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Germany’s 3 Mistakes

+Dunkirk (May-Jun. 1940)

By May 1940 Germany reaches France's Northern Coast.

Allied Troops forced to retreat to Dunkirk, on the English Channel.

330,000 men were trapped along coast.

Mistake: Hitler never calls for full scale German attack (Why? ….Took the advice of his generals not to attack and save their tanks to destroy the French forces moving South: Belief that they could win from the “air”)

+The Battle of Britain(Aug. 1940-Jun. 1941)

Germany knocked out 6 of 7 stations along coast; while at the same time they conducted nightly bombing raid of cities, including London.

Mistakes:

1. Herman Goerring, head of the Luftwaffe ordered an end to bombing of RADAR stations, Turned their attacks to the bombing of London (even though RAF was days from becoming inoperable)

2. Change in strategy allowed British Fighters to recover and repel Germany's attack. In additon, Britain then bombed Germany. Germany for the 1st time was attacked (which Hitler believed was not possible)

(Why? Hitler focused on defeating Communist Russia)

+Operation Barbarossa(Jun. 1941)

Germans launch full scale invasion in summer of 1941

Hitler does not heed his generals advice (those with more battle experience)

Germans planned on a 3-4 month plan to takeover; Belief that Leningrad and Moscow would fall quickly

Hitler chose not to strategically withdraw when it was wise to do so

Did not coordinate any effective attacks with Japanese (they fought separately from each other; did not exchange information with each other)

Mistakes:

1. German’s short on supplies; Soldiers not properly equipped for the winter

2. Temperatures dipped to -30 degrees Fahrenheit; halting German advance.

+Decision to go to war against….

The United States

Hitler assumed America was ruled by “blacks” and “jews” and were incapable of fighting effectively in WWII (puts ideology ahead of everything else)

No senior Nazi officials had personal knowledge of the U.S. (“When has a jewified country ever put any fighters in the air.”)

1944 (Germany produced 28,000 war planes; the U.S. produced 98,000 war planes)