Within two weeks, Paris was under Nazi control, and still seething from the harsh terms of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles that ended World War I, Hitler demanded that the surrender terms be signed in the very same spot as the armistice that ended that war, and in the very same railroad car, which he had brought out from its museum display for that purpose3. Belgium had surrendered to Germany without firing a shot, effectively dooming France to Nazi occupation, and nearly sealing the fate of more than a quarter million British troops sent to support Britain's ally, France. Only a last-
3. Hayes & Faissler p.444 minute scramble saved the British from capture, at the port city of Dunkirk, where the British used thousands of ships, boats, and dinghies to rescue them all and ferry them back to England after Belgium surrendered.. Italy, a Nazi ally, then declared war on France and Britain, hoping to be included in any post-war negotiations to her benefit4.
Hitler prepared to invade England from occupied France, and began a vicious and extensive aerial bombing campaign, using incendiary bombs on civilian population centers of England. Though vastly outnumbered, the British Royal Air Force (RAF) rallied to the defense. Using superior aircraft in the Spitfire and Hurricane, in combination with the timely invention of Radar, the RAF handed the mighty Luftwaffe its first major combat defeat in the Battle of Britain in Summer of 1940. Churchill, who had since replaced Chamberlain as Prime Minister, famously credited the RAF pilots, saying, "Never have so many owed so much to so few." Despite 40,000 civilian dead and hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses destroyed, the British people spent months in blackout conditions and underground shelters, living by the phrase "We'll get used to it." 5
Under their Non-Aggression Pact of 1939, Germany had occupied Western Poland and Russia took control of Poland in the east. However, Stalin never trusted Hitler and both sides regarded their agreement as more of a way of postponing their inevitable conflict rather than as a lasting peace agreement. Stalin used the opportunity to reoccupy Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, restoring her pre-1919 borders and providing
Lukacs, J. p.66
Commager, H. p.93 additional...
Europe After World War II Historical Development Unification Historical Development of Unification Ideas in Europe after World War II Europe was torn to shreds by the ugly forms of national and ethnic hatred after World War II (1939-1945). Europe is geographically situated in middle of such a global power system, where failing of peace means global annihilation. After World War II, the Europeans established such a framework that can allow peace and regional
WWII: Battle of Monte Cassino History has been known to repeat itself. Today in Iraq for example, United States and Allied troops are torn when drawing up plans to win the war in the holy land. The problems stem from their not being able to directly attack certain Muslim holy locations or shrines even though Iraqi insurgents are constantly utilizing these positions as sanctuaries and initiation points for waging battles against
The $13.3 billion provided by the United States definitely contributed to European recovery (Introduction pp). World War II had devastated much of the continent, leaving the local economies in ruin and millions homeless (Marshall pp). Moreover, the destruction of agriculture had led to conditions of starvation in many areas of the continent (Marshall pp). Many of the greatest cities were in ruins, others were severely damaged, and of particular concern was
" Military History. [online] available: http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/worldwarii/a/wwiieurcauses.htm. Shevin-Coetzee, M. & Coetzee, F. (2010). The World in Flames: A World War II Sourcebook. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Snell, J.L. (1962). The Outbreak of the Second World War: Design or Blunder? Boston D.C. Heath. Carr, F.M. (2005, January 1). "World War I to World War IV: A Democratic-Economic Perspective." Journal of Economics and Economic Education Research, 6(1), p. 117. Carr, p. 117. Shevin-Coetzee, M. & Coetzee, F. (2010). The World in
Europe faced after WWII and the fall of communism in 1991: How has Europe managed the transition away from communism? After World War II, Europe was devastated physically and economically from the conflict in a manner far different from the United States. The U.S. had not seen war on its soil. Britain, in contrast, had been razed by the blitz, and its far-flung empire was crumbling. France had likewise been
Governments turned out to be involved with original subjects for instance rationing, manpower distribution, home defense, removal in the time of air raid, and reply to job by an enemy control. The confidence and mind of the persons replied to management and publicity. Classically women were militarized to an exceptional degree. The achievement in rallying financial production was a main factor in secondary battle processes. Altogether of the power
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