World War II

Major Battles

Leaders

Countries

Important Dates

The Holocaust

Terminology

Major Battles

Battle of France/ Fall of France

Battle of Britain

Operation Barbarossa

Siege of Leningrade

Battle of Moscow

Battle of Stalingrad

Battle of Kursk

D-Day/ Operation Overlord

Battle of the Bulge

Battle of France/ Fall of France

When German troops began to march towards

France on May 10th 1940 Charles de Gaulle

called for more tanks and troops to protect the border

with Germany, but the French government was

confident that the Maginot Line would hold against

the Germans and sent their best troops, along

Britain’s into Belgium. The Germans took Belgium more quickly than was

expected however, trapping 300,000 Allied soldiers in the Western corner of

France. These troops were later rescued from Dunkirk by a ragtag armada of

vessels from Great Britain. This left France wide open for the invasion and

occupation of the Germans, who took Paris on June 14th, 1940. A week later

France signed an armistice with Germany stating that the Germans occupied

all of northern France and the Atlantic coastline to the Spanish border. The

headquarters of France was set up in the city of Vichy under French Marshal

Henri Petain.

Battle of Britain

Germany sought to form a peace treaty with Britain as it did with France. However, Hitler under estimated the resolve of Churchill and the British people. Great Britain stood, nearly alone against Germany and suffered extreme violence as a result. Beginning in August 1940 Germany repeatedly bombed Great Britain in an attempt to gain air supremacy over Britain. From August 24th-September 6th Germany sent 1,000 planes a day to bomb British airfields and vital industries. From September 7th-November 3rd (57 consecutive nights) Germany switched to massive night bombings of London. In one night Germany dropped as many as 70,000 fire bombs into the British capital, killing thousands of civilians and causing enormous devastation. Germany never gained the air supremacy they sought and they also incurred heavy losses of their own.

LinkInteractive map

of all the bombings Link

BBC article about the interactive map

LinkFootage of the

bombings

Operation Barbarossa

In 1931 Stalin entered into a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany. Germany later violated the agreement when it launched Operation Barbarossa in June 1941. Operation Barbarossa is the largest invasion in the history of warfare. About Four million soldiers of the Axis Powers invaded the USSR along a 1,800 mile front. By November 1941 German armies had pushed 600 miles inside the Soviet Union. Operation Barbarossa included both the Siege of Leningrad and the Battle of Moscow. Operation Barbarossa ended in defeat for Germany after Soviet victories at both Moscow and Leningrad. However the Soviets also sustained enormous casualties and lose over the course of the campaign.

Siege of Leningrade

The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade, was a prolonged military operation by the Germans against the Soviet city of Leningrad (modern day Saint Petersburg) as part of Operation Barbarossa. The Siege started on September 8th 1941 and was not lifted until January 27th, 1944. The entire siege lasted for 872 days and for more than a year of that time period the city was entirely surrounded by German troops. It is known as one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history. The Soviets prevailed during the siege and the city of Leningrad was never turned over to the Germans.

Battle of Moscow

Moscow was the largest Soviet city during WWII and was one of the primary military and political objectives for the Axis Powers during Operation Barbarossa. The Battle of Moscow consisted of two separate military operations by the Germans called Operation Typhoon and Operation Wotan. Operation Typhoon was a three pronged attack where Hitler sent one force north of Moscow against the Kalinin Front to sever the Moscow-Leningrad railway, sent another force south of Moscow against the Western Front and the third force advanced directly towards Moscow from the west. Operation Wotan, which was suppose to be the final phase of the German offensive was never put into effect, because the Soviets halted the German advance towards Moscow on all three fronts and raised a counter attack forcing the German troops back to the positions around the cities of Oryol, Vyazma and Vitebsk, nearly surrounding all three German armies in the process.

Battle of Stalingrad

In July 1942 the Soviet army was in a full retreat leaving the city of Stalingrad in the open for German attack. Stalin pressed Churchill for Allied forces to create a second front in the West to take some of the pressure off the Soviet Union, but his requests were denied. On August 22nd

1942 Germany attacked Stalingrad. Stalin, was convinced that loosing Stalingrad to Hitler’sforces would be a blow to Soviet morale so he ordered the city to be held at all costs. The German army officially surrendered in February of 1943 after loosing most of its best troops. The Soviet victory at Stalingrad is viewed as a major turning point of WWII.

Battle of Kursk

The Battle of Kursk was a military engagement between German and Soviet forces near the Soviet city of Kursk during July and August of 1943. It was the last German offensive on the Eastern front during WWII. The Soviet’s decisive victory at the Battle of Kursk gave the Red Army the initiative to launch multiple Soviet Offensives with the help of Polish troops. These offenses put the Germans on the run and one was one of the first steps towards a Alliedvictory in WWII.

Battle of the Bulge

The Battle of the Bulge took place from December 16th, 1944, to January 25th, 1945. It was a major German offensive campaign which was launched through Belgium and France on the Western Front towards the end of WWII. Hitler planned the offensive with the primary goal of recapturing the harbour of Antwerp. The operation cost precious lives to both sides and was the highest casualties sustained by the United States during any battle of WWII. However, Germany’s defeat and loses during this battle opened the door for the Allied forces to recapture France and end the war.

Operation Overlord/ D-Day

General Eisenhower assembled a force of 176,000 Allied troops, 600 warships and 10,000 aircrafts in England in the spring of 1944 for Operation Overlord. On June 6th 1944, known as D-day, convoys carrying Allied troops sailed across the English Channel to the Frenchprovince of Normandy. British bombers attacked German coastal defenses and Allied airborne troops parachuted into France to assist the invasion while thousands of men fought up the beaches of Normandy amid machine-gun fire. Despite confusion and heavy losses the battle was a success and opened the door for Allied forces to march across France and recapture Paris on August 25th, 1944. D-day is known as the greatest Allied victory in WWII and directly lead to the end of the war in the spring of 1945.

LinkD-day Website

LinkBBC History page about

the D-day invasion

LinkDocumentary on D-day

Military Leaders Political Leaders

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Harold Alexander

Georgy Zhukov

Omar Bradley

Heinrich Himmler

Charles de Gaulle

Adolf Hitler

Winston Churchill

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Joseph Stalin

King George VI

Henri Petain

The Minds behind the War

Winston Churchill

1874-1965

Side: Allied Powers

Country: Great Britain

Appointed Prime Minister on May 10, 1940 by King George VI

Churchill was an officer in the British Army as well as a historian, writer and artist.

Churchill’s refusal to consider defeat, surrender or compromise was the foundation of G.B.’s resistance against Hitler.

Link to Churchill’s first address to Great Britain as Prime Minister regarding the Battle of France.

Link to Video Biography

Adolf Hitler

1889-1945

Side: Axis Powers

Leader of the Nazi Party in Germany from 1921-1945

Dictator of Nazi Germany from 1934-1945

He is held responsible for the killing of millions of Jews during the Holocaust

Committed suicide on April 30th

1945

Link to video Biography

Franklin D. Roosevelt

1882-1945

Side: Allied Powers Country: United States 32nd president of the United States, in

office from 1933-1945 FDR was the only U.S. President to

break Washington’s model and serve more than 2 terms. (he served 4)

Managed to keep the United States neutral and out of WWII until Pearl Harbor

FDR did not live to see the end of the war he poured his life into ending. He died suddenly on April 12th 1945 of a Cerebral hemorrhage

FDR was succeeded in office by the Vice-President Harry S. Truman

Link to video Biography

Charles de Gaulle

1890-1970

Side: Allied Powers

Country: France

De Gaulle was a dominant military and political leader in France who refused to accept the rule of the German invaders in 1940

He created the Free French Movement and set up his base in London, proclaiming himself the incarnation of France

Later became the President of the French Republic from 1959-1969

De Gaulle played a crucial role in The Battle of France

Link to full biography

Harold Alexander

1891- 1969

Side: Allied Powers Country: Great Britain Alexander was a British military

commander and field marshal who served with distinction in both world wars

Successfully led the withdrawal to Dunkirk during the Battle of France

Was knighted in 1942 Alexander spent most of the war in

the African Theatre commanding the 15 Army Group in Italy.

Eisenhower recommended Alexander to be the ground forces commander for the Normandy landings on D-Day, but the request was over ruled.

Link to full Biography

GeorgyZhukov

1896-1974

Side: Allied Powers

Country: Soviet Union

Zhukov is the most decorated general officer in the history of the Soviet Union and Russia

He was a Soviet career officer in the Red Army during WWII

He lead the Red Army through much of Eastern Europe to liberate the Soviet Union and other nations from the occupation of Axis powers and to conquer Berlin.

Link to full biography and timeline of Zhukov’s life

Dwight D. Eisenhower

1890-1969

Side: Allied Powers Country: United States Was responsible for creating the

majority of the United States’ war plans regarding Japan and Germany

5 star general during WWII who served as the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe

Launched Operation Overlord which resulted in the famous D-day battle

Governor of the American Zone of Occupied Germany from May 1945-November 1945

34th president of the United States Link to Eisenhower’s D-day Speech

Joseph Stalin

1878-1953

Country: Soviet Union

Political Party: Communist

Dictator of the Soviet Union from the mid- 1920’s until his death in 1953

In 1939 Stalin entered into a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany

Germany later violated the agreement when it launched Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 forcing Stalin to side with the Allied Powers

Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1948 for his role in ending WWII

Link to Video Biography

King George VI

1895-1952

Side: Allied Powers Country: Great Britain Was King of the United Kingdom and

the dominions of the British Commonwealth from 1936-1952

Declared war on Nazi Germany in September 1939

Appoint Churchill as Prime Minister in 1940 and developed a close personal relationship with him.

Was a supportive King during the War who was seen to be experiencing the same hardships as his people, including rationing and danger from bombings.

Link to full biography

Henri Philippe Petain

1856- 1951

Country: France

Was appointed Premier of France by president Lebrun in 1940

Made peace with Germany after the Battle of France

Was the Prime Minister of Vichy France (German occupied portion of France) during the war

Was tried and convicted for treason after the war

Link to full biography

Omar Bradley

1893-1981

Side: Allied Powers Country: United States He was a United States Army field

commander and General in North Africa and Europe during WWII

He was in charge of the U.S. ground troops at D-day landings

He commanded the U.S. ground forces that invaded Germany from the west at the end of the war

He commanded 43 divisions consisting of 1.3 million men, which is the largest body of American soldiers ever to serve under a U.S. field commander.

Link to Video about Omar Bradley

Heinrich Himmler

1900-1945

Side: Axis Powers Country: Germany Military commander and leading member of the

Nazi Party in Germany Adolf Hitler appointed him Commander of the

Replacement Army and General of the entire Third Reich.

He was one of the most power men in Nazi Germany during WWII and is said to be one of the persons most directly responsible for the Holocaust.

On Hitler’s behalf Himmler was responsible for the creation of concentration camps

He attempted open peace talks with Allied powers behind Hitler’s back and was dismissed from all his positions in Germany as a result.

Committed suicide on May 23rd 1945 while in British custody.

Link to video on Heinrich Himmler

Allied

Powers

Axis

Powers

Who participated?

Main Allied Powers

UnitedStates Great

Britain

The Soviet Union

France

Complete List of Allied Powers

Note: China was also a

major Allied Powers during WWII, but was not as involved on the European Theatre

Poland

United States

• The United States did its best to remain neutral and stay out of the War for the first three years

• The United States entered WWII as an Allied Power on January 1st 1942 after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

• Franklin D. Roosevelt was President during WWII until his sudden death on April 12th, 1945.

• Roosevelt was succeeded by Harry S. Truman who was the President for the remainder of the war.

• Dwight D. Eisenhower (who later became the 34th president) was responsible for most of the United States military plans during WWII and served as the Supreme allied commander in Europe responsible for Operation Overlord.

• Omar Bradley was the United States field commander on the ground from the D-day invasion through the end of the war.

Great Britain

• On September 3rd 1939 a British passenger liner was sunk by a German U-boat resulting in British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announcing that Britain was officially at war with Germany.

• After Allied forces failure during the Battle for France Britain successfully evacuates Allied forces from Dunkirk

• Harold Alexander was the British commander who lead the evacuation from Dunkirk

• Beginning in August 1940 Britain sustained heavy and frequent bombings from Germany, often referred to as the Battle of Britain

• Winston Churchill was appointed Prime Minister in 1940 and his refusal to consider defeat, surrender or compromise was the foundation of G.B.’s resistance against Hitler.

• King George VI was the British ruler during the entirety of WWII

France

• France declared war on Germany on September 3rd 1939 along with Great Britain.

• Germany took Paris on June 14th 1940 during the Battle of France.

• A week later France signed an armistice with Germany stating that the German occupied all of northern France and the Atlantic coastline to the Spanish border.

• New headquarters were set up in the city of Vichy under Henri Petain• De Gaulle was a dominant military and political leader in France who played a

prominent role in the Battle for France. He refused to accept the rule of the German invaders and created the Free French Movement in London.

• The Allied Powers challenged German occupancy of France in June 1944 when they invaded the beaches of Normandy (D-day).

• Paris was liberated on August 25th, 1944 by the Allied Powers. • De Gaulle became the Chairmen of the Provisional Government in France in 1944

and Henri Petain was convicted of treason.

The Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.)

• Stalin was the dictator of the Soviet Union during World War II • Stalin began his involvement in the war when he signed a non-

aggression pact with Germany in 1939 • Germany broke their agreement with the Soviet Union in 1941 by

invading the Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa • Parts of the Soviet Union where controlled by Axis Powers during the

war, but the country itself never fell to Axis Power. • Early in 1942 the Soviets began a series of offensives labeled “Stalin’s

First Strategic Offensives.”• The rest of the war the Soviet Red Army remained on the offensive

advancing across Eastern Europe lead by Soviet general GeorgyZhukov.

Poland

• The European Theatre of WWII opened with the German invasion of Poland on September 1st, 1939.

• This was followed by the Soviet invasion of Poland on September 17th, 1939.• Unlike in France, the Nazis did not set up a collaborationist government in

Poland. Instead Poland was ruled directly by German leaders for the entire war.

• After Poland was overrun, a government-in-exile, armed forces, and an intelligence service were established outside of Poland in Great Britain

• The Poles provided crucial help to the Allied Powers throughout the war• The Polish Air Force played a significant role in the Allied victory of the Battle

for Britain • Polish forces fought alongside the Red Army under Soviet control during the

Soviet offenses at the end of the war

Main Axis Powers

Germany HungryRomania

Note: Japan, Italy & Bulgaria were

also very major Axis Powers during World War II however they were not as active in the European Theatre of the War. Click on the links to see how these countries were involved.

Germany

• Hitler was the Nazi military dictator of Germany during WWII• Germany began the war in 1939 with their non-aggressive pact with the Soviet Union and

their invasion of Poland. • Both Great Britain & France declared war against Germany on Sep 3rd, 1939 • Germany invaded Belgium and took Paris, France during the Battle of France in June of

1940 • Germany invaded the Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa in June of 1941• Heinrich Himmler was the Military leader in Germany during WWII that was

responsible for the majority of the Holocaust under Hitler’s orders • Germany was put on the defensive by the Soviets after their defeat at the Battle of

Stalingrad • Germany lost the war after the successful Normandy invasions on D-day and the

recapture of Paris by the Allied Powers in 1944 • However, they did not officially surrender until after Hitler committed suicide in April

1945

Romania

• The Kingdom of Romania under King Carol II officially adopted a position of neutrality when WWII broke out in September 1939

• A coup occurred in the summer of 1940 and the new government, a fascist dictatorship under Maresai Ion Antonescu, officially joined the Axis powers on November 23rd, 1940

• Romania joined Germany in Operation Barbarossa in June of 1941 invading the Soviet Union

• As the tide turned against the Axis Powers Romania was bombed by Allied Powers from 1943 onward.

• Romania was invaded by advancing Soviet Union armies in 1944

Hungry

• The Kingdom of Hungry relied heavily on trade with Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany to pull itself out of the Great Depression during the 1930’s so when the war broke out it was beneficial for them to join the Axis Powers in 1940

• In 1941 Hungarian forces participated in both the invasion of Yugoslavia and the invasion of the Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa.

• Hungary engaged in armistice negotiation with the United States and Great Britain during the war against the Soviet Union

• When Hitler discovered Hungary's betrayal in March of 1944 German forces occupied Hungary

• An armistice was signed between Hungary and the USSR by Regent Miklos Horthy in 1944

• Horthy later revoked the armistice due to the kidnapping of his son by German soldiers• In 1945, Hungarian and German forces in Hungary were defeated by invading Soviet

and Romanian armies.

Important Dates

D-Day

1939

1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945

U.S. enters the War

Germany invades U.S.S.R.

Siege of Leningrade

Battle of Moscow

Germans Capture Stalingrad

U.S.S.R. retakes Stalingrad

Liberation of Paris

Hitler Commits Suicide

Roosevelt Dies

V-E Day

Battle of the Bulge

Battle ofKursk

Fall of France

Battle of Britain

Germany invades Poland

Britain & France

Declare war on Germany

The Holocaust

The Holocaust is a name given to Hitler’s genocide of Jews during World War II in Nazi Germany. As many as 6 million Jews were brutally killed in Concentration Camps and during mass shootings. There were also millions of others besides Jews that were targeted during the Holocaust including Sovietprisoners of war, Poles, gypsies and people with handicaps.

Concentration Camps

Holocaust Museum

Further Resources

Concentration Camps

• Auschwitz

• Buchenwald

• Dachau

• Gross-Rosen

• Majdanek

• Sachsenhausen

• Stutthof

Between 1933 & 1943 NaziGermany established about 20,000 camps that imprisoned millions of prisoners. These camps were used for a range of purposes including forced labor, experiments, temporary way stations and mass killings. Most of the prisoners at these camps were Jews, but there were also gypsies, poles and disabled individuals.

Important Terminology

Siege- Military operation in which enemy forces surround a town or building, cutting off essential supplies, with the aim of compelling the surrender of those inside.

Genocide- the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation

Nazis- Members of the German Nazi Party (NSDAP) which is characterized as a form of fascism that incorporates scientific racism and anti-Semitism (Hatred of Jews).

Tyranny- arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority

The Maginot Line- a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles, and weapons installations that France constructed along its borders with Germany during the 1930’s.