Battles of World War Battles of World War II II What Happened? What Happened?
Feb 12, 2016
Battles of World War IIBattles of World War II
What Happened?What Happened?
Blitzkrieg- Lightning Fast WarBlitzkrieg- Lightning Fast War
• By April 1940By April 1940• Hitler conquered and Hitler conquered and
occupied: Poland, occupied: Poland, Denmark, Belgium, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Luxembourg, and NetherlandsNetherlands
• Quick War tacticsQuick War tactics
Battle of Dunkirk
• German troops trapped Allied soldiers
• Massive evacuation occurred from May 26- June 3, 1940
• France surrendered June 22, 1940
Battle of Britain July 1940- Sept. 1940
• German Luftwaffe attacked British Royal Air force
• New radar used by British• Hitler cancels invasion of
country• Winston Churchill-
“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”
U.S. reaction- neutrality
• Public opinion vs. Hitler• Solution “cash and carry
system”• 50 ships for Caribbean
bases• Lend lease Act of 1941-
$7 billion to Britain then Soviet Union
The Battle of the Atlantic• U.S. aid to Britain increases,
German U-Boats concentrate on the Atlantic and stopping supplies
• Convoys organized- US Navy escort
• Atlantic Charter established- US and Britain agreed not to acquire new land as result of WWII
• Germany attacks US destroyer- FDR shoot U-Boats on sight!
War between the U.S. and Germany seems certain…
And then BAM!! Attack on Pearl Harbor