House Cleaning: November 1940 - May 1941

Question 1

What were the impacts of German occupation in Poland?

Answer 1

• Systematic terror, mass executions and population displacement
• Targeted attacks on Polish elites, including teachers, priests and politicians
• Jewish populations forcibly relocated to urban ghettos
• Took millions of willing executioners to “grease the wheels” of genocide

Question 2

What was Musilini doing this time? (1940-41)

Answer 2

• Invaded greece without notification to Hitler
• Royal Navy launched an attack on italian fleet in the middle east

Question 3

The Italian Failure..

Answer 3

• October 28, 1941 quickly turned into a disaster
• Overestimated his military capabilities
• By early December, Italy was on the defensive, suffering humiliating setbacks as Greek troops occupied a significant portion of southern Albania
• Italy’s failures in Greece and North Africa severely damaged its reputation as a military power and forced Hitler to intervene: - German forces under Erwin Rommel dispatched

Question 4

What was Hitlers strategic shift in December 1940?

Answer 4

Hitler issued orders for preparations to invade the soviet union

Question 5

April 6, 1941

Answer 5

The begining of the Russian front, hitler unwilling to wait

Question 6

What is operation barbarossa?

Answer 6

Largest Military operation in human history
Motives: Ideological ideals
Objective: The total destruction of tens and millions of people to make way for german settlers

Question 7

What was Hitlers perspective on the USSR?

Answer 7

• Hitler believed USSR was weak based off previous economic destruction, political instability and weakness of the red army
  Issued orders to kill an
• Red Army officers immediately Invasion of USSR a crusade against ideological perspectives

Question 8

The Key connection between Poland and the USSR..

Answer 8

Mein Kampf, Lebensraum (racial hierarchy) destined for slavery or extermination

Question 9

What are the objectives of Army Group North:
Army Group Center:
Army Group South:

Answer 9

Army Group North: Advance towards leningrad through Baltic States
Army Group Center: Towards Moscow
Army Group South: Towards Ukraine

Question 10

Why was the USSR unprepared?

Answer 10

Believed that Churchill was trying to divide USSR and Germany

Question 11

Blitzkrieg in the East the progress of
Army Group North
Army Group Center
Army Group South

Answer 11

Army Group North: Captured Baltic States
Army Group Center: Encircle Smolensk
Army Group South: Difficulties capturing Kyiv

Question 12

What were the difficulties in the advancement of the German army in the USSR?

Answer 12

Overstretched Supply lines making it harder to push
Weather conditions and harsh terrain proved more difficult