London facing WWII Flashcards
UK was the only country to :
Resist until the end, defeat hitler and not surrender
Not be invaded by the Nazis
Become a shelter for the exiled government
Deaths
60M, 60% of whom were civilians
Caracteristics of this war
More warring nations
Modernisation of military weapons
Totalitarian regimes
Blitz
Blitzkrieg = lightning war, to mobilize all the military ressources on one specific place to compose a massive attack aiming at the local gorvenment to surrender
3 phases of the Blitz
Sept 1940 - Nov 1940 = bombing focused on London (harbour) and people, it was mostly night attacks
Nov 1940 - Feb 1941 = industrial center
Feb 1941 - June 1941 = bombs focused on maritimes facilities
Why Hitler never managed to invade the UK ?
Is an Island
British people were ready to fight
Human damages of the Blitz
43 000 people died
Homeless people
Material damages
industrial centres destroyed
mahor coastal cities destroyed
warehouses ont he docklands tooùrailways facilities
1M londoners houses
Daily life and difficulties of British people
Rough = unrelenting bombing
People had to move frequently in shelters (Anderson’s shelter)
Total War
all the ressources of a country are mobilised to win the war
Daily life during wartime
Shortages of food, coal, leather, cotton so developement of resourcefulness and black market
Gvt established rationning and the amount of food depends on the number of ppl in the family and the age
Life after war : Economy
UK lost most of its potential (1/3 houses destroyed)
Life after war : finances
The UK finances collapsed : huge debts, lost 30% of its total wealth
Life after war : society
People morale was very abd despite the victory = high loss 250 000 civilians and 60 000 soldiers.
Life after war : international relationships and foreign affairs
The UK was not a great international power anymore = decolonisation of India
