WW2, European Theatre Flashcards
The war accelerated a fundamental shift in what way?
People of the world viewed themselves and fuelled decolonization movements and social change
With assurance of the neutrality of the Soviet Union Germany was able to do what?
Hitler directed his forces against Western Europe in the spring of 1940
How large was the nazi empire by early 1941?
Nazi Germany controlled a continental empire that stretched from Norway to the borders of Spain
What was operation sea lion?
Plans for a Chanel crossing were drawn up and Germany assembled troop transportation ships and organized troops for what hitler called operation sea lion
Apart from the courage and skills of the pilots, three technological factors enabled the RAF to foil germanys plan for invasion?
- Qualitative superiority that helped to compensate for the numerical inferiority of the British Air Force
- Radar: The tech where the reflected echo of radio waves is used to detect distant objects in the atmosphere
- The development by British intelligence of an electronically operated cipher machine capable of deciding German radio message
How was Hitlers decision making responsible for the Luftwaffe’s failure to gain control of British airspace?
Hitler persuaded himself that such brutal tactics would serve a good military purpose by sapping British morale and initing civilian opposition to Churchills policy of resistance
What was operation Barbarossa?
It was a catastrophic military campaign that resulted in immense human suffering and destruction. It was a surprise attack on the Soviet Union June 22, 1941
What we’re Hitlers aims in the Soviet Union?
To conquer the Soviet Union, get vast resources, and plan his idea of Lebensraum (living space)
What strategy did the Germans use in the eastern front?
The strategy was based on Blitzkrieg tactics; rapid advances, concentrated fire power, and encirclement of the enemy forces
What hindered the German advance into the Soviet Union?
The vast distances, logistical difficulties, and the onset of the the harsh Russian winter hindered the German war effect
In the battle of Moscow how did the Soviet defence manage to halt the German offence?
With the cold winters the Soviet Union had supplies and was prepared leaving Germany with a disadvantage
How did the war of attrition favour the Soviets?
The German war machine was drained of man power and resources. The Soviet Union with its large manpower reserves and industrial capacity eventually got upper handed
How did Operation Barbarossa contribute to Germanys defeat?
Operation Barbarossa failed to achieve its objectives and was a major part of Germanys defeat in ww2. The invasion opened a second front making Germany loose lots of resources and distracting other forces
Describe the battle of Stalingrad and describe how it was the turning point in the war
Battle of Stalingrad was Germany’s plan to capture Stalingrad to control Volga river and Caucasus oil fields. It was a devastating street fight with snipers, combat, and air raids.
The battle marked the Turing point in the war on the eastern front with Germany dealing with defeat
What was D-Day?
June 6, 1944 on Omaha beach where American, Canadian, and Uk troops where 200,000 troops landed and fought in a horrible bloody battle that led to a victory of the largest amphibious invasion in military history
How did the war end in Europe?
After the counter office failed the situation worsened for Nazi Germany. Hitler started making poor decisions leading to defeat. Eventually Germany surrendered
What was the Yalta conference?
On Feb 4-11, 1945 allied political leaders, Stalin, Roosevelt, and Churchill, met to discuss terms and post-war plans. The plan was to split Germany into occupied zones, reparations, war crimes trials, and more
Describe Hitlers last days
Hitler started to get worse in his mental and physical shape. He spent the final months of ww2 in Berlin bunkers. April 1945 Russians had started shelling Berlin itself. April 25 Mussolini gets executed. April 30, 1945 Hitler committed suicide
What was the holocaust?
During ww2 in Nazi territory if you were Jewish you would be put in a concentration camp and most likely never make it out. Around 6-8 million Jews died which is 2/3 Jew in Europe. Germans covered it up until the end of the war when it was found out so it was immediately shut down
