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GH U4 - 4.5 The European Front

Causes of WWII (MR. FING)

(1-5 are underlying causes)

  1. Militarism

  2. Rise of Dictatorship

  3. Failure of Appeasement

  4. Imperialism

  5. Nationalism

  6. Germany’s Invasion of Poland —> immediate cause

The Early War

  • Axis: Germany, Italy, Japan

  • Allied: Britain, France, USSR, US

  • Germany introduced new military technique

    • Blitzkrieg: lightning war, mobilze forces in air and ground

  • First eight months were called the Phoney War (Twilight War)—> very little fighting occured

Invasion of France

  • Germany invades France through Belgium/Netherlands

  • France surrenders a week later

  • Germany now controls Northern France

    • Puppet government: controlled by French Nazi sympathizers

  • British forces in France were ordered to leave north and were evacuated from Dunkirk

    • loss of supplies/equipment, set British forces back

  • major hit for the Allied Powers

    • propaganda still had to show the public not to worry about this

Battle of Britain

  • military campain pitted by the Royal Air Force against Luftwaffe (Germany’s air force)

  • fought entirely by air forces

  • Germany hoped that this would function like a war of attrition, that Britain would agree to peace settlements

    • Did not account for the British general public to rally together (oppose germans)

Other European Fronts

  • Germans attack/control Balkans (goes against pact signed with USSR)

  • Germans invade USSR, forced soviet troops to retreat