Blitzkrieg: Blitzkrieg –

Lightening War

Relentless Nazi air and ground attack using Stuka dive-bombers, tanks and mobilized infantry

Was quick and took the enemy by surprise

Sept 1939, Spring 1940

Sept 1939 - crushed: Poland > 1 month

The Phoney War (Winter 1940) when no fighting took place

Spring 1940 - Crushed: Denmark - 1 day Norway - 2 days The Netherlands – 5 days Belgium – 18 days France – 6 weeks

Spring 1940 - Dunkirk

British and French troops pushed back to the English Chanel by advancing German soldiers – town of Dunkirk

Britain could not afford to have any naval ships sunk during an attempted rescue

Fisherman, ferry boats and pleasure sailors rescued trapped British soldiers.

350 000 rescued, equipment left behind

“Miracle of Dunkirk”

Blitzkrieg – the strategy Air attack

Take out strategic sites Create chaos in civilian

population Paratroopers secure

strategic sites

Armored tank attack – break through into towns (create an entry ‘column’)

Infantry attack (troops arrive in truck loads – enter after tanks

City surrenders

“blood, toil, tears, and sweat”

Summer 1940 Britain stood alone in

Europe

Winston Churchill – Britain’s new P.M. “blood, toil, tears, and sweat”

Halifax – assembling convoys (food, weapons, soldiers)

Eiffel Tower – 1889 centennial of French Revolution

Canada in 1939 WW1- Enthusiasm- WW2- Disappointment

Before Munich- few Canadians wanted a war- after Munich the tide of opinion had turned

The House of Commons debated a declaration of war- only one MP voted no- J.S. Woodsworth

“I vote for the children”

Canada in 1939

10,000 soldiers 14 tanks 29 artillery 23 anti tank rifles 5 mortars

10 naval vessels 50 modern aircraft

Canada in 1939

End of September 1939- 58, 000 troops

$1.30 a day private pay

1940 a contingent of Canadian soldiers stayed in Britain to protect against a German invasion-