The+spread+of+war,+1939-40

= The Spread of War, 1939-40 = = = = = = The 'Phoney War' = The USSR joined the war on 17 September 1939 when Soviet forces invaded eastern Poland, as agreed in the Nazi- Soviet Pact. By November they had occupied 20,000 km of Polish land. Further north the USSR extended its influence by forcing Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to allow Soviet troops onto their soil. In December 1939 the Soviet government demanded territory from Finland and, when the Finns refused to hand it over, invaded the country. Although the Finns fought bravely against the odds, they were defeated in February 1940. Many countries were angered by the Soviet attack on Finland, but could not agree on how to help the Finns. The only positive action they took was to expel the USSR from the League of Nations in December 1939. Germany and the USSR were thus able to do what they wanted in eastern Europe during the winter of 1939- 40. Britain and France stood on the defensive in western Europe, preparing their forces, but did not fight them. The six months following the invasion of Poland were therefore known as the 'Phoney War'.
 * Blitzkrieg || In 1939, German armed forces invaded Poland in 1 September. It was known as the lighting war. It took them only a week to defeat the Polish army and five weeks to occupy the whole country. ||
 * Phoney War || The six months following the invasion of Poland were therefore known as the Phoney War. It ended when the British Royal Navy laid mines in the sea along the coast of Norway in April 1940. The aim was to stop supplies of iron ore reaching Germany from Northern Sweden. ||
 * Operation Yellow || It was code- named and it began on 10 May 1940. They used the Blitzkrieg method of warfare. The Germans attacked Holland and Belgium, defeating them within 3 weeks. So this allowed them to enter France, smashing the French army and forcing the British army in France to retreat across the channel from Dunkirk. ||
 * Italian Lake || Mussolini had dreamed of making the Mediterranean Sea into what he called an 'Italian Lake' and of bringing the Balkan states (Greece, Yugoslavia, Albania and Bulgaria) under his control. In October 1940, therefore, Italian forces. ||
 * Greater East Asia Co- Prosperity Sphere || In 1940 the Japanese government prepared to stake a claim to the British, French and Dutch colonies in East Asia. A sort of market area stretching from Manchuria to the east Indies, in which Japan would be the controlling nation. ||

= = = Norway and Denmark Occupied = The 'Phoney War' ended when the British Royal Navy laid mines in the sea along the coast of Norway in April 1940. The aim was to stop supplies of iron ore reaching Germany from northern Sweden. The Germans got most of their iron ore from Sweden and could not afford to have their supplies blocked by minefields. In April 1940 they therefore occupied Norway and forced British forces in the north of the country to withdraw. To provide themselves with supply bases the Germans also invaded and occupied Denmark.

= The Fall of France = Soon after invading Poland, Hitler ordered his generals to prepare for an attack on western Europe at the earliest possible date. His aim was to smash France and to force Britain to surrender. 'Operation Yellow', as the attack was code- named, began on 10 May 1940. Again using the 'blitzkrieg' method of warfare, the Germans attacked Holland and Belgium, defeating them within three weeks. This allowed them to enter France, smashing the French army and forcing the British army in France to retreat across the Channel from Dunkirk. On 22 June the French were forced to make peace and Germany then occupied northern France.

= Britain Alone = Many people in Europe now thought that Britain would have to make peace with Germany and that the war in Europe would end. But when Hitler offered Britain lenient peace terms, Winston Churchill, the new Prime Minister, rejected them and chose instead to fight on. The British Royal Air Force played a key part in this: it prevented a German invasion of Britain by keeping control of the skies in the Battle of Britain during the summer of 1940. War therefore continued in north- west Europe, even though most of the region was in German hands, and Britain stood alone against Germany.

= The war spreads south = In southern Europe, Italy entered the war in June 1940, attacking the south coast of France. Although Mussolini was Hitler's ally, he had not helped to invade Poland because Italian armed forces were not then ready to fight. For many years, Mussolini had dreamed of making the Mediterranean Sea into what he called an 'Italian lake' and of bringing the Balkan states (Greece, Yugoslavia, Albania and Bulgaria) under his control. In October 1940, therefore, Italian forces attacked Greece, taking the war southwards into the Mediterranean. In North Africa, Italian forces in Libya invaded Egypt, driving back the British forces which had been put there to defend Britain's main oil supply route, the Suez Canal. The Italians did badly in all three of the countries they attacked and this helped the war to spread even further. When the Greeks defeated the Italians, Hitler decided in December 1940 to send German forces to Greece. He feared that Britain, which had given Greece a guarantee in 1939, would now come to her aid. He also feared that British aircraft Greece would be able to bomb the oil- fields in Romania from which Germany got most of her oil. So, as well as sending forces to Greece, Hitler sent troops to Romania to defend the oi- fields.

Analysis Question

= What were the problems of the spread of war in 1939- 40? = One problem was that Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939. They wanted to take it over and it was known as the 'Blitzkrieg' or 'Lightning War'. It only took a week to defeat the Polish army and five weeks to occupy the whole country. After that Britain and France declared war on Germany on 3 September. Fighting had spread to most of Europe as well as North and East Africa. Why did the war spread so quickly after April 1940? The war also spread south at the coast of France. Italy entered the war in June 1940, attacking the south of France. Although Mussolini was Hitler's ally, he did not help to invade Poland.

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