WWII in Europe

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WWII in Europe

• 1939-45

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1939

• Aug. 23 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact
• Sept. 1 Germany Invades Poland
• Sept. 3 England and France declare war
• Sept. 17 Soviets Invade Poland
• Sept. 29 Poland defeated
• Divided by Germany and USSR
• Phony War

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1940

• Germans conquer
• Denmark
• Norway
• The Netherlands
• Belgium
• Luxembourg
• France June 22
• Churchill replaces Chamberlain
• Germans begin air war against Britain

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Consequences of French Defeat

• British and French troops evacuated from Dunkirk
  (Over 300,000)
• Germans create Vichy France (a puppet state)
• Gen. Charles de Gaulle leader of Free French
  forces
• Britain stands alone

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Critical Thinking

• Why was Germany so successful in conquering most
  of Europe?

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1941

• Germans occupy Balkans and Greece
• Britain fights Germans in North Africa
• Germany invaded Russia
• Operation Barbarossa
• Britain and Soviets become allies
• USA enters war

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1942

• North Africa campaign
• Rommel v. Montgomery
• El Alamein
• US enters in November (Patton)
• Operation Torch
• Mass murder of Jews begins in camps
• Soviets begin to repel Germans

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Critical Thinking

• Why did Churchill and Roosevelt decide to
  concentrate their efforts in North Africa?

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1943

• February Germans surrender at Stalingrad
• May German and Italian troops surrender in North
  Africa
• Allies invade Italy Italy surrenders
• New Italian government declares war on Germany
• Mussolini leads fascist resistance

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1944

• June 6 Operation Overlord (D Day)
• Allies invade Normandy (Eisenhower)
• Quickly liberate France
• Russians advance into Poland
• Battle of the Bulge
• Last major German offensive

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1945

• Feb Yalta Conference
• Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin discuss post-war
  world
• Soviets begin attack on Berlin
• April 12 Roosevelt dies Truman is President
• April 28 Mussolini captured and hanged
• April 30 Hitler commits suicide
• May 7 Germany surrenders (V-E Day)

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Critical Thinking

• Why do you think the Allies ultimately won the
  war in Europe?