End of war Flashcards
10 May - 25 June 1940
Battle of France
Swift defeat and surrender of France in 6 weeks
Allied weakness: lack of resolve
Fighting a static war, dependent on traditional communication lines that were easily disrupted
Axis strength:
German blitzkrieg strategy was highly effective in speed and coordination
Outcome favoured axis
Not a turning point
10 July - 31 October 1940
Battle of Britain
Mainly fought in the air for dominance of the skies
Allied strength:
- Change in leadership in B to Churchill, hardliner against nazi G.
- British had effective radar system, allowing RAF to predict enemy movements.
- Ultra intelligence operation broke G military codes and gave RAF info about specific targets of G air attacks.
- Air production was able to churn out replacements for aircraft lost in battle.
Axis weakness:
- Hitler’s change in strategy to bomb cities instead of military bases allowed British to rebuild air strength and retaliate quickly.
- Did not target and damage radar stations, which were vital in British defence.
22 June - 5 December 1941
Operation Barbarossa
Germany attack Russia
Weather:
Roads were muddy, transport became stuck
Armour and transport vehicles froze in the -30 degree temp.
Deep snow meant that artillery and transport had to be abandoned in retreat.
Geography:
Sheer size of Russia made it difficult for Germany to handle logistics, implement blitzkrieg, and maintain supply lines.
Russian strength:
- Able to mobilize 300 divisions from reserves, underestimated by Hitler.
- Powerful industrial base allowed for quick replacement of equipment.
German strength:
- Had consecutive victories
- Had the element of surprise.
Opened Germany up to a war on 2 fronts
Not a turning point
7 December 1941
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour
353 arrive undetected and in 2 hours, 19 ships and 350 aircraft are destroyed and 2,403 servicemen are killed.
US reaction completely different from what Japan thought.
Infuriated Americans and pushed America out of its isolationism into a war footing.
36 million men were registered for service in 1942
Defence spending jumped from $1.5 Billion USD (1940) to $81.5 Billion USD (1945)
Was a turning point:
- Directly led to the entry of the US in the war. Instrumental to turning the tide of the war on many fronts.
Was not a turning point:
- Did not cripple the US pacific fleet long-term.
- Did not have the immediate effect of ending the war (war only ended 4 years later)
3 - 6 June 1942
Battle of Midway
Midway atoll was an American naval base in the pacific with an incredibly strategic location. Could be used to secure a sphere of influence in the pacific.
Admiral Isokoru Yamamoto (Commander of the Imperial Japanese navy) wanted to crush the remainder of the American Pacific Fleet and believed in a Japanese numerical advantage.
American code-breakers deciphered the Japanese naval code and were able to anticipate Japanese manoeuvres, discovering their plans for the invasion of Midway.
Admiral Chester Nimitz (Commander-in-chief of the US Pacific fleet) developed a plan to combat the invasion, and launched a surprise attack on the Japanese Naval fleet
Japanese weakness:
- Split their forces into 2
- Attacked from all 4 carriers at once
- Maintained radio silence throughout
Losses of Japan:
2500 men
292 aircraft
All 4 aircraft carriers
1 destroyer
1 heavy cruiser
Losses of US:
307 men
145 aircraft
1 aircraft carrier
1 destroyer
Was a turning point:
-Japan lost all of its aircraft carriers
- Forced Japan on the back foot, switch from offensive to defensive
- Halted Japanese expansion
- Profound impact on morale for both sides (US up, Japan down)
August 1942 - February 1943
Island hopping campaign
America bypassed strongly defended islands, isolating them from support and reinforcements.
Played “Leapfrog” with the Japanese
Established forward air bases, extended ability to attack deep into enemy territory.
1944 conquest of Philippines, cut off Japan’s oil supply in the Dutch East Indies
23 August 1942 - 2 February 1943
Battle of Stalingrad
Stalingrad was the largest industrial center of the Soviet Union and an important transport hub on the Volga river.
Controlling Stalingrad meant gaining access to the oil fields of the Caucasus and having supreme authority over the Volga River.
Symbolic significance of name.
Russian strength:
- Stalin ordered no retreat
- Red army better at urban warfare than the Germans
- Had sufficient resources of men and equipment
- Scorched Earth policy: Left no resources for the Germans to use
- Sniperism: Increased fear among German soldiers, hindered advance of German army
German weakness:
- Overstretched and logistics/supplies strained to a breaking point
- Hitler was overconfident, split up army group south, redistributed to other army groups
German forces defeated and General Friedrich Paulus surrendered, marking the first time a German field marshal had capitulated.
Destroyed 2 entire German Armies (Sixth army was a formidable force, loss of experienced and elite German troops).
Failure to take Stalingrad, a major industrial city, an important transportation hub and center of manufacturing
Marking a shift in the momentum of the war with the Germans on the defensive.
9 July - 17 August 1943
Operation Husky
Invasion of Sicily and Italy:
- Sicily’s prime location - 30 airfields, would serve as an airbase, launch point for the invasion of Italy, control of Mediterranean air and sea routes
Allies successfully spread false information about where they would invade, diverting German troops from the real threat. When it came to the actual invasion, many paratroopers were dropped in the wrong place.
German weakness:
- Poor cooperation between Germans and Italians
- Morale and confidence in leaders low
- Air defences decimated by bombings and strafing
Benito Mussolini was voted out of power
Adolf Hitler called off his Eastern front offensive at Kursk, taking pressure off the soviets
The weakening of the Axis powers meant the Allied powers eventually took Italy, removing the Italians from the war
Not a turning point
3 September 1939 - 8 May 1945
Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic focused on control of the sea lanes, which were vital for the transportation of troops, equipment and supplies between the United States, Canada and the British Isles.
The Allies needed these supply lines to sustain their war effort, making the outcome of the battle crucial for the overall war strategy.
Allied strength:
- The allies developed and improved anti-submarine warfare tactics.
- The allies invested in technological innovations, such as improved sonar systems, more effective depth charges, and advanced radar.
- Economic and Industrial capacity allowed for far quicker replacement of merchant ships than the Germans.
German weakness:
- As war progressed, resources had to be reallocated, weakening the German naval effort.
Arguable turning point:
- The success in the Battle of the Atlantic ensured the flow of men, weapons, and supplies from the United States to Britain and the. Soviet Union.
- It was. essential for sustaining allied operations in Europe and played a crucial role in weakening Germany’s abilities to wage war.
- Without control of the sea, such large-scale invasions. Would have. Been significantly more challenging.
6 June 1944
Operation Overlord / D-day
Invasion of Normandy, France.
Allied strength:
- Used deceptive tactics to divert German defences to the wrong places
- Learnt from previous mistakes about how to attack beaches (Air support, naval power, armoured vehicles to tackle obstacles on beaches)
Axis weakness:
- Complex command structure, response was slow and confused
- Germany brought into a battle of attrition against a vastly stronger force
WAS A TURNING POINT!
Allies successfully opened a second front in Europe
Russia from the east and allied troops from the west
Relieved pressure on Russia with German forces transferring to France
German army suffered losses greater than Stalingrad
Allies also denied Germany any further exploitation of France’s economic and manpower resources
February 1945
Battle of Iwo Jima
Japanese warrior code: Bushido
Capture in battle is shameful
22,000 out of 23,000 Japanese troops on Iwo Jima fought to the death rather than surrender
Made America worried about American casualties of they had to attack Japan itself - pushed America to consider alternatives of defeating Japan.
April 1945
Battle of Berlin and German surrender
Germany facing a war on two fronts
Last ditch defenders - inexperienced boys with guns
Hitler commits suicide on 30 April 1945
Germany unconditionally surrenders on 7 May 1945
Not a turning point - the end point.
6 - 9 August 1945
US drops atomic bombs
Japanese surrender
Announced by Emperor Hirohito 15 August 1945, formally signed 2 September 1945
Allied strength consolidated
Learnt from early failures
Built up navy and Air Force
Strategic bombing of German cities diverted German resources to defence
Combined resources of the US, the USSR and the British empire
