1. World War II
Total War
IB HL History Y!
Causes, Practices, Effects of Wars
2. Focus Questions
In what ways can WWII be considered a ‘total
war’?
Why did the Axis powers lose World War II?
3. Six Focus Areas
1. The War in Europe
2. Operation Barbarossa
3. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
4. War in the East
5. How WWII was Fought
6. WWII as a Total War
4. 1. The War in Europe
Blitzkrieg ‘lightening war’-the invasion of Poland(Sept 1 1939)
Hitler’s Panzer(tanks) supported by the
Luftwaffe(air force), smashed over the border
into Poland.
The USSR invaded from the east, as agreed
by the Nazi-Soviet Pact, and by Sept 29
Poland we divided by the two countries.
7. The War In Europe
The Phoney War
Little happened for the 5 months after the invasion of
Poland.
Even though Britain declared war on Germany, they
could not get troops into Poland, and thus were forced
to watch as Hitler and Stalin took over Eastern Europe
8. The War In Europe
The Phoney War
The USSR took over Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and
Finland, in the ‘Winter War’
The French manned the ‘Maginot Line’ and
waited
12. The War in Europe
Invasion of Denmark and
Norway (April 1940)
Chamberlain believed the
Maginot line would ‘bring
Hitler to his knees’ and that
Hitler had ‘missed the bus’
Four days later Hitler invaded
Denmark and Norway
13. The War in Europe
The Invasion of Denmark
and Norway
This was vital to Hitler’s
armaments industry as the
areas contained iron ore
This brought the downfall of
Chamberlain in Britain
May 10 Winston Churchill
leads the lead of a coalition
government
14. The War in Europe
The invasion of
Holland, Belgium
and France.
May 10: Hitler invades
The Maginot Line did
not continue along the
French and Belgium
border
15. The War in Europe
The invasion of
Holland, Belgium and
France.
Marshal Petain believed
the Ardennes forest would
stop the Germans.
This is where the
Germans broke through
Link to B of B Bastogne
ep.6
16. The War In Europe
The invasion of
Holland, Belgium and
France.
Using Blitzkrieg
tactics, reached the
English Channel with
6 days
“Dunkirk Spirit’ saved
the men, but morale
was low.
17. The War in Europe
The invasion of
Holland, Belgium and
France.
‘Dunkirk Spirit’
The evacuation of
British troops from
Europe was a serious
blow for the Allies.
18. The War in Europe
The invasion of
Holland, Belgium and
France.
Paris was captured on
June 14 and the
French HOS, Marshal
Petain, requested an
armistice
19. The War in Europe
The invasion of
Holland, Belgium and
France.
The ceasefire
agreement was signed
on June21, in the
same railway coach as
the 1918 armistice
20. The War in Europe
The invasion of
Holland, Belgium and
France.
Southern France
remained unoccupied
and sovereign, but in
reality collaborated
with the Germans.
21. The War in Europe
The invasion of Holland, Belgium and France.
By June 1940 Hitler had achieved more than
Kaiser’s Germany did in the whole of WWI
23. The War in Europe
The Battle of Britain (1940)
Britain now stood alone
against Germany
‘The battle of France is over. I
expect the Battle of Britain is
about to begin’-Churchill
Hitler hoped for an alliance
rather an invasion
24. The War in Europe
The Battle of Britain (1940)
Churchill was totally opposed to any negotiation with Hitler, a
Why we fight link
25. The War in Europe
The Battle of Britain (1940)
Operation Sealion:
Hitler believed the
Luftwaffe would
destroy the Royal Air
Force
This would leave
Britain exposed and
willing to negotiate
26. The War in Europe
The Battle of Britain (1940)
Operation Sealion:
1. Started bombing British
airfields
2. Bombed british cites
27. The War in Europe
The Battle of Britain (1940)
Reasons Operation
Sealion Failed:
1. German bombers
were vulnerable once
the fighters had to
turn back for fuel. (10-
20min in Britain)
2. Radar: could locate
incoming aircraft from
120 miles
28. The War in Europe
The Battle of Britain (1940)
Reasons Operation
Sealion Failed:
3. Switch to bombing
cites gave the RAF
time to recover
This was the first time Hitler had been stopped
33. The Mediterranean and
the Balkans(1940-41)
Italy enters WWII in
1940
Italy moved into Egypt,
Greece, and Crete but
failed as a result of
British resistance
Result: Brought Hitler
into N.Africa and the
Balkans
34. The Mediterranean and
the Balkans(1940-41)
Hitler in N.Africa and the Balkans
General Rommel
drives the Allies out of
Egypt, Libya,
Yugoslavia, Greece,
and Crete.
British Evacuate May
1941
35. The Mediterranean and
the Balkans(1940-41)
Significance of
campaigns:
1. They were severe
setbacks for the Allies
2. Weakened British
presence in N.Africa
3. Hitler’s plan to invade
the USSR was delayed a
crucial 6 weeks, Winter
would set in Moscow.
36. Maximum area of Italian control in the
Mediterranean theatre in summer/fall
1942.
38. Operation Barbarossa
(June 22 1941)
(June 22 1941)
Three Pronged attack:
1. North towards Leningrad
2. Centre towards Moscow
3. South through the
Ukraine
Involved over 4.5 million
Axis troops
39. Operation Barbarossa
(June 22 1941)
(June 22 1941)
Operation
Barbarossa June
1942 moved to
secure:
1. Agriculture in the
Ukraine
2. Soviet Slave Labour
3. Oil, Oil, Oil in the
Caucasus.
41. Operation Barbarossa
February 1943
Suffering from shortages of
ammunition and food, and
being outnumbers, the
Germans in Stalingrad
surrendered in February
1943
Hitler launched another
major attack (Battle of Kursk)
in the summer but failed.
42. Operation Barbarossa
1944
1944
By 1944:
1. Leningrad was liberated
2. Germans were pushed out
of the Ukraine
3. Soviets reached Poland
and Romania
4. Jan 1945, East Prussia
43. Operation Barbarossa
1945
1945
Battle of Berlin 1945
May 2,1945 the
Soviets reached Berlin
44. Operation Barbarossa
1945
1945
Why were the Soviets able to
defeat the German Army?
1. German were not prepared,
lacked supplies and equipment to
face the Russian winter
2. 1941, Hitler takes over the
army, was disastrous in the
USSR.
3. Germans carried out brutal
attacks against civilian
populations which fed Russian
resistance and motivation.
45. Operation Barbarossa
1945
1945
Why were the Soviets able to
defeat the German Army?
4. German supply lines were
overstretched
5. Continued loss of aircraft and
tanks what could not be
replaced.
Began with 328 tanks/division,
averaged 73/division by 1943,
fell back on horses
46. Why were the Soviets able to defeat
the German Army?
6. Installation of radios in
tanks and aircrafts
7. Stalin withdrew from
military command.
8. Removed political
influence over the army
9. Increased patriotism:
Save “Mother Russia”,
not communism
47. Why were the Soviets able to defeat
the German Army?
10. Russian Orthodox
Church was reinstated
11. Still out-produced
the Germans militarily
12. UK and US
assistance, Lend-
Lease agreements
48. Operation Barbarossa
Review Questions
Review Questions
Why were the Germans successful with
Blitzkrieg in Europe?
Why did the Blitzkrieg tactics fail in the USSR?
Develop a mind map outlining the Soviet
Victory over the Nazi’s. Highlight the main
reasons.
49. 3. The Defeat of Nazi
Germany
While the Soviets fought in the
Germans in the USSR, Britain
and the US fought an air and sea
war from Dec 1941
Stalin was desperate for the
Allies to open up a two front war
Neither the US nor Britain had
the resources needed to launch
an invasion of mainland Europe
R.Overy
50. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
El Alamein(1942)
El Alamein(1942)
Britain decided to fight
on in N.Africa
Defeated Rommels
forces at El Alamein in
Nov 1942
‘Operation Torch’
secured with whole of
N.Africa by May 1943
51. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
El Alamein(1942)
El Alamein(1942)
Operation Torch was significant:
1. Prevented Egypt and the
Suez from falling to Hitler
2. Gave the Allies experience in
large-scale seaborne offensives
3. Provided a launching pad for
the next Allied target, Italy.
52. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
The Fall of Italy (1943-45)
The Fall of Italy (1943-45)
‘Fortress Europe’ began on July
10, 1943
Within 6 weeks Sicily was in
Allied hands, which called the fall
of Mussolini
Marshal Pietro Badoglio, signed
an armistice and brought Italy on
to the Allied side
53. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
The Fall of Italy (1943-45)
The Fall of Italy (1943-45)
The Germans were determined
to hold onto Italy and diverted
troops to the peninsula
Slow progress meant Rome
was not liberated until June
1944 and Northern Italy had to
wait until April 1945
54. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
The Fall of Italy (1943-45)
The Fall of Italy (1943-45)
Consequences for the Allies:
1. Fascism ended in Italy,
Germany’s most important Ally
2 Tied down German divisions
that were needed in Russia
3. Showed the Soviets the Allies
were willing to fight in Europe.
55. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
Operation Overlord (June 1944)
Operation Overlord (June 1944)
Also known as D-Day
326,000 British, Canadian, and
American troops landed on a 80
km stretch of beaches in
Normandy
Supported by 4000 ships and
12000 aircrafts
Subterfuge plans diverted attention to Calais
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D-Day
57. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
Operation Overlord (June 1944)
Operation Overlord (June 1944)
Within a month 1,000,000 had
landed on the beaches of
Normandy
Within weeks Northern France,
Brussels, and Antwerp were
liberated
Germans did continue to succeed
along the Siegfried Line at
Arnhem and the Ardennes forrest
58. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
Operation Overlord (June 1944)
Operation Overlord (June 1944)
The Germans could not replace
troops
The first months of 1945 saw
steady disintegration of the
Wehrmacht
The Allies crossed the Rhine in
March 1945 which brought a two
front war upon the Germans
59. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
Operation Overlord (June 1944)
Operation Overlord (June 1944)
April 30,1945 Hitler
killed himself
May 7, the German
surrendered
unconditionally
60. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
The Weakness of the Axis Powers
The Weakness of the Axis Powers
Why did the Allies
defeat Hitler?
61. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
The Weakness of the Axis Powers
The Weakness of the Axis Powers
1.
Hitler allowed Britain to survive
Therefore keeping the war
going in the west, Atlantic,
and Africa
Britain acted as a launching
pad for Germany and
‘Operation Overlord’
62. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
The Weakness of the Axis Powers
The Weakness of the Axis Powers
2. The invasion of the USSR was a huge mistake
Undid the gains of the Nazi-
Soviet Pact
Pushed Germany into a two front
war
Russia was 3x pop, 80x the land,
and a much larger industrial
output.
63. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
The Weakness of the Axis Powers
The Weakness of the Axis Powers
3. Declaring war on the USA,
Sept 11, 1941, was also a major
error
This allowed Allies to: a.
Invade Italy b. Bomb
Germany c. Open up
the second front (1944)
Hitler was unable to attack the
US directly and didn’t have the
same collaborative relationship
with the Axis powers
64. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
The Weakness of the Axis Powers
The Weakness of the Axis Powers
4. Taking command of Military
operations
Seen clearly in the USSR as the
Germans were not prepared for
a winter campaign
Refused to retreat in Stalingrad,
which lead to surrender in Jan
1943
Concentration on V-rockets
65. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
The Strength of the Allies
The Strength of the Allies
1. Economic Superiority
USSR easily transitioned into a
‘wartime economy’ and
outproduced the Germans by
1943
American production
outproduced the Germans while
turning out 70 000 tanks and 120
000 aircrafts annually
66. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
The Strength of the Allies
The Strength of the Allies
2. Turning economic strength
into affective fighting power
Improved quality and quantity of
military forces and technology
Ensured excellent back-up
services. US 18:1 ratio in the
Pacific, Japanese 1:1
67. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
The Strength of the Allies
The Strength of the Allies
3. Established civilian support for
the Allies
Men with the best organization
skills helped plan on the civilian
front, rather than in combat
Allowed for better integration of
intellectual, economic, and
organizational strengths towards
the war effort
68. The Defeat of Nazi Germany
The Strength of the Allies
The Strength of the Allies
4. Key Strategic Decisions
Concentrating the attack in
Germany, 85% of US war effort
was towards Germany, only 15%
towards Japan
Pouring funds into strategic
bombing, forced Germany to
focus on anti-aircraft strategy
Will to win, promoting the ‘just
war
69. 4. War in the East
An Overview
An Overview
After Pearl Harbour, the USA
and Britain declared war on
Japan, as did their regional allies
Dec 11 1941, Germany declares
war on the US
The conflict was now a ‘World
War’
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Pearl Harbor
71. War in the East
An Overview
An Overview
Within hours of Pearl Harbor
Japan attacked Wake, Guam,
the Philippines, Malaya, and
Hong Kong
As well we the Prince of Wales
and the Repulse, British naval
ships needed for defense in the
region
This left Singapore and Burma
undefended
72. War in the East
An Overview
An Overview
Dec 25/26 Japan overtook Hong
Kong and captured 12,000 prisoners
Jan 6 1942, the Dutch East Indies
were invaded
By the end of Jan ’42 British,
Australian, and Indian forces had
retreated to the tip of the Malay
Peninsula to Singapore
An attack followed forcing 80,000
troops to surrender and became one
of the worst defeats in British history
73. War in the East
An Overview
An Overview
By mid 1942, The Japanese had
successfully captured the Dutch
East Indies, the Philippines, and
Burma
The ‘Greater Asia Co-Prosperity
Sphere’ was complete
74. War in the East
The Battle of Midway(June 1942)
The Battle of Midway(June 1942)
The Japanese suffered two
serious setbacks 1.
Port Moresby(SE New Guinea)
would have brought Australia
with reach of their bombers 2.
Midway (June ’42) hoped to
draw out US aircraft carriers
Americans were able to break
Japanese codes and knew the
attack was coming and
destroyed 4 Japanese aircraft
carriers
75. War in the East
The Battle of Midway(June 1942)
The Battle of Midway(June 1942)
American success was a
crucial turning point for the
Pacific War
Japan could not recover, the
Americans soon had a fleet with
which the Japanese could not
stand against
Japan was condemned to fight a
defensive war (link to ‘The Pacific’ Guadalcanal)
76. War in the East
Japanese Retreat
Japanese Retreat
Although catastrophic, the loss
at midway did not cost the
Japanese territory
Headed by Gen.
D.MacArthur(Head of the Allied
Forces in SE Pacific), The Allies
slowly pushed back the
Japanese through ‘island
hopping’ or ‘atoll hopping’,
stepping stones towards
Japan
Allies superiority in the air and
sea made this possible
77. War in the East
Japanese Retreat
Japanese Retreat
Admiral C.Nimitz (US Pacific Fleet
Commander-in-Chief) In a two
pronged assault, advanced through
the central Pacific
Victories occupied the Philippines
and Japan’s sea route to oil
supplies in the East Indies
Oct 1944, brought the largest naval
battle of all time, the battle of
‘Leyte Gulf’
78. War in the East
Japanese Retreat
Japanese Retreat
Battle of Leyte Gulf
Facing fanatical resistance the US
now had to clear the Japanese out
of the Philippines, the islands of
Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
Okinawa was the most brutal of
these battles, 160,000 Japanese
died fighting and another 110,000
died refusing to surrender
By May 1945, Allied Commander
L.Mountbatten had cleared the
Japanese out of Burma
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Battle of Okinawa
80. War in the East
The Atomic Bomb
The Atomic Bomb
With Germany defeated in MAy
1945, America could focus all
their forces on Japan
Soviets also promised to divert
troops to the East
Japan was clearly on the verge
of defeat
American forces were nearing
Japan and their cites had been
consistently bombed since Nov
1944
81. War in the East
The Atomic Bomb
The Atomic Bomb
PM Admiral Kangaroo Suzuki,
tried to negotiate peace that
would preserve the position of
the Emperor
The Allies would accept nothing
but ‘unconditional surrender’
US were concerns: 1.
Soviet involvement would mean
the growth of Stalin in the region
2. Loss of US
troops
82. War in the East
The Atomic Bomb
The Atomic Bomb
The Americans had been
developing the A-bomb,
through the ‘Manhattan
Project’, to use against
Germany, but they
surrendered before it was
ready
Pres. H.Truman gave the
order to drop ‘Little Boy’ over
Hiroshima on Aug 6, 1945
and ‘Fat Man’ on Nagasaki
on Aug 9, 1945
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The Atomic Bomb
84. War in the East
The Atomic Bomb
The Atomic Bomb
After the dropping of
the Atomic Bomb,
which killed over
240,000 civilians
immediately, the
Japanese government
surrendered.
The War was finally
over
85.
86.
87. War in the East
Why were the Allies successful in defeating
Japan?
Why were the Allies successful in defeating
Japan?
Several Factors in common with
defeat over the Germans:
1. The emphasis on back-up
support for the military 2.
Involvement of civilian in military
planning and logistics 3. As with
Germany, Japan neglected
these areas
Post-war surveys indicated
neglect maintenance, logistic
support, communications and
control for airfields or bases
88. War in the East
Why were the Allies successful in defeating
Japan?
Why were the Allies successful in defeating
Japan?
Technologically, the US began
the war at a disadvantage
The US adjusted and learned
from their mistakes to build up
naval and air superiority by
building new planes and aircraft
carriers
89. War in the East
Why were the Allies successful in defeating Japan?
Why were the Allies successful in defeating Japan?
A critical factor lay in 1.
Isolating Japan from its empire by
destroying its merchant marine,
navy, and naval air power
2. Japan overstretched
itself and was a small island with
limited supplies
3. The Japanese economy
couldn’t match the US capacity for
rapid expansion
By 1945 Japanese industry and
infrastructure were destroyed
90. 5. How WWII Was Fought
The War on Land
The War on Land
The Germans learnt from WWI
and the Ludendorff offensive with
Stormtroopers,
Concentrated attacks with tactical
air cover was critical and they
developed Blitzkrieg with this in
mind
Instead of fighting a defensive
war, a offensive war that
consisted of surprise, speed and
movement using Panzers,
armored vehicles, and aircraft
91. 5. How WWII Was Fought
The War on Land
The War on Land
1. An air strike took out the
opposing air force and
communication centers 2.
Parachutists were dropped
behind enemy lines 3.
Swift tanks and motorized
infantry-supported by air power-
would split the enemy lines
4. Allowed for
penetration into unprotected
territories 5. Encircled the
enemy 6. Thus rapid,
decisive victory was achieved
92. How WWII Was Fought
The War on Land
The War on Land
Blitzkrieg allowed Hitler to
achieve quick and decisive
victories that were not too
demanding in terms of
casualties and resources
The speed and surprise of
Blitzkrieg prevented countries
from mobilizing fully for total war
and had a devastating impact on
morale
93. How WWII Was Fought
Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg
Success:
The deficiencies in equipment
was made up for with superior
tactics, speed, and organization
The element of surprise was
crucial to German success
94. How WWII Was Fought
Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg
Failures: 1.
Despite quick advances, Germany
was not equipped to fight a long
war 2. Blitzkrieg was
effective in short confined areas-
this did not exist in the USSR
3.USSR was able to withstand
initial losses, reorganize their
economy and military and fight
back
By 1943 Germany had lost the
element of surprise, by 1944 the
Allies dominated the skies
95. How WWII Was Fought
The War at Sea
(the Battle for the Atlantic)
(the Battle for the Atlantic)
(the Battle for the Atlantic)
British naval power was critical
for maintaining vital trade routes
the British was dependent on
This allowed Britain to defend
its empire adn was essential to
army operations outside of
home waters
Thus, until 1944, Britain fought
mainly a naval war
96. How WWII Was Fought
The War at Sea
(the Battle for the Atlantic)
(the Battle for the Atlantic)
(the Battle for the Atlantic)
The German navy sufferd major
blows with the scuttling of the
‘Graf spee’ (1939) and the
sinking of the ‘Bismarck’ (1941)
German capital warships were
removed from the Atlantic as a
result
There was no Battle of Jutland,
as in WWI
97. How WWII Was Fought
The War at Sea
(the Battle for the Atlantic)
(the Battle for the Atlantic)
(the Battle for the Atlantic)
Sea warfare became about
controlling supply lines
1939-43 Germany and British
fought control over the Atlantic
Germany predominatly finding
success using U-Boats
By 1943 the Germans had sunk
over 3000 British Ships, which
seriously threatened the Allied
supplies
98. How WWII Was Fought
The War at Sea
(the Battle for the Atlantic)
(the Battle for the Atlantic)
(the Battle for the Atlantic)
To combat the U-boats, the
Allies had to both attack and
avoid them
By mid 1943 a few culminating
factors helped eliminate the U-
boat as a decisive threat:
1. Cracked Enigma codes: also
changed the Royal Navy codes
after discovering the Germans
had been deciphering them.
Thus gaining an intelligence
advantage
99. How WWII Was Fought
The War at Sea
(the Battle for the Atlantic)
(the Battle for the Atlantic)
(the Battle for the Atlantic)
2. High-Frequency Direction
Finder(HF/DF or ‘Huff Duff’):
provided an accurate bearing
towards any submarine that
used radio 3. Air Power:
Long-range B-24 Liberator
aircraft with short-wave radar
adn searchlights could pick
out U-boats on the surface at
night
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B-24 Liberator Bomber in action
101. How WWII Was Fought
The War at Sea
(the Battle for the Atlantic)
(the Battle for the Atlantic)
(the Battle for the Atlantic)
By 1943, 149/237 German
vessels sunk were victims of
aircraft and the Allies had won
the war for the Atlantic
R.Overy points notes the
importance of British and US to
undertake a revolution of
maritime strategy, which the
Germans were reluctant to do
After 1943 the Allies produced
more ships than they lost
102. How WWII Was Fought
The War at Sea
Naval war in the Pacific
Aircraft used in seaNaval was used the Pacific
warfare war in
very effectively in the Pacificwar in the Pacific
Naval war with
Japan
Japan used air power very effectively
in attacks against the Allies in hopes of
preventing reinforcements from
reaching the Pacific
The US access to radar, Japanese
codes, and superior shipbuilding
efficiency tipped the balance
1943-44 US shipyards out produced
aircraft carriers 7/90
103. The War at Sea
What was the
significance of the
Naval war and the
outcome of WWII?
104. How WWII Was Fought
The War in the air
Strategic bombing
Focused on destroying
military and industrial
infrastructure
By focusing on the
home front, strategic
bombing blurred the
lines between
combatant and non-
combatant
105. How WWII Was Fought
The War in the air
Strategic Bombing in Europe
Early in the War the RAF was
forbidden form indiscriminate
bombing
This changed when the Luftwaffe
crew bombed East London
Churchill bombed Berlin in
retaliation
Hitler responded with a full scale
air assault on Britain (the Blitz)
106. How WWII Was Fought
The War in the air
Strategic Bombing in Europe
Strategic Bombing in Europe
Strategic Bombing in Europe
The Allies switch to
indiscriminate bombing
followed
Sir Arthur ‘Bomber” Harris was
the Commander-in-Chief of
Bomber command in 1942
Initially operated at a high cost
to RAF air crafts and did not
lead to destruction of German
morale and industry
107. How WWII Was Fought
The War in the air
Strategic Bombing in Europe
Strategic Bombing in Europe
Strategic Bombing in Europe
The introduction of the P-51B
Mustang in 1944 changed the tide
P-51B had auxiliary fuel tanks so
it could accompany bombers all
the way to their targets and take
on the Luftwaffe
The Germans lost 900 fighters in
February and March of 1944
By June 1944, the Allies had total
air superiority
108. How WWII Was Fought
The War in the air
Strategic Bombing in Europe
Strategic Bombing in Europe
Strategic Bombing in Europe
With the Lufwaffe defeated,
Bomber Command was able to
bomb in daylight and carry out
precision attacks on industrial
targets, such as the steel industry
in the Ruhr
Anglo-American bombing of Dresden
in Feb 1945 killed 50,00 civilians
Germans responded with V-1 and
V-2 missiles, which were
unsuccessful
109. How WWII Was Fought
The War in the air
Strategic Bombing in Europe
Strategic Bombing in Europe
Strategic Bombing in Europe
V-1 and V-2 ballistic missiles
were targeted at London and
did produce significant
casualties
However, they could not be
mass produced and were
unreliable and inaccurate
They also came into the war
too late and diverted resources
away from development on air
crafts
110. How WWII Was Fought
The War in the air
Strategic bombing in the Pacific
Strategic bombing in the Pacific
Strategic bombing in the Pacific
From Nov 1944, the USAAF,
launching from Saipan and
Guam, relentlessly began
bombing the Japanese mainland
The bombing of Tokyo on
March 9, 1945 destroyed 1
million homes and killed more
then 80,000 civilians
April-Aug 1945, most cities were
devastated by Bomber
Command
111. How WWII Was Fought
The War in the air
Strategic bombing in the Pacific
Strategic bombing in the Pacific
Strategic bombing in the Pacific
Japanese fled to the villages
causing 50% absenteeism in
factories
Bombing combined with sea
blockades devastated the
economy
Climaxed with the dropping of
two atomic bombs on Hiroshima
and Nagasaki, after which Japan
surrendered
Air power caused the collapse
112. How WWII Was Fought
The War in the air
The debate about strategic bombing
The debate about strategic bombing
The debate about strategic bombing
Two major criticisms against
strategic bombing: 1.
Morally wrong. The British
claimed: a. the
Germans started it, b. it
was the only way they could
respond, c. and it
ended the war more quickly
113. How WWII Was Fought
The War in the air
The debate about strategic bombing
The debate about strategic bombing
The debate about strategic bombing
2. Ineffective: Some argue the
drop of production was due to
the attrition of war, not bombing
Many critics and historians
maintin that the devastating
effects on civilian populations
made strategic bombing
immoral
114. How WWII Was Fought
The War in the air
The War in the air
Document Analysis:
“Photocopy”
115. 6. WWII as a “Total War”
‘Total War’ meand that a
country uses all its human,
economic, and military
resources to fight the war. In
practical terms : 1.
Creating a fighting force using
conscription 2. Using
civilians in the war effort
3. Using all weapons
available and developing new
ones
116. WWII as a “Total War”
4. Government control of key
aspects of the economy 5.
Government control over the
media 6. The
targeting of civilians as well as
combatants in war
Outline in what ways were WWI
and WWII total wars?
What war is considered to be
more of a ‘Total war’?
117. WWII as a “Total War”
The aims of the belligerents
The aims of the belligerents
Hitler’s goals were clear; total
domination and the takeover
of the USSR to provide living
space for the German
peoples.
This involved elimination of
races - Jewish people in
particular
118. WWII as a “Total War”
The aims of the belligerents
The aims of the belligerents
The Allies could afford no
compromise and saw themselves
as fighting for the freedom of
Europe
The same was true in the Pacific,
where the Japanese Co-
prosperity sphere, with its aims of
political, economic, and racial
domination, were considered
unacceptable
The racial aspect of fighting
increased the will to fight until the
end for the Allies
119. WWII as a “Total War”
The use of weaponry
The use of weaponry
Outline the use of
weaponry throughout
WWII and how the
Allies and Axis powers
evolved throughout
the war
120. WWII as a “Total War”
The role of civilians
The role of civilians
In WWI civilian casualties
accounted for roughly 1/10,
whereas in WWII they made up
closer to 2/3 of deaths
What caused this dramatic
shift?
121. WWII as a “Total War”
Deportation and genocide
Deportation and genocide
The ideological and racial
aspect meant that certain
sections of civilian populations
were targeted with the intent
that they should be deported or
eliminated entirely
Hitler believed Jews in
particular were subhuman
122. WWII as a “Total War”
Deportation and genocide
Deportation and genocide
The space that was necessary for
the Greater German Reich also
meant that the existing
populations in Poland and the
USSR had to be destroyed or
displaced
The Reich estimated ‘the
unwanted population would be
close to 50-57 million’
15% Poles, 25 % Ruthanians,
35% Ukrainians who would be
needed as laborers or deported to
Siberia
123. WWII as a “Total War”
Deportation and genocide
Deportation and genocide
The Russian populations would
wither away through the use of
contraception, abortion, and
sterilization
The Jewish population would be
exterminated
Special SS squads called
‘Einsatzgruppen accompanied the
German army during the invasion of
Poland and the USSR, and had the
dedicated job of killing all Jews,
communists, and resisters
124. WWII as a “Total War”
Deportation and genocide
Deportation and genocide
By July 1941, the
Einsatzgruppen had murdered
around 63,000 men women and
children, 90% of whom were
Jewish
Others such as Gypsies and
mental patients were also at
risk
125. WWII as a “Total War”
Deportation and genocide
Deportation and genocide
The method of murdering such
large numbers of people was
very time consuming and costly
The ‘Final Solution’ was a new
method the designed to answer
the ‘Jewish question’ Sign used during the anti-Jewish boycott: "Help
liberate Germany from Jewish capital. Don't buy in
Jewish stores." Germany, 1933.
— Stadtarchiv Nürnberg
126. WWII as a “Total War”
Deportation and genocide
Deportation and genocide
This involved transporting
Jewish people across Europe
to concentration camps and
extermination camps
Auschwitz-Burkenau was is one
of the most gruesome as
10,000 Jewish people a day
could be murdered
127. WWII as a “Total War”
Deportation and genocide
Deportation and genocide
The Soviet Government also
deported Germans and
Tartars. Estonians,
Lithuanians, and Poles were
also dispersed to Siberia
Death tolls in E.Europe and the
USSR were at least 20 million,
more than half of which were
civilian
Poland suffered the most with
more than 6 million deaths out
of their 30 mill population
128. WWII as a “Total War”
Deportation and genocide
Deportation and genocide
3,000,000 of these were Jewish
people and only 150,000
represent deaths in military action
Overall an estimated 1,000,000
gypsies and 6,000,000 Jewish
people were killed by the Nazis
129. WWII as a “Total War”
Deportation and genocide
Deportation and genocide
The Japanese also had
ambitions linked to racial
superiority
Gen. Sakai yRu wrote ‘The
Chinese people are bacteria
infesting world civilization’
The Rape of Nanking and
Singapore Massacre are
examples of the implementation
of the Japanese genocidal
ideology
130. WWII as a “Total War”
Deportation and genocide
Deportation and genocide
Overall, 10,000,000 Chinese died
at the hands of the Japanese
Filipinos, Indonesians, and Malays
were also used as slave workers,
resulting thousands of deaths
POW’s also suffered from physical
overwork, malnutrition, and abuse
131. WWII as a “Total War”
Deportation and genocide
Deportation and genocide
Rape of East Germany: As the Soviets
pushed through to Berlin they took
revenge on the German population
‘Chief among victims were adult males
and women of any age’-Trudy Judt
Doctors and clinics reported that 87,000
women had been raped by Soviet
soldiers following the Red Army arrival in
Vienna
This number was much larger in Berlin
and does not reflect those rapes that
went unreported
132. WWII as a “Total War”
Deportation and genocide
Deportation and genocide
Internment
German and Japanese civilians
living in America found
themselves rounded up and re-
located to interment camp by the
thousands
In America more than 100,000
Japanese had to leave their
homes and property behind
In Britain Germans and Austrian
civilians were interned
133. WWII as a “Total War”
Deportation and genocide
Deportation and genocide
134. WWII as a “Total War”
Civilians as part of the War effort
Civilians as part of the War effort
The Major combatants mobilized
between 1/2 and 2/3 of their
industrial workforce, and
devoted up to 3/4 of their
national product to waging war
This meant restrictions and
rations for civilian populations
135. WWII as a “Total War”
Civilians as part of the War effort
Civilians as part of the War effort
Britain
Military conscription was
introduced by with caution to
keep key workers in important
industries
Industrial conscription was
introduced for women
136. WWII as a “Total War”
Civilians as part of the War effort
Civilians as part of the War effort
Germany
Initially there was little change to
the economy
Albert Speer, Minister of
Armaments and War Production
attempted to re-organize human
resources from 1942 onwards,
but found little support
Having women in the workplace
was against Hitlers 3 K’s, Kinder,
Kirche, Kuche. ( Children, Church,Kitchen)
137. WWII as a “Total War”
Civilians as part of the War effort
Civilians as part of the War effort
USSR
The centralized nature of the
USSR allowed civilians to be
easily mobilized towards the
war effort
Coercion play role
Slacking or absenteeism could
be punished by labour camps or
death
138. WWII as a “Total War”
Civilians as part of the War effort
Civilians as part of the War effort
USSR
Women made up most of the
workforce
Women also volunteered for
the Red Army, latter having
three regiments (two bomber
and one fighter)
R.Overy calls the civilians of
Russia the ‘real heros’ of the
USSR’s economic revival after
the Nazi invasion
139. WWII as a “Total War”
Civilians as part of the War effort
Civilians as part of the War effort
America:
Women also played a key role
in war industries
An estimated 350,000 women
also joined uniformed groups,
such as the Women’s Army
Auxiliary Corps, the Marine
Corps Women’s Reserve, adn
the Navy Nurse Corps
140. WWII as a “Total War”
Civilians as part of the War effort
Civilians as part of the War effort
Japan:
The government was reluctant to
use women in the workforce
Preferring to conscript students to
women
141. WWII as a “Total War”
Civilians as part of the War effort
Civilians as part of the War effort
Resistance fighters:
In all countries occupied by the
Nazis, there were civilians who
joined resistance groups, called
Partisans
They gathered intelligence, used
sabotage and murder, helped
rescue shot down pilots, and took
Jewish people into safety.
142. WWII as a “Total War”
Civilians as part of the War effort
Civilians as part of the War effort
Resistance Fighters:
Research one resistance
group from one of the
follow occupied countries:
Denmark, France, Belgium,
Norway, Holland.
Find out how it was
organized, its activities, and
to what extent it had an
impact on the final defeat of
the Germans.
143. WWII as a “Total War”
The growth of government power
Britain
Britain
Britain
The government extended it
powers to organize its human and
economic resources
Churchill exercised supreme
political and military power
Ernest Bevin, Minister of Labour
and National Service was able to
complete the task virtually
unrestricted
144. WWII as a “Total War”
The growth of government power
Britain
Britain
Britain
Mines, shipping, and
railways came under state
control
Rationing and conscription for
both men and women were
introduced
Bevin improved the health and
welfare of the nation, improving
healthcare, nurseries, and working
conditions
145. WWII as a “Total War”
The growth of government power
Germany
Germany
Germany
The single party already existed,
yet, planning remained confused
and decentralized
1942, Albert Speer was put in
charge of the Central Planning
Board
1944, Joseph Goebbels, the
Propaganda Minister, was
appointed Commissioner for Total
Mobilization of Resources for War
146. WWII as a “Total War”
The growth of government power
Germany
Germany
Germany
According to R.Overy, neither
appointment overcame the
problems of a system that was
‘poorly co-ordinated,
uncooperative, and
obstructive’(Overy, Why the Allies
Won, 2006)
Until 1943 production focused on
quality and sophistication rather
then mass production of standard
weapons
147. WWII as a “Total War”
The growth of government power
USSR
USSR
USSR
The centralized all-powerful state
already existed
Soviet survival after 1941 was due
to careful planning and mass
production, as well as the efforts of
the people
Stalin turned the USSR into a
‘single war camp’ through a single
national war plan (1943) that
liberated restrictions previously
limiting workers from completing
objectives
148. WWII as a “Total War”
The growth of government power
USA
USA
USA
US government also assumed control
of industrial production
The War Production Board (1942)
changed production priorities to the
needs of the military. Eg. Car
factories now produced tanks and
planes.
The War Commission recruited
workers
Relied on expertise of big business in
mass production and technological
innovation
149. WWII as a “Total War”
The growth of government power
USA
USA
USA
Thus without changing the free-
market nature of the American
economy, the USA was able to
expand its manufacturing
capacity immensely, ending the
war as the most powerful
economy in the world
150. WWII as a “Total War”
The growth of government power
Japan
Japan
Japan
The military government strengthen
power through ‘voluntary’ dissolution
of main political parties and the
creation of the Imperial Rule
Assistance Association
Trade unions were replaced by the
Great Japan Patriotic Industrial
Association to oversee employers
and workers
Tight control was not productive due
to the power of the ‘Zaibatsu’ and the
Army and Navy rivalry
151. WWII as a “Total War”
Propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda remained a key
weapon
Goebbels stoked the German
fear of communism
Stalin promoted the ‘Great
Patriotic War’ and defense of
the ‘Motherland’
152. WWII as a “Total War”
Propaganda
Propaganda
Change in public in the opinion in
the west came as a result of the
actions of the Axis powers rather
then through intense propaganda
Propaganda did still remain
important to the war effort for the
west
Churchill, established the Political
Warfare Executive
In America, the Office of War
Information was established
153. WWII as a “Total War”
Propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda and censorship were
used to help maintain morale,
encourage civilian thriftiness,
involve women, and stress the
evil nature of the enemy
BBC broadcast daily reports to
maintain morale and inform
resistance movements
154. WWII as a “Total War”
Propaganda
Propaganda
American propaganda against the
Germans differed greatly to the
propaganda used against the
Japanese
Propaganda against Germany
stressed the Nazis evil nature
Whereas Propaganda against
Japan was of an openly racial
nature aimed at all Japanese, not
just the leaders
155. WWII as a “Total War”
Propaganda
Propaganda
American propaganda
portrayed the Japanese as
primitive, uncivilized, inferior,
and were treacherous and
barbaric
The British Daily Mail
refereed to a Japan that is
“dominated by a fanatical belief int he
superiority of the Japanese race and its
mission to spread the paternal rule of the
divine Emperor....the natural outcome of
tribalism which has peristed beneath the
veneer of different cultures borrowed from
other countries” 18 Feb 1942