World War II: Nazi Blitz and Technology

• World War II began with the Nazi Blitz of Europe, starting with the invasion of Poland.
• Germany used blitzkrieg, combining Luftwaffe air strikes and Panzer tank assaults.
• Britain and France declared war on Germany because of agreements with Poland.
• Canada independently declared war, backed by strong public support.

Germany's Rapid Success

• Denmark fell in 1 day.
• Norway fell in 2 days.
• Netherlands fell in 5 days.
• Belgium fell in 18 days.
• France fell in 6 weeks after the Maginot Line failed in June 1940.
• British and Allied troops were rescued at Dunkirk after Hitler halted the German advance.

War Technology

• Radar and Sonar were used for detecting enemy planes and submarines.
• The Enigma Machine, a German code system, was cracked by the Allies to aid intelligence.
• German U-Boats played a crucial role in the Battle of the Atlantic.
• Jet Airplanes, an advanced German aircraft technology, foreshadowed future warfare.

Battle of Britain (July 10 – October 31, 1940)

• This was the first major battle fought entirely in the air.
• Germany aimed to gain air superiority over southern England to enable Operation Sealion.
• The British developed the Dowding System, a radar-based air defense network.
• On September 7, Germany shifted focus to bombing London, allowing the RAF to recover.
• On September 15, the RAF repelled a massive Luftwaffe assault, making German air losses unsustainable.
• The battle prevented a German invasion of Britain.
• It marked Nazi Germany’s first major defeat.
• It highlighted the importance of air power in modern warfare.
• It boosted Allied morale and strengthened British resistance.

Operation Barbarossa (June 22, 1941)

• The largest military invasion in history occurred when Germany attacked the Soviet Union.
• The Germans were stopped at the gates of Moscow, forcing a retreat.
• The Soviet Union joined the Allies, uniting with Britain and the USA.
• Germany lost valuable resources and manpower.
• The Soviets gained time to strengthen their defenses and began pushing Germany back.
• This expanded the war, involving major world powers.

Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942 – February 2, 1943)

• Germany aimed to capture Stalingrad and encircle the Soviet Army in the Caucasus.
• The Soviets won, leading to German forces becoming demoralized and depleted.
• The victory boosted Soviet morale and proved Germany could be defeated.
• It forced Germany into a defensive position for the rest of the war.
• Stalingrad’s location on the Volga River was vital for Soviet supply lines.
• Its location prevented Germany from seizing key oil fields.

Battle of Ortona (December 20-27, 1943)

• Fought between German and Canadian forces in Italy.
• The Canadians were victorious after 8 days of intense urban combat.
• There were 2,300 Canadian casualties.
• Ortona's location on the Adriatic Sea was crucial for advancing up Italy.
• The victory secured supply lines and provided a safer route to Rome.
• It weakened German forces along a key defensive line.
• It boosted Allied morale and was widely publicized.

Battle of Dieppe(August 19, 1942)

• There were heavy Canadian losses: Over 900 killed, 2,000 captured.

Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941)

• Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii.
• Over 2,400 Americans were killed and battleships and aircraft were destroyed.
• This led to the U.S. entering World War II.
• It sparked Pacific warfare, leading to battles at Midway and Guadalcanal.

War on the Homefront

• Canada increased production of munitions and airplanes.
• Victory Bonds and Rationing helped finance the war and manage resources.
• There was a debate over sending Canadian troops overseas (Conscription Crisis).
• Japanese Canadians were forcibly relocated and detained (Japanese Internment).

Life in Nazi Germany

• The Nuremberg Laws stripped Jewish Germans of citizenship.
• Kristallnacht was the first large-scale attack on Jewish businesses and synagogues.
• Dachau was the first Nazi concentration camp for political prisoners.
• Jewish refugees aboard the MS St. Louis were turned away from Cuba, the U.S., and Canada.

End of War in Europe

• D-Day (June 6, 1944): Allied invasion of Normandy; Canada landed at Juno Beach.
• Battle of the Bulge (December 1944 – January 1945): Last major Nazi offensive.
• Bombing of Dresden (February 1945): Heavy Allied bombing of a German city.
• VE Day (May 8, 1945): Germany surrendered unconditionally.

War in the Pacific

• Japan invaded Manchuria and China, resulting in the Nanking Massacre.
• Tripartite Pact (1940): An alliance formed between Germany, Italy, and Japan.
• Pearl Harbor led to U.S. entry into WWII.
• Kamikaze Pilots: Japanese pilots carried out suicide attacks.
• The Manhattan Project was the U.S. nuclear weapons program.
• Robert Oppenheimer led the Manhattan Project.
• Canada contributed research, uranium, and scientists to this program.

Atomic Bombs Dropped

• Hiroshima (August 6, 1945): "Little Boy" uranium bomb was dropped.
• Nagasaki (August 9, 1945): "Fat Man" plutonium bomb was dropped.
• Japan’s Surrender (September 2, 1945) officially ended the war.
• In 1937 Japan started a full blown invasion of China

The Holocaust

• There were 6 million Jewish victims murdered.
• Other Victims: Roma, disabled, Homosexual, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and political prisoners.
• The Evian Conference had countries refusing Jewish refugees.
• The Wannsee Conference planned the "Final Solution" (mass genocide).
• Death Camps included Auschwitz, Treblinka, Sobibor, Majdanek, Belzec, Chelmno.
• Soviet and Allied forces liberated the survivors from these camps.