2: Britain Alone Flashcards
(34 cards)
What was appeasement?
Germany was breaking the Treaty of Versailles by invading Czechoslovakia but Britain and France were lenient on Germany because they didn’t want to start a war.
why did the WWII start?
Germany then invaded Poland and it was clear appeasement wasn’t working so British and France declared war on Germany.
When did Churchill become Prime Minister?
10th May 1940
What was Churchill’s views on appeasement?
He constantly criticised the governments appeasement policy and thought we shouldn’t have been so soft on Germany.
Why was Churchill liked during the war?
He inspired people to keep fighting and boosted British morale even when France fell
When did Operation Yellow happen and what was it?
10th May 1940
Germany’s invasion of Western Europe
What was Blitzkrieg?
German planes bombed the area to be occupied
German tanks moved in and took over the area
German troops moved in and occupied the area, under cover of artillery fire
Planes and tanks moved onto the next target leaving troops to occupy the captured area and put down all resistance.
Why was Blitzkrieg successful?
It took the enemies by surprise. It was unexpected, effective and terrifying. Belgian, British and French troops were thrown into confusion. They tried to hold back Germans but had no plan. The BEF and other allied troops were forced to retreat to evacuate from the French port of Dunkirk.
What was a disadvantage of blitzkrieg?
The German forces were moving so quick that supplies weren’t able to reach the front line quick enough so lots of soldiers died of hunger. Also they couldn’t make sure the area behind the advancing army was safe.
What was operation Dynamo and when was it?
26th May 1940
It was the process of rescuing many troops from Dunkirk before the Germans took it over. The government asked owners of small boats to go to dunkirk to ferry soldiers to the big ships. By 29th may 1940 300 boats were doing this. They did this till the 4th June and 338,000 troops were rescued.
Why was Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo) important?
Many people saw the evacuation as a success even though Churchill said ears aren’t won through evacuations. It helped British morale. Dunkirk spirit became a phrase used for keeping going in the face of huge obstacles.
What was the Battle of Britain?
A battle between the RAF and the Luftwaffe for the control of the air over Britain and it was fought over many months.
What was operation sealion?
France surrendered on 22nd June 1940 and Hitler next turned to Britain. He wanted to destroy the RAF so they couldn’t attack invading troops.
What happened in the Battle of Britain?
10 July-7 August 1940 ~ Luftwaffe attacks on the British coast, especially RAF radar stations.
8 August - 6 September ~ Luftwaffe attacks on RAF airfields.
7-15 September ~ Luftwaffe, thinking RAF beaten, attack London
15 September ~ Luftwaffe defeated. This is now Battle of Britain day because it convinced the Luftwaffe that the RAF was still a fighting force.
17 September ~ hitler calls off Operation Sealion
Why did Britain win the Battle of Britain?
The RAF had radar which were set up on the coasts to detect incoming Luftwaffe.
Even though the Luftwaffe had more bomber planes, the RAF had more fighter planes and more efficient Spitfire planes.
British factories were quicker at replacing broken planes.
Dunkirk spirit kept RAF planes fighting despite terrible losses.
When did the government start preparing for war?
1935
How did the government prepare for war?
air raid shelters were built (morrison&anderson) and Air Raid Precautions (ARP) service was set up in 1937. By Sep 1939 there were 1.5 million ARP wardens. The wardens put sandbags around buildings. Barrage balloons were also put up to trap incoming Luftwaffe. The government organised ‘blackout’ which meant the enemy couldn’t identify popular cities because there were no lights showing. Even Windows, headlights and streetlights were turned off and covered.
What was the LDF?
The Local Defence Force.
14th May 1940, the war minister, Anthony Eden, asked for volunteers for the LDF.
He was expecting 150,000 people but by August there were about 1 million volunteers. The LDF was then renamed the Home Guard.
What did the Home Guard help during the war?
Manned anti-aircraft guns during air raids.
Rescued people after air raids
Cleared up bomb damage
Removed or painted over road and station signs
Put obstacles in large fields
Put barbed wire along beaches
Detonated unexploded bombs
Were trained the fight in a German invasion.
Why did the government begin evacuating people?
They were so sure that the Germans would bomb British cities, especially London so they thought it was safer to evacuate. Also as well as safety, evacuation meant parents and caters could focus their time to volunteer in war efforts like the ARP (air raid precautions service) and the WVS (women’s voluntary service).
Who were evacuated during WW2?
Children
Pregnant woman
Blind people
Some mothers with children under the age of 5
When did evacuation begin and how many people were evacuated?
1st September 1939
In the first four days, 3 million people were evacuated
However by December there had been no bombing so lots of children returned for Christmas.
When did the blitz take place?
Overlapped with the Battle of Britain. 7th September - May 1941
What was the Blitz and why did Germany do it?
It overlapped with the Battle of Britain - it was the bombing of the Luftwaffe. London was bombed first, most often no heavily. Of the first 76 nights it was bombed on 75 nights. The Luftwaffe also targeted Liverpool as many us ships came in there. The bombs targeted civilians rather than military targets. The Germans wanted to disrupt daily life and wreck British morale so people didn’t support the war.
