World War II Notes

World War II (1939-1945)

Chapter 5: The Second World War

Causes of WWII

  • Hitler's actions after becoming leader of Germany triggered a sequence of events leading to war in 1939.

Appeasement of Hitler: Reasons

  • British public desired peace and wouldn't have supported war in 1938.
  • Hitler's complaints, especially regarding the Treaty of Versailles, seemed reasonable to many at the time.
  • Chamberlain desired a strong Germany as a barrier against communist Russia's expansion.
  • British armed forces were unprepared for war and couldn't have aided Czechoslovakia.
  • Some people admired Hitler; he was 'Man of the Year' according to Time magazine in 1938.
  • Chamberlain remembered the devastation of WWI and believed another war would destroy civilization.

5.1 The Second World War: An Overview

  • Learning Objectives:
    • Recall key terms like 'Blitzkrieg' and 'Blitz'.
    • Identify key turning points of the war.
    • Outline the sequence of main events during WWII.

Blitzkrieg (Lightning War)

  • Main Tactics:
    • Speed of attack.
    • Effective communication.
    • Element of surprise.
  • Parachutists were deployed behind enemy lines to disrupt enemy strongholds and communication lines.
  • Blitzkrieg involves rapid tank columns, infantry support, and dive bomber attacks.
  • Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, defeating the Polish army within a week.

Britain and France's Response

  • They pledged to assist Poland and declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939.
  • Limited fighting occurred for approximately six months.
  • Britain started helping France and Belgium establish defensive positions along their borders.

German Blitzkrieg in 1940

  • In Spring 1940, Germany utilized blitzkrieg tactics to attack France, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, and Belgium.
  • Within months, Hitler's army occupied much of central Europe.
  • Thousands of British, French, and Belgian troops were evacuated from Dunkirk to England using various vessels.

The Battle of Britain and the Blitz

  • In 1940, Britain stood alone without powerful allies, aside from its Empire.
  • Hitler aimed to dominate Europe by invading Britain.
  • Before invading, Hitler had to destroy the RAF (Britain’s air force).
  • Initial German air raids targeted British military air bases, but Britain retaliated.
  • In August and September, intense air battles occurred over Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Essex.
  • Britain used Spitfires and Hurricane fighters against German Messerschmitt and Heinkel planes.
  • Hitler lost the Battle of Britain and postponed invasion plans, instead launching night bombing raids on British cities (the Blitz).

More German Victories

  • Despite the Blitz, Britain resisted.
  • By 1941, Hitler turned his attention to the USSR.
  • In April 1941, Germans assisted Italian allies in invading Greece and Yugoslavia, also targeting British bases in parts of Africa.
  • Germany attacked the USSR in June 1941, pushing the Soviets back until October, reaching within 95km of Moscow.
  • As winter began, it seemed the German army was unstoppable.

Japan Enters the War

  • In late 1941, Japan entered the war with a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.
  • Thousands of American soldiers died, and many fighter planes and warships were destroyed.
  • The US declared war against Japan and its allies (Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, and Japan).
  • Japan achieved numerous victories against America and seized British colonies like Hong Kong, Malaya, Burma, and French Indo-China.
  • By early 1942, the Allies were losing; Germans neared Moscow and Japanese pushed back American forces in the east.

Key Turning Points (1942-1943)

  • June 1942: The Battle of Midway
  • June 1942 – Feb. 1943: The Battle of Stalingrad
  • Oct.–Nov. 1942: El Alamein

Axis Powers Decline (1943-1945)

  • End of 1943: Italy surrenders, Mussolini captured and shot.
  • July 1944: D-Day; Allied forces landed in Normandy, forcing Germans back; Hitler's opponent attempts assassination.
  • Apr. 1945: Germany surrenders; British and American forces closed in on Berlin from the west, while the USSR advanced from the east, liberating German-held towns and cities.
  • August 6 and 9, 1945: Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
  • August 14, 1945: World War 2 Ends

5.2 Remembering Dunkirk

  • Reasons why Dunkirk evacuations could be considered both success and failure
  • Examine different opinions about the Dunkirk evacuation

Operation Dynamo

  • The plan was to evacuate troops to Britain using warships.
  • Civilians were asked to assist with small boats, paddle steamers, fishing boats, yachts, and rowing boats.
  • From May 26 to June 4, over 800 boats rescued approximately 200,000 British and 140,000 French and Belgian troops from Dunkirk beaches.

Timeline of the Dunkirk Evacuation (May 26-June 4, 1940)

  • Sunday, May 26: German forces resume offensive; Operation Dynamo begins.
  • Monday, May 27: First full day of Operation Dynamo; Luftwaffe destroys Dunkirk harbour; 7,669 troops rescued.
  • Tuesday, May 28: Belgian Army surrenders; cloud and smoke increase evacuation effort; 17,804 troops rescued.
  • Wednesday, May 29: Maximum effort by Luftwaffe; French Army joins evacuation; 47,310 troops rescued.
  • Thursday, May 30: Bad weather hinders Luftwaffe; German Panzers withdraw; 53,823 troops rescued.
  • Friday, May 31: 35,000 troops captured at Lille; Dynamo’s biggest day with 68,014 troops rescued.
  • Saturday, June 1: Clear weather aids Luftwaffe.

Debate: Dunkirk Evacuation Success

  • The evacuation of Dunkirk was a success

5.3 Who Were ‘the Few’

  • Examine Operation Sealion
  • Assess why Hitler couldn’t invade Britain in September 1940

Germany’s Position in July 1940

  • Germany was winning the war.
  • Hitler aimed to become the ‘Master of Europe’.
  • Hitler put Herman Göring in charge of the Luftwaffe and military forces.
  • Operation Sealion was Hitler’s plan to take over Britain.
  • The RAF pushed back the Luftwaffe, marking a turning point.
  • Hitler initiated the Blitz in response to his inability to invade Britain.

RAF vs Luftwaffe

  • RAF Planes:
    • Hawker Hurricane
    • Supermarine Spitfire
  • Luftwaffe Planes:
    • Messerschmitt BF1 109
    • Messerschmitt BF 110
    • Heinkel HE III

Desperate Odds in July 1940 – "The Few"

  • RAF Fighter Command:
    • Nearly 3,000 pilots (with Fighter Command)
    • Average age of 20
    • 640 Aircraft
    • Supported by Bomber Command and Coastal Command
    • Average pilot/officer's annual salary: roughly £264, or about 30,000 today
  • Luftwaffe:
    • 2,600 Aircraft
  • Aircraft and men lost from July to October 1940:
    • RAF aircraft: 1,023
    • Luftwaffe aircraft: 1,887
    • RAF Fighter Command Pilots: 544

RAF Near Defeat

  • By late August, the RAF was close to defeat.
  • Air battles caused massive city damage.
  • Britain faced shortages of experienced pilots.
  • Germany also encountered issues.
    • Britain used new radar technology for enemy plane detection.
    • Britain’s aircraft production surpassed Germany’s.

Britain’s Defense Methods

  • Radar: Radar stations on the south coast detected German planes up to 80 miles away, allowing time to prepare.
  • Observer Corps: 30,000 civilian volunteers tracked and reported German planes, aiding RAF tactics.
  • The Dowding System: Fighter Command HQ at Bentley Priory, led by Hugh Dowding, used radar and Observer Corps data to plan air defenses.
  • Barrage Balloons: Large balloons with steel cables protected towns and cities by forcing enemy aircraft higher, hindering target accuracy.

Battle of Britain Climax

  • September 15 marked the Battle of Britain’s final major engagement.
  • Germany lost 60 aircraft compared to Britain’s 25.
  • Hitler postponed Operation Sealion two days later.
  • Due to this loss, Hitler initiated the Blitz on London and other cities.
  • RAF pilots in the Battle of Britain were known as ‘the Few’.

5.4 Soldiers of Empire

  • Examine which countries helped Britain fight during the Second World War
  • Identify the contribution of these ‘soldiers of Empire’, and the countries that sent them

Noor Inayat Khan

  • In June 1943, she was flown to France as a radio operator for the 'Prosper' resistance network in Paris, codenamed 'Madeleine’.
  • Betrayed by a Frenchwoman, she was arrested by the Gestapo in October.
  • She had copies of all secret signals and the Germans used her radio to trick London into sending new agents to the Gestapo.
  • Kept in chains and solitary confinement, she refused to reveal information despite torture.
  • In September 1944, Khan and three other female SOE agents were transferred to Dachau concentration camp, where they were shot on September 13.

Contributions from the British Empire

  • Significant support from British Empire nations, some now 'self-governing' (e.g., Australia and Canada).
  • India provided a training base and food supplies.
  • Africa supplied raw materials.
  • Canada produced tanks, ships, and aircraft.
  • West Indians volunteered for jobs in Britain due to worker shortages.

Number of Soldiers from the Empire

  • Canada: Over 1 million - Played a role in D-Day landings and supplies.
  • India: 2\frac{1}{2} million – largest volunteer army.
  • West Indies: 16,000 volunteered (6,000 serving as RAF ground staff, fighter pilots, bomb aimers, and machine-gunners).
  • Africa: Thousands from British East Africa, 60,000 from northern and southern Rhodesia.
  • South Africa: Over 330,000 South Africans fought, with 11,000 fatalities.
  • New Zealand: 160,000 (9% of its population).
  • Australia: Almost 1 million served.

5.5 Evacuation

  • Define the word ‘evacuation’ and explain why it took place
  • Assess the experiences of evacuees and their hosts

Evacuation from Towns and Cities

  • For 4 days in September 1939, the government took over Britain’s entire transport system.
  • Buses and trains moved vulnerable people from likely bombing zones to safer countryside areas.
  • Vulnerable people included:
    • Mothers and children under five
    • Pregnant women
    • School children
    • Blind and disabled people
    • Teachers

Evacuee Experiences

  • Children carried suitcases with clothes, gas masks in cardboard boxes, and name tags.
  • Thousands of children were sent away from home, unprepared for what they would face.
  • Two methods of finding foster homes:
    • Choose a Child
    • Hunt for a home

Life as an Evacuee

  • Some settled down happily, while others were homesick.
  • Foster parents faced difficulties; some children were poorly clothed, thin, and infested with lice and nits.
  • Some 'rougher' evacuees shocked their foster families with swearing and misbehavior.

Return After the Blitz

  • Later that year, during ‘the Blitz’, many children started returning home.
  • The enemy bombers hadn’t arrived as expected and by March 1940, nearly 1 million children had gone home
  • Children returned home after a few months

5.6 The Home Front

  • Recall key terms and concepts such as rationing, Home Guard and total war
  • Identify ways in which the Second World War affected ordinary citizens

The Blitz

  • German bombers targeted major British cities in late 1940 during the Blitz.
  • London endured the heaviest bombing for 11 weeks.
  • By the end of May 1941, over 30,000 civilians were killed in raids, 87,000 were injured, and over a million homes were destroyed or damaged.

Home Guard

  • In May 1940, the government called for men aged 17-65 not in the army to join the ‘Home Guard’.
  • Home Guard members couldn't join the regular army as they were necessary for war efforts.
  • Included farm workers, teachers, railway workers, and those too old or with health problems.
  • They were paid but initially lacked weapons, so they made their own.

Air Raid Precautions (ARP)

  • ARP wardens patrolled streets at night, aiding during air raids by directing people to shelters, providing first aid, and assisting emergency services.
  • The government distributed millions of gas masks to civilians.

Civilian Preparations

  • Civilians prepared for air attacks; many built bomb shelters.
  • Germans tried to cut off supplies, sinking ships carrying food and goods to Britain.
  • In 1940, the government introduced rationing, providing a fixed weekly amount of fuel, clothing, and certain foods.
  • Citizens were encouraged to grow their own food through the 'Dig for Victory' campaign.
  • People used blackout curtains to prevent light from escaping.
  • Evacuation took place for children, teachers, pregnant women, and the disabled.

5.7 How Did the Second World War Change Health and Medicine?

  • Recall key developments in health and medicine during and after WW2
  • Assess the impact of the war on surgery, health and medicine

Blood Transfusions

  • Blood Transfusion is advanced in storing blood.
  • Advances in storing blood after WWI extended its freshness and longevity.
  • Large blood banks were developed in the USA and Britain leading up to WW2.
  • In 1946, the British government established the National Blood Transfusion Service.

Plastic Surgery Advancements

  • Dr. Archibald McIndoe (cousin of Harold Gilles) from New Zealand pioneered new treatments for severe burns suffered by pilots.
  • He used drugs in new ways to prevent and manage infections.

Diet Improvements

  • Food shortages led the government to encourage people to grow their own food.
  • This resulted in improved diets due to increased consumption of fresh vegetables.

Hygiene and Disease

  • Government used posters to promote healthy living and warned against poor hygiene.
  • A national immunization programme against diphtheria was launched.

Evacuation and Poverty

  • Evacuation highlighted the poverty in Britain’s towns and cities.
  • Evacuated children, often from poor backgrounds, benefited from better diets and cleaner air in the countryside.
  • During the war, over a million children were evacuated from towns and cities to the countryside.

Heart Surgery Developments

  • Many soldiers suffered heart injuries from gunfire and bombs.
  • American army surgeon Dwight Harken developed techniques to operate on beating hearts, removing bullets and shrapnel.
  • His findings contributed to the advancement of heart surgery.

The National Health Service (NHS)

  • In 1942, William Beveridge proposed a 'free NHS for all'.

5.8 Penicillin and the War

  • Examine the development of penicillin
  • Asses the impact of penicillin

The Discovery of Penicillin

  • Penicillin is a natural substance derived from mould.
  • Doctors in the 1800s observed that some moulds could kill germs.
  • Alexander Fleming is credited with its initial discovery.

5.9 Why was Sir Arthur Harris such a controversial figure?

  • Explain the difference between precision bombing and area bombing
  • Formulate an opinion on why you think Dresden was bombed

War Crimes Definition

  • Violations of the laws or customs of war, including:
    • Atrocities against persons or property.
    • Murder, ill-treatment, or deportation of civilian populations in occupied territories.
    • Murder or ill-treatment of prisoners of war.
    • Killing of hostages.
    • Torture or inhuman treatment, including biological experiments.
    • Plunder of public or private property.

Dresden Bombing

  • From 1939 to 1945, bomber planes played significant roles.
  • American and British planes dropped about 3 million tons of bombs on 131 German cities.
  • Approximately half a million German civilians died, and 8 million became homeless.
  • German planes bombed British cities, resulting in 400,000 deaths in air raids.

Bombing Strategies

  • Precision bombing: targeting key sites like factories, ports, bridges, roads, and railway stations.
  • Area bombing: bombing entire towns and cities to ensure complete destruction.
  • In October 1944, a British report deemed Dresden an ‘unattractive target’.
  • However, in January 1945, British spies reported a concentration of German soldiers in Dresden, making it a bombing target.

Dresden Firestorm

  • Planes used incendiary and high explosive bombs, causing Dresden to ignite rapidly.
  • The bombs created a firestorm.

5.10 Why is Winston Churchill on a £5 note?

  • Outline why Winston Churchill appears of a £5 note
  • Assess whether you think he was a ‘truly great leader’ or not

Qualities of a Good Leader

  • Listing words to describe a good leader.
  • Giving example of good leaders.
  • Listing the important wualities of good leaders
  • Wartime leader qualities vs peacetime leader qualities

Winston Churchill's Role

  • Prime Minister of Britain during WW2.
  • Remembered for leading Britain during the war.
  • He led the country in the fight against Hitler.
  • His radio addresses helped the British people stay strong and positive during wartime bombing.
  • Churchill was against appeasement and advocated standing up to Hitler.

5.12 The War Goes Nuclear

  • Explain how and why the USA joined the Second World War
  • Assess the immediate impact of the nuclear attack in 1945

Japan’s Eastern Empire

  • The USA and Japan wanted influence and control over the rich lands of the Far East (coal, oil, rubber and copper)
  • The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour to destroy the US Pacific fleet to stop them from taking lands
  • Japanese forces swept through the Far East

The Empire Falls Back

  • By the end of 1942, the USA and the allies stopped the Japanese and recovered land in the Far East
  • In May 1945, the war in Europe ended.
  • Japan was close to defeat, had no allies, a destroyed navy and short of food.
  • The Japanese government began talks with the USSR about a possible surrender
  • President Harry S Truman decided to bomb Japan

Atomic Bombings

  • August 6, 1945: American B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima.
    • The bomb exploded with the force of 20,000 tons of TNT
  • August 9, 1945: A second bomb (fat man) by Bockscar on Nagasaki.
  • August 15, Emperor, Hirohito announced Japan's surrender.

Hiroshima Bombing Details

  • Exploded 570 metres above the ground
  • Those closes to the explosion were evaporated in the 300,000-degree Celsius heat
  • Everything within a mile was flatten
  • Fires began, destroying 67% of building
  • The Americans estimated that 79,000 people were killed
  • The Japanese claimed 240,000 lost their lives

Nagasaki Bombing Details

  • America claimed 20,000 died
  • Japanese claimed it was 50,000

Reasons for Using the Atomic Bomb

  • To end the war quickly.
  • To get revenge.
  • To justify the expense.
  • To demonstrate power.

Timeline of WWII Key Events

  • September 1939: Germany invades Poland, triggering declarations of war from Britain and France.
  • May 1940: Germany invades France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands; Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister.
  • May-June 1940: Dunkirk evacuation.
  • July-October 1940: Battle of Britain.
  • June 1941: Germany invades the Soviet Union.
  • December 1941: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor.
  • June 1944: D-Day.
  • May 1945: VE-Day.
  • August 1945: Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
  • September 1945: World War Two ends.

5.13 A United Nations

  • Explain what the United Nations is, and what it does
  • Examine how the UN is organised

UN Charter Aims and Rules

  • UN can’t interfere in the way countries run themselves (elections, policing etc)
  • UN should encourage cooperation at all and promote human rights
  • UN should promote peace and can send ‘peace keeping forces’ to settle disputes in war-torn countries.

The General Assembly

  • It is a world Parliament, with each country having one vote.
  • There were 51 member countries in 1945.
  • By 2011, there were 193 Secretary – General
  • A key person who manages the UN and speaks on its behalf
  • Current SG: António Guterres, Portugal

Security Council

  • The five most powerful countries at the end of WW2 formed the permanent Security Council.
  • They are joined by 10 other countries (temporary members) on a rotation basis.
  • The Security Council meets when it looks like a dispute could turn into a war.
  • They can stop countries attacking each other by:
    • Economic sanctions
    • Sending in soldiers – or peacekeepers – to prevent or contain the fighting
  • Any decision must be unanimous (yes) from all permanent members.

International Organizations

  • International Labour Organisation (ILO): It Tries to protect workers all over the world by improving their conditions, pay, rights and insurance
  • International Court of Justice: Based in the Netherlands. Fifteen judges, each from a different nation, settle legal disputes between countries before they lead to war

Other UN Organizations

  • Children’s Fund (UNICEF): Helps underfed, poorly treated or neglected children, promotes child healthcare programmes
  • World Health Organization (WHO): Organizes health campaigns, does research, runs clinics, vaccinates against infectious diseases. Eliminated smallpox – large scale vaccination programmes
  • Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO): Gets countries to work together and share each other’s scientific discoveries and ideas about education, literacy and communication