blitzkrieg and sitzkrieg

Question 1

how did Canada enter ww2 as opposed to ww1?

Answer 1

ww1- forced to enter as a British colony

ww2- declared war as an independent nation

Question 2

why did the recruits join ww2?

Answer 2

• have a steady job
• adventure
• “the right thing to do”

Question 3

what is the phony war (sitzkrieg)?

Answer 3

Hitler continued to take Europe while Allies did little fighting

Question 4

why did the Allies do little fighting in sitzkrieg?

Answer 4

they were not prepared- barracks unfinished, shortage of equipment, many untrained

Question 5

what did Stalin do in 1939?

Answer 5

invade Finland

Question 6

how did the Finnish fare against the Soviets?

Answer 6

held off the Soviets until the next March but was eventually forced to agree to Stalin’s terms

Question 7

what is blitzkrieg?

Answer 7

“lightning war”

with strong air support, German troops, tanks, and artillery launch a focused attack through a short section of the battlefield, then advance deep into enemy territory

Question 8

what did blitzkrieg allow attackers to do?

Answer 8

disrupt enemy communications, supply lines, and defences

Question 9

list the German conquests of 1940

Answer 9

Denmark (fell in a day)
Norway (fell in a month)
the Netherlands
Belgium
Luxembourg Germany then turned to France

Question 10

what was the Maginot line?

Answer 10

prepared for a long war (like ww1)- built concrete defences along Maginot Line between Germany and France

Question 11

in early May 1940, German troops went north around the Maginot Line, bursting through ______ into ______

Answer 11

Belgium / France

Question 12

caught off guard, what happened to the the Allied defences?

Answer 12

they collapsed

Question 13

more than 338 000 _______________ troops retreated

Answer 13

British, French, Polish, Belgian, and Dutch

Question 14

where did the British, French, Polish, Belgian, and Dutch troops retreat to and what happened there?

Answer 14

to the port of Dunkirk where they were pinned down by German forces

Question 15

the Miracle of Dunkirk

Allied forces were pinned down at Dunkirk; Hitler was deliberating whether to __________________

Answer 15

use air forces or the army to finish them off

Question 16

the Miracle of Dunkirk
the Allies used Hitler’s hesitation to achieve a dramatic rescue- the British assembled ___ fishing, pleasure, and commercial boats which were sent across the ____________ along with ____ naval vessels and __ Royal Canadian Navy destroyers

Answer 16

800 / English Channel / 222 / 4

Question 17

the Miracle of Dunkirk

the crafts managed to ___________________ and ferry them safely across the Channel

Answer 17

pick up the Allied troops from the beach at Dunkirk

Question 18

what happened in France on June 25, 1940?

Answer 18

France officially surrendered, meaning Hitler controlled nearly all of western Europe and turned to Britain

Question 19

the Battle of Britain

Hitler knew that ____________ would inflict severe damage to his 140 000 troops if _________________

Answer 19

Royal Air Force fighters and bombers / they tried to cross the channel to Britain

Question 20

the Battle of Britain

Hitler ordered the German air force to gain control of the air by _______________

Answer 20

destroying British aircraft factories, airfields, and radar stations

Question 21

the Battle of Britain

Germany’s air force was much greater than Britain’s; name some of Britain’s advantages

Answer 21

superior radar, help from Allied countries

Question 22

what was the superior radar?

Answer 22

RAF fighter planes tracked and shot down German bombers before they could reach their target

Question 23

how did the Blitz begin?

Answer 23

German bomber bombed London, the RAF bombed Berlin in response

Question 24

what was the Blitz?

Answer 24

the German air force redirected their attacks from British airfields to London and other cities

Question 25

what was the name of the German air force?

Answer 25

the Luftwaffe

Question 26

how long did the Blitz last and how many were killed?

Answer 26

for 57 consecutive nights; killed 43 000

Question 27

what was a benefit of the Blitz?

Answer 27

allowed the RAF breathing space- chance to regroup, reinforce, rebuild