WWII in EuropeWWII in Europe

1939-45

19391939

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”

19401940

Germans conquer: Denmark Norway The Netherlands Belgium Luxembourg France: June 22

Churchill replaces Chamberlain

Germans begin air war against Britain

Consequences of French DefeatConsequences 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

Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking

Why was Germany so successful in conquering most of Europe?

19411941

Germans occupy Balkans and Greece

Britain fights Germans in North Africa

Germany invades Russia Operation Barbarossa Britain and Soviets become

allies USA enters war

19421942

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

Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking

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

19431943 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

19441944

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

19451945 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)

Critical ThinkingCritical Thinking

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