, get a hold of natural reasources and defeat his powerful rival Stalin.

The German Advances:
On Operation Barbarossa three million Germans invaded the Soviet Union, catching stalin unprepared. The Russians lost two and a half million soldiers while trying to fend off the Germans. The Russian Army decided to burn everything (Just like the did to Napoleon) making sure nothing would get into the Germans hands. By october Germans were deep into Russia and they knew they’d soon be able to take over Moscow and Leningrad but soon the winter came and thousand of German soldiers froze to death.

Siege of Leningrad:
Russians suffered while trying to gain back there force again. For about 2 years food was rationed to two pieces of bread a day. At one point it became so bad that People would boil wall paper scarped off the walls because its paste was said to contain potato flour. Owners of leather brief companies boiled and ate the leathers (jellied meat). Many people during this time died. Stalin urged Britain to open a second front in Western Europe. Britain accepted but knew they could not do much to help.

American Involvement:
When the war began back in 1939 the United States declared its neutrality, but they did find ways to help Britain when needed with warships and other aids.

The Arsenal of Democracy:
In 1941 the Roosevelt persuaded Congress to pass the Lend-Lease Act. Allowing him to sell or lend war materials to “any country whose defense the president deems vital to the defense of the United States. He wanted the United states to become the “arsenal of democracy” supplying arms to those who were fight for freedom.

Atlantic Charter:
In August 1941 Roosevelt and Churchill, met secretly on a warship in the Atlantic. During this meeting the issued the Atlantic Charter which set goals for the war “the final destruction of the Nazi tyranny and for the postwar world. While in the meeting they pledged to support “the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live.” This was called the permanent system of general security.

Japan Attacks:
In december 1941 Japan surprised the United States. From the late 1930s japan has been trying to conquer China, but China never surrendered. Once the war broke out in 1939 Japanese saw this as a great chance to try and grab some of the European possessions.

Growing Tensions:
In 1940 Japan advanced into French Indochina and he Dutch East indies. To stop Japanese aggression the U.S banned the sale to Japan for war materials. Japan and the U.S tried to talk it out but the Japanese were not planning on stopping yet.

Attack on Pearl Harbor:
General Tojo ordered a surprise attack on the American fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. On December 7 1941 Japanese destroyed 19 american ships and smashed American planes on the ground killing up to 2,400 people. Roosavelt decided to declare war on Japan and on December 11, Germany, Italy and Japan as allies declared war on the U.S.

SOURCES:
World history notebook.