World War 2 Flashcards
When was D-Day landings?
6th June 1944
What is the name of the operation for D-day
Operation Overlord
Where did the men in operation Overlord land?
Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword
When was Pearl Harbour?
7th December 1941
When did America declare war on Japan?
8th December 1941
When was the start and end of ww2?
From 1st September 1939 to 2 September 1945
How long did it take Germany to invade France?
6 weeks
What was the defence line meant to stop Germany entering France?
Maginot line
Where did Germany break through the French defence?
Ardennes forest
What were the key turning points of WW2?
Blitzkrieg, Dunkirk, Battle of Britain, Operation Barbarossa, Starlingrad, Pearl Harbour, D-Day landings
What was the strategy in Blitzkrieg? (lightning war)
The strategy was for airplanes to identify weaknesses that can be easily conquered with tanks making the way. The whole unit would be continuossly communicating with each other.
When did Germany start using Blitzkrieg?
September 1940
What countries did Germany invade in WW2?
Belgium, France and the Netherlands
What happened at Dunkirk
300,000 British soldiers were evacuated at Dunkirk beach back to England. This means that Britain can still fight in the war
What sorts of boats evacuated the men at Dunkirk?
All boats - fishing boats, family boats, navy boats
Why were the men at Dunkirk not finished off?
Hitler left the killing of the men at Dunkirk to his friend in the Luftwaffe, who could have ordered the tanks to finish the soldiers but waited to finish the soldiers off with planes
What was the news reaction to the evacuation at Dunkirk?
Very positive to keep up morale - newspapers described the men as wanting to fight another day
However, later news went out that the bombing of Dunkirk was not as bad as it seems and that the men did not want to fight again
When was the Dunkirk evacuation?
It started the 27th May 1940 and lasted around 3 or 4 days
How many soldiers were left behind on other beaches and died or taken prisoner?
around 70,000 troops
What was left behind on the beaches?
400,000 tons of supplies, 2500 guns, 76,000 tons of ammunition and lots of burned/ destroyed vehicles
When was the battle of Britain
10July to 31st October 1940
What happened in the Battle of Britain
Germany bombed London with bombers with aircrafts to protect them vs British aircrafts. England eventually won.
What did Germany target in Battle of Britain?
airbases so that British planes couldn’t take off. They were near breaking point when Hitler ordered them to start targeting homes.
What was the duration that the German planes could last in the air?
30 minutes, with 5 minutes to cross the channel
how were German planes identified by the British at first
radio towers
What was Hitler’s plan to invade Germany?
Bomb airbases, Invade Britain via ships protected by Aircrafts, take over Britain. This would require a strong navy and aircraft bases in Calais
When was Operation Barbarossa?
22nd June 1941 - 5th December 1941
What strategy did the Germans use in operation Barbarossa?
Blitzkrieg to advance fast and encircle areas, which are then surrounded and invaded to move forward
What strategy was used by the Russians in operation Barbarossa?
to fight and retreat, but to burn the ground when retreating so that Germans cannot use any of the ground temporarily
Casualties in operation Barborassa
For Russia: 6 million wounded or captured, more than 800,000 soldiers died
For Germany: around 800,000 casualties, with 200,000 killed
Why did Germany not succeed in taking over Russia?
temperatures reached up to -40 degrees which would freeze tanks. Reinforcements were bought as a deal was made with Japan for peace, and a counterattack happened
What did Germany do after failing to invade Moscow?
Germany attack Starlingrad, most likely because it is named after the leader of Russia and has loads of oil
When was the battle of Starlingrad?
23 August 1942 - 2 Feubruary 1943
What were the casualties in the battle of Starlingrad?
500,000 Germans, 650,000 Russians
What were Hitler’s order during the battle of Starlingrad?
Do not take 1 step backwards
What were the implications of Pearl Harbour?
Pearl harbour involved America into the war
Why did Japan attack Pearl harbour?
To consolidate its army and control over southeast Asia
