World War Too! - Allens Axiomallensaxiom.ednet.ns.ca/old on-line notes/On-Line Notes/World...
Transcript of World War Too! - Allens Axiomallensaxiom.ednet.ns.ca/old on-line notes/On-Line Notes/World...
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World War Too!Is what comes after World War One.
Back Story of WW2
WW2 began after a long and difficult economic period
(The Great Depression – See Unit II for more)
More so for Germany – the Depression as well as
complications from the enforcement of the Treaty of
Versailles
Germany was in turmoil internally, with the continued
economic down turn.
All problems were viewed by the German people as their
government’s fault – not British, French, global economic
failure.
“Without leadership all is lost” –God.
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Slow economic growth
Hyper inflation – quantitative easing
produces more bank notes.
Massive numbers of unemployed
Adolf Hitler
• Rises to power in the midst of a Germany that has
or has accepted that there is no hope.
• Convinces Germans that:
-they need to be proud of being German
-they need to take responsibility for what has gone
on.
-remember who was responsible for all of this
Britain, France, and USA The Jews!
• History remembers that the Jewish people have
been: betrayed, murdered, out cast, abused by many
cultures over 1000’s of years. They are convenient.
Scapegoat
• Hitler fragments the German society.
• Anything that can unite Germans together is a
threat. Religion too.
Hitler and Germany
Ironically, the swastika is a symbol used by many religions
around the world.
Religion is direct threat to Hitler’s
image of what Germany should be.
Germans must owe allegiance to
party – the nation, no others!
Fascism.
German Political Party
Was it clear that this would end in..
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Nazi Germany
…this, and…
Nazi Germany
…sadly, this
Political Choices in Post WW1 Germany:
Options were extreme for Germans Mistakes of Hitler
While historians accept that Hitler was a masterful
politician, he was lacking in military leadership. There is no
doubt that Hitler was fortunately his worst enemy. There
are several pieces of historical evidence to support the
ineptitude of Hitler as a military tactician.
1. Dunkirk
2. Battle of Britain
3. Operation Barbarossa
4. Ukraine
5. Technology
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Dunkirk: May 26 1940
Dunkirk
German advance had force all forces to the shores of the English Channel
British, Belgian, Czechoslovakian, French Troops withdrawal
It is hoped that 50,000 soldiers can be saved from disaster.
Miracle of Dunkirk
Troops waiting on the beach for rescue, nowhere to go.
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A true miracle
The Little ships of Dunkirk rescued 338,000 soldiers
British retreat
The loss of materiel on the beaches was huge.
The British Army left enough equipment behind to equip
about eight to ten divisions. Left behind in France were,
among huge supplies of ammunition, 880 field guns, 310
guns of large calibre, some 500 anti-aircraft guns, about 850
anti-tanks guns, 11,000 machine guns, nearly 700 tanks,
20,000 motorcycles, and 45,000 motor cars and lorries.
Army equipment available at home was only just sufficient
to equip two divisions
Why did Hitler order the halt to the attack
knowing the entire area was surrounded?
What was he thinking? 50,000 POW taken
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Battle of Britain
July 1940-December 1940
"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so
many to so few"
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain was the first major campaign to be
fought entirely by air forces, and was also the largest and
most sustained aerial bombing campaign to that date.
The Darkest Hour
Was a phrase coined by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to describe the period of World
War II between the fall of France in 1940 and the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, a
time when the British Commonwealth stood alone against Nazi Germany and the Axis Powers in
Europe.
Battle of Britain
The German objective was to gain air superiority over the
Royal Air Force (RAF). From July 1940: coastal shipping
convoys and shipping centres, RAF airfields and
infrastructure. As the battle progressed, aircraft factories
and ground infrastructure were targeted and then
eventually the Luftwaffe resorted to attacking areas of
political significance and using terror bombing strategy.
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Battle of Britain
Air Raid Shelter in the London Tube (subway)
Battle of Britain
Air Raid Shelters
Battle of Britain Battle of Britain
By preventing Germany from gaining air superiority, the
battle ended the threat that Hitler would launch Operation
Sea Lion, an amphibious and airborne invasion of Britain. The
failure of Germany to achieve its objectives of destroying
Britain's air defences, or
forcing Britain to negotiate
an armistice or an outright
surrender, is considered its
first major defeat and a
crucial turning point in the
Second World War.
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Battle of Britain
The objective to bring
the downfall of the RAF
was the intention of this
campaign, but was not
realized.
Battle of Britain
Represented a significant victory over Germany at a time when hope was uncertain.
Operation Barbarossa
June 1941
Operation Barbarossa
German Invasion of Russia
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Operation Barbarossa
Stalin’s non-aggression pact was no longer able to protect him and the USSR
Operation Barbarossa
Largest invasion of WW2
The Battle for Stalingrad
23 August 1942 – 2 February 1943
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II
in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet
Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd)
in the southwestern Soviet Union. Marked by constant
close quarters combat
and disregard for military
and civilian casualties, it
is among the bloodiest
battles in the history
of warfare.
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Battle of Stalingrad
850,000 German casualties vs. 1,120,000 Soviet casualties
The Ukraine
German invasion of the Ukraine was a complete blunder from a tactical position.
The Ukraine
Forced labour, German or Soviet – did not matter
Technology
German technology was recognized as being vastly superior
to anything the Allied armies had fielded.
Included:
Infantry weapons:
Artillery
Aircraft
Ships
V Series
…and some very scary stuff.
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StG 44
The weapon was not appreciated by Hitler as it did not meet his needs – not the army’s
The V-2 Rocket
The V-1 Rocket Me 262
969 kmph vs P-51 Mustang’s speed of 703 kmph
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X-ray Gun
No actual weapon was found, but evidence suggests that several were built
Nazi UFO?
Moon Base…
Really?
Chapter 5 Vocabulary
1. Imperialism
2. Domestic Product (GDP)
3. Saturation Bombing
4. Baby Boomers
5. Zombies
6. Referendum
7. Genocide
8. Roma
9. Great Depression
10. Fascism
11. Totalitarianism
12. Appeasement:
13. Munich Agreement
14. Blitzkrieg
15. Corvettes
16. Luftwaffe's
17. Non-Agression Pact
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Canada During WW2
Battle of St. Lawrence.
Canada was supplying food,
oil, weapons and
ammunition to England.
Carried by cargo ships.
Convoys were all "parked"
in the St. Lawrence as it was
considered safe.
Convoys were organized
here before crossing
Atlantic.
St. Lawrence Seaway protected by RCN
Submarine nets protected
seaway.
Destroyers, air patrols.
This seaway had numerous
ports, ship building facilities,
railway and cargo
infrastructure.
Cargo superiority
At the height of WW2, the liberty ship production was increased to 44 day construction period.
Liberty Ship Production
Allied (US + Canada) were able to mobilize their industrial might and build massive projects throughout the
war. This was one of the greatest powers that Canada and the USA had over the Axis powers.
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Canada and the War at Sea
Important theatre of
operation.
Merchant Marine – true
veterans of WW2.
Supply routes to England
(Weapons, oil, food,
ammunition, soldiers)
They were the life line to
England.
Protection of convoys from
German U-boats.
German U-Boat threat
Hitler revisited the same tactics from WWI: The Wolf Pack
Enigma: secret code for German military, worked in tracking and organizing attacks on convoys.
Enigma was broken in 1941, but Germany was not aware of this!
Canadian Corvettes
To protect the convoys -
Corvettes: small, fast sub-
hunters.
They were really patrol
ships with a crew of 40-100.
They were cheap to build,
and could be produced in
large numbers.
Effective weapons: depth
charges (hedge hogs), small
guns and AA defenses.
Battle of the Atlantic
Destroyer: were much larger
and true sub-hunters. They
would hunt subs and protect
convoys.
While not as quickly
constructed, they were the go-
to ship of the RCN in WW2.
Armed with larger guns,
Sonar - passive (listen) or
active (ping)
Depth Charges (hedgehogs)
And torpedos
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Battle of the Atlantic
Some ships are famous for winning a single battle: HMS Victory .
Some ships are famous for a single tragic loss: USS Arizona .
And some ships are famous for an entire career of exemplary service: HMCS Haida, ‘the fightingest ship in the Royal Canadian Navy'.
The Haida sank more enemy surface tonnage than any other Canadian warship during WW2.
Torpedo Strikes
A torpedo does not have to ignite any fuel or ammunition, it simply breaks the back of a ship!
Secrets of the War at Sea.
USS Indianapolis:Heavy cruiser.
Ordered to deliver a secret cargo to an secret air base in the Pacific. It would make it to the secret destination, but would be sunk by Japanese submarine I-58 on it’s return July 30, 1944.
Of the 1196 crew, 880 men went into the water, 321 came out.
Air WarBritish Commonwealth Air Training Plan (Located on Pg. 60)
The English/Australian/Canadian pilots all trained here.
1. It was safe to fly because there were no Germans.
2. Few people lived in Northern Canada.
Over 200,000 trainees passed through Canada during this time.
The contribution of Canada in the Battle of Britain was immense.
Women pilots were used as messengers and for cargo, allowing men to take on combat roles.
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British Commonwealth Air Training PLan RCAF in WW2
Hurricane: Fighter plane that
was mass-produced¸equal to
the German Messerschmitt
Accounted for 60% of
downed German planes
during Battle of Britain.
Spitfire:Was a faster fighter
interceptor than the
Hurricane, with a higher
victory-to-loss ratio.
RCAF in WW2
Mosquito: Made out of
wood and had two rolls
Royce engines that could
reach high altitude. The
purpose of this plane was to
take wood workers who
had no jobs during the war
and use them to make these
planes out of wood.
Ended up producing a highly
effective multi-role
fighter/bomber.
No. 6 Group (Bomber Command)
Top: Wellington light bomber, Below: Halifax heavy bomber
No. 6 Group RCAF was a Canadian Air Force (RCAF) bomber squadron based in England.Canadian bombers saw action in 1941 and were attached to RAF Bomber Command groups.
Canada wanted its own identifiable presence in Allied air operations, and did not want its air force to be merely a “source of manpower” for the Royal Air Force.
To this end, 6 (RCAF) Group was formed on 25 October 1942
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The Bombing of Dresden
Attack on the German city of Dresden February 13 & 15, 1945
Over 1200 bombers (2100 including fighter escorts) were launched.
City was heavily damaged
Targets were to be infrastructure only
Turned towards a heavy civilian loss: 25,000 killed, as many as 200,000
Battle of Hong Kong
On December 8, 1941 Japan attacks Hong Kong. Hong Kong was a colony of the UK.
Considered by British to be too far away to protect write off - will lose it to Japan.
UK would not defend it. They put up a fight then retreat.
British had troops there as did India. Canada adds 1973 soldiers as a token force: (not worth much) They were completely untrained, with many soldiers having never fired a weapon.
Battle of Hong KongCanada's first combat of World War II was a disaster.
Moved to support Hong Kong was poorly thought out.
Hong Kong is attacked, allied soldiers cannot hold back Japanese they were overwhelmed.
Disadvantage: Terrain was too large Dividing Canadians/UK/Indians into two groups or pockets and isolated them.
13th and 18th of December, Japan asked for them to surrender but they refused.
For untrained troops they fought extremely well.
On the 17th of December relief ships were sunk in Pearl Harbour.
All hope was gone at this point.
Battle of Hong Kong
25th of December, Hong Kong surrendered.
Of the 1970 Canadians in Hong Kong 290 were killed in combat, 590 died as POW’s, and the rest were prisoners of war.
The Prisoners of War: Were place in lumber camps.
POW’s were only fed 800 calories a day which was a starvation diet. They were treated brutally. The Japanese hated them because they were considered cowards to surrender.
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Battle of Hong Kong
Bushido:The Japanese Warrior Code:
fight until the death, no surrendering.
The treatment of any prisoner was in
direct conflict with the Japanese ideal
of being a warrior. Soldiers who
surrender while still able to resist:
criminal!
Thus they felt that prisoners had
earned their brutal treatment.
In 1948 a confidential analysis
concluded that proper training and
equipment would have made little
difference to the Canadians who
were stationed in Hong Kong.
Chinese Genocide of WW2
While much less information is known of this atrocity, it ranks among the bloodiest events of WW2.
Conservative estimates claim 3 million fatalities, while more liberal estimates are in the 10 million victim range.
Chinese Genocide
Rape of Nanking in December 1937 300,000 to 600,000 people (20,000 – 80,000 were females subjected to gang rapes then killed to eliminate witnesses). 90,000 POW’s: shot, bayonetted, burned, beheaded, buried alive.
The sword from “The Contest.”
(Beheading contest).
Japanese Heroes of Nanking
Two Japanese officers compete in challenge to first kill 100 prisoners by sword. Guy on left wins with a tally of
106 vs. the score of only 105.
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Japan’s Unit 731
Medical, Biological and Chemical Unit
Unit 731Experiments on Chinese -referred to as “logs,” with reports stating how many logs fell during testing.
1. Vivisection without anesthetic
2. Blood loss, and gangrene studies
3. Germ warfare (Cholera, Anthrax, dysentery, Bubonic Plague)
4. Weapons testing (grenades, flame throwers)
5. Human limits: food/water deprivation, hypothermia, centrifuge, burns, injections of saline solution or animal blood.
General Ishii, commander od Unit 731. Arrested by the USA after the surrender of Japan. Was given immunity, allegedly moved to New England and worked for US military.
The Dieppe Raid
Who?
When?
Where?
What?
Why?
How?
The Dieppe Raid
August 19, 1942
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The Dieppe Raid
August 19, 1942
The War at Home
World War 2 was a moment
in history that forced
Canada to break free of the
Great Depression
Canadians were put back to
work changing the mass
unemployment to masses of
employed.
Industrial output doubled
from 1939 to 1945 in order
to meet war time goals.
War at Home _ continuedThe Canadian government took full control of the economy, and turned it into a war-winning weapon.
During the Second World War, Canadian industries manufactured materials and supplies for Canada, the United States, Britain, The total value of Canadian war production was almost $10 billion - approximately $100 billion in today’s dollars.
The Canadian contribution made a crucial difference to the winning of the war. For a nation of 11 million people it was an incredible accomplishment.
Canadian Production
$11 billion dollars of
munitions
1.7 million small arms
43,000 heavy guns
16,000 aircraft
2 million tonnes of
explosives
815,000 military vehicles,
50,000 tanks and
armoured gun carriers
9,000 boats and ships
Anti-tank and field
artillery
Naval guns
Small arms and automatic
weapons
Radar sets and Electronics
Synthetic rubber
Uranium for the
’Manhattan Project’
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War ProductionCanada was faced with the challenge of creating - practically from scratch -a strong industrial base to produce weapons and war materials for the war effort.
Canadian industry and the workforce of our country stepped up with an amazing response to this situation and helped contribute to the Allied victory in the war.
It lent money to Britain interest-free, gave it a gift of war supplies in January.In 1942 and then donated surplus production to Canada’s allies through the Canadian Mutual Aid Board.
Canada was making war production available to the Allied countries which could not afford to buy it.
The country was wealthy. Everyone who wanted to work could. There were limits on wages and restrictions in the choosing and changing of jobs.
There were also some shortages and rationing of food and other products.
Income taxes, an invention of the First World War is still a legacy.
War Measures Act
Japanese Internment Camps Conscription
The Conscription Crisis of
1944 was a political and
military crisis following the
introduction of forced
military service in Canada
during World War II.
Conscription was declared
late in the war, only 2463
conscripted men reached
the front lines.
Out of these, 79 lost their
lives.
King’s claim:
"not necessarily
conscription but
conscription if necessary.“
Canadian
Zombies
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Canada: The Italian Campaign1943
Italy was selected as a target;
1. Open a front (third one with Russia and soon to be France) – spread the Germans thin.
2. Belief that Italy would not resist an allied invasion as Italy was no longer in the war.
The defense of Italy was based on a series of lines that would hold the allied army – causing maximum damage.
German troops in Italy were also all veterans of combat.
Germans lead by Marshall Kesselring:
Directed by Hitler to protect Italy.
USA Clarke: His job was to open up Italy.
UK: Montgomery wanted to be Prime Minister after the war. Rome is his key to the election following the war.
Clarke and Montgomery had a personality conflict with each other.
German Defensive Lines (or Winter Line)
The Winter line of Italy 1943
Italian Campaign
Italy was the soft under belly
of Europe and Stalin had
been isolated.
Panzer Turret 88's mm:
A gun that was put into the
ground and could defeat any
tank.
23 000 machine gun nests
Overlapping fields of fire.
The defense of Italy was
very well planned
Canada: The Italian Campaign1943
Monte Cassino :Was a Abbey on top of a hill halted the UK and USA for four months. It was considered a "killing zone" and had a 360 degree view to bomb.
There were more casualties during the Italian Campaign than the Western front in France.
Soon to be forgotten once France was invaded.
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Battle of Ortona
Canadian Troops moved North eventually making it to the Italian city of Ortona where they met heavy German resistance.
The Canadians fought well at Ortona. However, it was at a great cost:
502 dead and 1,873 wounded.
In Italy, 6,000 Canadians died
Canada: The Italian Campaign1943
- 93 000 Canadian men in
Italy. They were ordered to
rest and recover so that
they wouldn't take Rome.
- June 6, 1944 → No one
remembers Italy anymore
because of D-day
D-Day: Operation Overlord
D. Day was the invasion of Normandy. It happened on Juno Beach and was a Canadian attack. There were 5 beach heads, 2 US called Utah and Omaha, 2 British called Gold and Sword, and 1 Canadian
called Juno.
D-Day: Juno Beach
D-Day was the invasion of
Normandy (Operation
Overlord)
June 6, 1944
There were 5 beach heads:
Utah and Omaha (US beaches)
Gold and Sword, (British)
Juno (Canadian)
Juno Beach:Was the second
most difficult beach to assault.
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Hitler’s Atlantic Wall D-Day: Juno1.1 million Canadians served in WWII, including 106,000 in the Royal Canadian Navy and 200,000 in the Royal Canadian Air Force- 42,042 killed - 54,414 wounded
14,000 Canadians landed on D-Day 450 jumped by parachute or landed by glider
- 340 killed - 574 wounded - 47 taken prisoner
D-Day Juno and BeyondThe beach was fronted by the small villages of Courseulles-sur-Mer, Bernièresand St. Aubin.
Canadian Objectives:
1. To establish a beachhead, capture the three small seaside towns,
2. Advance ten miles inland, cut the Caen -Bayeux highway,
3. Seize the Carpiquet airport west of Caen,
4. Form a link between the British beachheads Sword and Gold.
3rd Canadian Division progressed further inland than any of the Allies on D-Day.
During the first six days of the Normandy campaign, 1,017 Canadians died.
Juno Beach
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Canada’s Northern European CampaignFollowing the Normandy landings, the Canadian Corps was given the task to head North easterly towards the Netherlands.
The fighting in Normandy continued throughout June and July of 1944. The Canadians experienced some of the hardest fighting imaginable against the powerful Panzer divisions in the struggle to capture the city of Caen.
In the face of fierce resistance and heavy losses, progress was slower than the US or British forces.
More than a month elapsed before Carpiquet airfield was captured as a preliminary to the seizure of Caen. Caen was taken on July 10.
From Normandy to the NetherlandsAfter taking Caen, the first task given to the Corps was to break out of Caen across the Orne River with the objective of enlarging the bridgehead and holding down German troops to assist the American breakout in the west.
The fighting was tough and bloody, resulting in heavy losses; however, the strategic gains were great as the Canadians held against some of Germany's best armoured formations.
With this action the US were able to break free of there German defenders and begin the encircling around the German forces. Forces the Germans to pull back to face the American threat.
From the Netherlands to Germany
August 25, 1944, Germany
withdraws from France, and
sets up for a last-ditch defense
of the homeland.
May 9, 1945 Germany
surrenders declaring V-E Day.
V-J Day declared 3 days after
the bombing of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki.
WW2 ends August 15, 1945