Second World War (1939 - 1942)
Why was Germany successful (at first)?
- ill-prepared enemy → poor cooperation
- better planning & tactic (“Blitzkrieg”)
- skill (trained decisiveness)
- politically: Allied civilians not attracted by war in comparison to Germans
→ Hitler at his peak of popularity & confidence
Nature of WW2
- dependence on industry & mobilisation of resources
- technical development
→ aerial warfare
→ fluid fronts (avoid trench warfare & attrition)
→ large civilian influence/casualties
1939:
● 14.3: invasion of Czechoslovakia
→ against Munich Agreement
● 31.3: France & Great Britain declare alliance to Poland in case of German invasion
(Anglo-Polish military alliance)
● 22.5: Pact of Steel between Germany & Italy
● 24.8: Molotov-Ribbentrop pact (Hitler-Stalin Pact) between Germany & Soviet Union
● 1.9: German invasion of Poland
→ OFFICIAL START OF THE WAR
● 3.9: France & GB declare war to Germany
● 17.9: invasion of red army in Poland, meet w/ Wehrmacht in Brest-Litowsk
● 27/28.9: capitulation of Warsaw
● 8.11: assassination of Hitler fails (Georg Elser)
1940:
● 9.4: occupation Norway & Denmark
● 10.5: ‘Westoffensive’
● → invasion of Wehrmacht in (neutral) Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg
● 27.5: sinking of Bismarck
● → end of atlantic war
● 14.6: Paris occupation of Wehrmacht
● 27.5.-4.6: evacuation of 338.000 British & French soldiers from Dunkirk
● 22.6: France signs armistice in Compiègne
● July - Sept.: Battle of Britain → ‘Luftwaffe’ fails
● 25/26.8: first bombing of Berlin after bombing of London
● 1.9: Jews to wear yellow star
● 27.9: Tripartite Pact
● Fall: Construction of Jewish ghettos
1
Why was Germany successful (at first)?
- ill-prepared enemy → poor cooperation
- better planning & tactic (“Blitzkrieg”)
- skill (trained decisiveness)
- politically: Allied civilians not attracted by war in comparison to Germans
→ Hitler at his peak of popularity & confidence
Nature of WW2
- dependence on industry & mobilisation of resources
- technical development
→ aerial warfare
→ fluid fronts (avoid trench warfare & attrition)
→ large civilian influence/casualties
1939:
● 14.3: invasion of Czechoslovakia
→ against Munich Agreement
● 31.3: France & Great Britain declare alliance to Poland in case of German invasion
(Anglo-Polish military alliance)
● 22.5: Pact of Steel between Germany & Italy
● 24.8: Molotov-Ribbentrop pact (Hitler-Stalin Pact) between Germany & Soviet Union
● 1.9: German invasion of Poland
→ OFFICIAL START OF THE WAR
● 3.9: France & GB declare war to Germany
● 17.9: invasion of red army in Poland, meet w/ Wehrmacht in Brest-Litowsk
● 27/28.9: capitulation of Warsaw
● 8.11: assassination of Hitler fails (Georg Elser)
1940:
● 9.4: occupation Norway & Denmark
● 10.5: ‘Westoffensive’
● → invasion of Wehrmacht in (neutral) Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg
● 27.5: sinking of Bismarck
● → end of atlantic war
● 14.6: Paris occupation of Wehrmacht
● 27.5.-4.6: evacuation of 338.000 British & French soldiers from Dunkirk
● 22.6: France signs armistice in Compiègne
● July - Sept.: Battle of Britain → ‘Luftwaffe’ fails
● 25/26.8: first bombing of Berlin after bombing of London
● 1.9: Jews to wear yellow star
● 27.9: Tripartite Pact
● Fall: Construction of Jewish ghettos
1
