Explain Event Flashcards
Explain the Battle of Britain:
The Battle of Britain was from July to October 1940.
Germany wanted to force Britain into accepting a peace settlement. Hitler knew that he would have to ensure air and naval supremacy by knocking out the RAF (Operation Sea Lion). The Luftwaffe proceeded to attack air fields, factories, fighter commands.
In September, Germany switched to bombing London and other main cities: this was known as the Blitz. By doing this, Hitler hoped that he would destroy the British will - unfortunately, he was severely wrong. During the Blitz, around 43,000 people and 2 million homes around the UK were destroyed.
However, this shift in strategy allowed the RAF to rebuild their strength, and eventually cause great damage to the Luftwaffe.
Hitler was forced to postpone then cancel Operation Sea Lion.
This event is considered a turning point because this was the first allied victory; this event destroyed the very aura of German invincibility, and Hitler opened a second front directed at the USSR, which failed.
Great Britain’s success in Battle of Britain can be accounted to Great Britain’s damage to around 1660 Luftwaffe planes, but only receiving damage to 1116 planes themselves; Chief Air Marshall Sir Hugh Dowding pioneered an air defence system based on fighters, consisting of radar; radio communication; and ground observers. Finally, Germany only had 30 minutes of flying time, their Stukas were no match for the British Hurricanes and Spitfires.
This is why Great Britain won.
What was D-day
D-Day, or Battle of Normandy or Operation Over Lord, was on 6th June, 1944.
Stalin demanded a second front so that Russia would not bear the brunt of the German onslaught - 85% of German soldiers were killed on the Eastern Front.
Churchill opposed the risky amphibious landing, because failure would have been humiliation for the Allies and disastrous for morale.
D-Day was the one of the largest amphibious landings in history and required extensive planning.
On 6th June, 1944, under the supreme commander of the Allied Forces, General Dwight Eisenhower, the British, Americans, and Canadians invaded the already-occupied France from Normandy.
The plan was almost ruined for two reasons: the Allied forces only had 80 divisions against Germany’s 60 and could only land 5 initially; and bad weather postponed D-Day by one day.
However, Airborne divisions landed on June 5th, securing key roads and bridges.
5300 ships carried 150,000 men and 1500 tanks, supported by 12,000 planes.
GB and Canada secured Gold, Sword and Juno; the Americans landed at Omaha and Utah.
At Omaha beach, the US faced strong resistance, and faced 800 deaths.
Allies suffered only 3,000 deaths overall - civilians suffered the most.
It took 11 weeks to break out of Normandy; the US had suffered 40,000 casualties and 2 weeks.
Germany suffered at least 250,000 casualties, but 240,000 escaped to fight again.
Paris fell in late August, and the Allies assumed that Germany would follow.
Around 70,000 French People were killed by Allied Bombing.
Allied success can be accounted to: Operation Bodyguard, which consisted of deception tactics like false papers, “Ruperts”, inflatable tanks and double agents who altogether managed to fool Hitler into thinking that the Attack would be in Pas de Calais; Hitler placed his Atlantic Wall and best troops at Pas the Calais, expecting the attack there, and was surprised at the attack; 2 artificial harbours, Mulberries, were built to land enough men and supplies.
