Europe Conflict: 1935-1945

• The text provides an overview of the conflict in Europe from 1935 to 1945, including key figures, major events, and the Holocaust.

Key Figures and Their Roles

• Adolf Hitler: Führer of Nazi Germany and architect of the war and its genocidal policies.
• Benito Mussolini: Fascist dictator of Italy and Hitler’s Axis ally.
• Winston Churchill: British Prime Minister who led the UK and rallied Allied resistance.
• Franklin D. Roosevelt: U.S. President who provided aid to Allies before and after America’s entry into the war.
• Joseph Stalin: Leader of the Soviet Union who initially allied with Hitler but later joined the Allied powers
• Dwight D. Eisenhower: Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, responsible for planning the D-Day invasion.
• George Patton: U.S. general known for his leadership in North Africa and Western Europe.
• Charles de Gaulle: Leader of Free France, a symbol of French resistance against Nazi occupation.
• Bernard Montgomery: British field marshal who led forces to victory in North Africa and Western Europe.
• Friedrich Paulus: German general who led the 6th Army at Stalingrad and surrendered.
• Erwin Rommel: Known as the “Desert Fox,” a respected German general who led Axis forces in North Africa.
• Joseph Goebbels: Nazi Propaganda Minister who promoted Nazi ideology.
• Heinrich Himmler: Head of the SS, a key figure in organizing the Holocaust.
• Hermann Göring: Head of the Luftwaffe and a top Nazi leader involved in the economic exploitation of occupied territories.

Nazi-Soviet Pact (August 1939)

• The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was a non-aggression agreement signed between Germany and the Soviet Union
• Hitler sought to avoid a two-front war, while Stalin sought time to rebuild the Red Army.
• The pact included a secret plan to divide Poland and Eastern Europe.

German Expansion and Blitzkrieg

• On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, starting World War II.
• Germany used blitzkrieg tactics, combining air strikes, tanks, and infantry.
• In April 1940, Denmark and Norway fell, securing German access to the Atlantic and Swedish iron ore.
• In May 1940, Hitler invaded Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and France, bypassing the Maginot Line via the Ardennes forest.
• France and Britain were unprepared for mobile attacks, expecting trench warfare.
• The British Expeditionary Force was pushed to Dunkirk but managed a dramatic evacuation.

Air War and the Battle of Britain

• From July to October 1940, Germany launched the Battle of Britain to destroy the Royal Air Force (RAF).
• The Luftwaffe targeted airfields and then cities (the Blitz) to break morale.
• Britain won due to radar, strong air defenses, and the resilience of the population.
• From 1940 to 1941, continued bombing of cities caused heavy civilian casualties.
• From 1942 to 1945, Britain and the U.S. retaliated with strategic bombings of German cities like Dresden.

Operation Barbarossa (June 1941)

• Germany broke the Nazi-Soviet Pact and invaded the USSR, composed of three army groups.
• Army Group North targeted Leningrad.
• Army Group Centre aimed for Moscow.
• Army Group South advanced into Ukraine and toward the Caucasus.
• The Soviets used scorched-earth tactics.
• Harsh winter conditions and overstretched supply lines crippled the Germans, leading to the offensive stalling by December 1941.

Battle of Stalingrad (1942–43)

• This was a turning point on the Eastern Front.
• Stalingrad was targeted due to industrial and symbolic value.
• There was intense street fighting with massive casualties on both sides.
• Germany surrendered in February 1943, marking a major shift in momentum.

1943: The Tide Turns

• Allied bombing intensified, targeting German factories and infrastructure.
• The Battle of Kursk in July 1943 was the largest tank battle in history, and Germany failed to regain the initiative.

North African Campaign (1940–43)

• The campaign possessed strategic importance through control of the Mediterranean and access to Middle Eastern oil.
• In 1942, Germany aimed to seize the Suez Canal.
• In the Battle of El Alamein in October 1942, Montgomery’s forces defeated Rommel, ending Axis hopes in Africa.
• In May 1943, the German Afrika Korps surrendered, allowing the Allies to invade Italy.

Civilian Suffering

• Over 40 million civilians died, with 25 million in Europe alone.
• Causes of death included bombing raids, genocidal policies, famine, forced labor, and reprisals.
• Civilian targeting became an explicit part of total war, aiming to weaken the enemy's ability and will to fight.

The Holocaust

• The "Final Solution" was Nazi Germany's plan to annihilate the Jewish population.
• Over 6 million Jews were murdered, along with millions of others (Roma, disabled, political dissidents).
• War aided systematic genocide via ghettos, death squads, and extermination camps, such as Auschwitz.

Endgame in Europe: Battle of the Atlantic (1941–45)

• German U-boats sought to sever Britain’s supply lines.
• Britain depended on imports for survival.
• The Allies won using innovations in sonar, radar, convoy tactics, and cracking German codes.

D-Day – June 6, 1944

• This was the largest amphibious invasion in history, opening the Western Front.
• Normandy was chosen because it was lightly defended.
• "Operation Bodyguard" deceived the Germans into believing the real attack would be at Calais.
• The success of D-Day led to the liberation of Paris by August 1944.

Soviet Offensives and Collapse of Germany

• "Operation Bagration" in June 1944 was a massive Soviet attack that destroyed the German Army Group Centre.
• By 1945, the Red Army advanced deep into Germany from the east, while Allied forces closed in from the west.

Germany’s Final Defeat

• In April 1945, Soviet forces entered Berlin, and Germany’s military and morale collapsed.
• On April 30, 1945, Hitler committed suicide.
• On May 7, 1945, Germany officially surrendered, and Victory in Europe (VE) Day was celebrated on May 8.

Nuremberg Trials (1945–46)

• These were a landmark moment in international law.
• Nazi leaders were prosecuted for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against peace.
• 11 high-ranking Nazis were sentenced to death.
• The trials aimed to establish accountability and prevent future atrocities.