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The War Begins

Page history last edited by Mr. Kane 14 years, 11 months ago

 Invasion of Poland 

 

     The Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I forced the Germans to hand territory to Poland and Czechoslovakia in the east, to Denmark in the north, and to Belgium and France in the west, making Germany 13 percent smaller and with 10 percent less of its population. The German government was strongly against the treaty, but was forced to sign it. Later, after Adolf Hitler became the leader of Germany, he planned to expand Germany once more to take back the land lost as a result of the treaty. Germany had already annexed Czechoslovakia in 1938 and had made plans to invade Poland. They believed that the Polish were “inferior people” and the land was the birthright of Germans everywhere. A conference was held in Munich on September 30, 1938 between Britain, France, Italy, and Germany to discuss German expansion. At this meeting, Hitler promised that Germany would no longer add territory. One year after the conference, German troops invaded Poland causing France and Britain to declare war on Germany.

 

 German and Russian Invasion of Poland, September, 1939

 

Nazi troops parade through Warsaw after the Invasion of Poland.

 

                The German Invasion of Poland

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American Neutrality

 

     America tried very hard to stay out of World War II.  Many Americans wanted the nation to remain neutral. Congress even passed the Neutrality Act that prevented shipments of war materials from going to any fighting countries.  America did this so that none of the other countries would think that America was taking sides in the war. The Neutrality Act also forbade American citizens from traveling on ships that belonged to fighting countries except at their own risk. To get around the Neutrality Act and help Great Britain continue fighting against Germany, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Lend Lease Act, which allowed America to lend or lease weapons, ammunition, ships, tanks, and other tools of war to allied forces. If the allied forces damaged any of the weapons they would replace them or pay for them after the war.

 

Roosevelt signs the Lend Lease Act.

 


 

Battle of Britain

    

"Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour'"
 
 -Winston Churchill
 June 18, 1940
    
     On July 10, 1940, the German Airforce, also known as the Lufftwaffe, attemped to gain control over the Straits of Dover.  This atempt began the long attack on Britain. The Lufftwaffe had nighttime bombing raids from August 23 to September 6, 1940. On September 17, 1940, Hitler indefinately suspended the Battle on Britain, but the raids still continued.

The invasion plan was given the code name Sealion. The objective was to land 160,000 German soldiers along a forty-mile coastal stretch of south-east England. Within a few weeks the Germans had assembled a large armada of vessels, including 2,000 barges in German, Belgian and French harbours.

     The British had the advantage of being closer to their airfields. German fighters only had enough fuel to stay over England for about half an hour before having to fly back to their home bases. The RAF also had the benefits of an effective early warning radar system.  Between the 1st and 18th of August, the RAF lost 208 fighters and 106 pilots.

     The climax of the Battle of Britain came on the 30th and 31st of August, 1940. The British lost 50 aircraft compared to Germany's 41. The RAF was close to defeat but Adolf Hitler then changed his tactics and ordered the Luftwaffe to switch its attack from British airfields, factories and docks to civilian targets.  An estimated 544 people were killed and an additional 791 lost their lives in the course of their duties before the war came to an end.

 

 

A family sits in ruins after the bombing of London.

 

 

The Battle of Britain

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Attack on Pearl Harbor

 

  "Yesterday, December 7, 1941- a date that will  live in infamy- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by... the Empire of Japan...Our people, our territory, and our intersts are in grave danger... With confidence in armed forces...we will gain the inevitable triumph. So help us God."

 

-Franklin Delano Roosevelt

December 8, 1941

    

     The Japanese attack force, under the command of Admiral Nagumo, which was made up of six carriers with 423 planes, first attacked Pearl Harbor at 7:53 AM on Sunday, December 7, 1941. This first wave consisted of 183 Japanese planes, which took off from the carriers about 230 miles north of Oahu and headed for the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. At about 7:00 AM, operators at Oahu's northern shore radar station detected the planes approaching. They contacted a junior officer, but he disregarded their reports thinking that they were American B-17 planes which were expected to arrive from the U.S. west coast. Then, at about 7:15 AM the second wave of 167 planes took off from the carrier ships and started toward Pearl Harbor. 51 'Val' dive bombers, 40 'Kate' torpedo bombers, 50 high level bombers and 43 'Zero' fighters attacked at 7:53 AM sounding the battle cry "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!) The casualties included 2,235 servicemen and 68 civilians killed and 1,178 wounded. News of the "sneak attack" spread throughout the country during the course of the day, terrorizing Americans. The next day, on Monday, December 8, The United States and Britain declared war on Japan. On Thursday, December 11, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. The war now pitted Japan, Germany, and Italy against the U.S., Britain, France and their allies.

 
 

The Naval Base at Pearl Harbor

 

 

 

Attack on Pearl Harbor

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American warships are bombed in Pearl Harbor, drowning many sailors aboard.

 

 


 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

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