blitzkrieg and sitzkrieg Flashcards
how did Canada enter ww2 as opposed to ww1?
ww1- forced to enter as a British colony
ww2- declared war as an independent nation
why did the recruits join ww2?
- have a steady job
- adventure
- “the right thing to do”
what is the phony war (sitzkrieg)?
Hitler continued to take Europe while Allies did little fighting
why did the Allies do little fighting in sitzkrieg?
they were not prepared- barracks unfinished, shortage of equipment, many untrained
what did Stalin do in 1939?
invade Finland
how did the Finnish fare against the Soviets?
held off the Soviets until the next March but was eventually forced to agree to Stalin’s terms
what is blitzkrieg?
“lightning war”
with strong air support, German troops, tanks, and artillery launch a focused attack through a short section of the battlefield, then advance deep into enemy territory
what did blitzkrieg allow attackers to do?
disrupt enemy communications, supply lines, and defences
list the German conquests of 1940
Denmark (fell in a day) Norway (fell in a month) the Netherlands Belgium Luxembourg Germany then turned to France
what was the Maginot line?
prepared for a long war (like ww1)- built concrete defences along Maginot Line between Germany and France
in early May 1940, German troops went north around the Maginot Line, bursting through ______ into ______
Belgium / France
caught off guard, what happened to the the Allied defences?
they collapsed
more than 338 000 _______________ troops retreated
British, French, Polish, Belgian, and Dutch
where did the British, French, Polish, Belgian, and Dutch troops retreat to and what happened there?
to the port of Dunkirk where they were pinned down by German forces
the Miracle of Dunkirk
Allied forces were pinned down at Dunkirk; Hitler was deliberating whether to __________________
use air forces or the army to finish them off
the Miracle of Dunkirk
the Allies used Hitler’s hesitation to achieve a dramatic rescue- the British assembled ___ fishing, pleasure, and commercial boats which were sent across the ____________ along with ____ naval vessels and __ Royal Canadian Navy destroyers
800 / English Channel / 222 / 4
the Miracle of Dunkirk
the crafts managed to ___________________ and ferry them safely across the Channel
pick up the Allied troops from the beach at Dunkirk
what happened in France on June 25, 1940?
France officially surrendered, meaning Hitler controlled nearly all of western Europe and turned to Britain
the Battle of Britain
Hitler knew that ____________ would inflict severe damage to his 140 000 troops if _________________
Royal Air Force fighters and bombers / they tried to cross the channel to Britain
the Battle of Britain
Hitler ordered the German air force to gain control of the air by _______________
destroying British aircraft factories, airfields, and radar stations
the Battle of Britain
Germany’s air force was much greater than Britain’s; name some of Britain’s advantages
superior radar, help from Allied countries
what was the superior radar?
RAF fighter planes tracked and shot down German bombers before they could reach their target
how did the Blitz begin?
German bomber bombed London, the RAF bombed Berlin in response
what was the Blitz?
the German air force redirected their attacks from British airfields to London and other cities
what was the name of the German air force?
the Luftwaffe
how long did the Blitz last and how many were killed?
for 57 consecutive nights; killed 43 000
what was a benefit of the Blitz?
allowed the RAF breathing space- chance to regroup, reinforce, rebuild
