Conflict In Ww2 Research Paper
Conflict in Europe 1935-1945
Growth of European Tensions
Dictatorships in Germany and Italy
The European conflict that broke out with the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 was linked to the grievances expressed by Hitler and Mussolini about the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler created a personal persona around his avowed “mission” to recue to German people from the shame of WW1 and to free Germany from the restrictions imposed by the Treaty. In Mein Kampf, Hitler wrote that ‘Germany would be a world power, or there would be no Germany’. Mussolini pledged to restore Italy to its former Imperial glory. He wanted to build a new Roman empire. In 1935 he defied the League of Nations and invaded Abyssinia in North Africa. …show more content…
A feature of this was the development of some world-class infantry weapons. American tanks were light with an emphasis on speed. The American air force received a growing share of the defence budget. Although there were significant weaknesses in the American navy, they did make progress in two areas- the development of aircraft carriers and amphibious operations.
Neither the British nor the French were eager to confront Germany. Britain dispatched troops to France. Britain’s Royal Navy moved to blockade Germany. The French army waited behind the Maginot Line.
Despite its new techniques of war, Germany was not as strong as Britain and France had feared. The Germans learned that as they went and refined the principles of Blitzkrieg - combining fast-moving attacks using infantry, tanks and aircraft- in the eighteen days that it took to defeat Poland.
The organisational structure of Germany’s armed forces was chaotic and subject to this whims of Hitler. The Polish campaign was not a real test for Germany, especially when the Soviet Union joined the attack on …show more content…
At a time when Fighter Command was under very heavy pressure, the Luftwaffe shifted the focus of their attack. They began their attack the city of London. This reduced the direct pressure on Fighter Command. It also meant that the Germans had further to fly to reach their target, which allowed the RAF more opportunities to intercept and shoot down German aircraft. This change also meant that RAF fighters from 12 Group, stationed north of London, could be more heavily involved. At this point, the battle began to shift in favour of the RAF. The frequency of German air raids dropped dramatically after September as Hitler postponed plans for the invasion of Britain and turned his attention to the east and the prospect of war with Russia. The Battle of Britain had been
Growth of European Tensions
Dictatorships in Germany and Italy
The European conflict that broke out with the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 was linked to the grievances expressed by Hitler and Mussolini about the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler created a personal persona around his avowed “mission” to recue to German people from the shame of WW1 and to free Germany from the restrictions imposed by the Treaty. In Mein Kampf, Hitler wrote that ‘Germany would be a world power, or there would be no Germany’. Mussolini pledged to restore Italy to its former Imperial glory. He wanted to build a new Roman empire. In 1935 he defied the League of Nations and invaded Abyssinia in North Africa. …show more content…
A feature of this was the development of some world-class infantry weapons. American tanks were light with an emphasis on speed. The American air force received a growing share of the defence budget. Although there were significant weaknesses in the American navy, they did make progress in two areas- the development of aircraft carriers and amphibious operations.
Neither the British nor the French were eager to confront Germany. Britain dispatched troops to France. Britain’s Royal Navy moved to blockade Germany. The French army waited behind the Maginot Line.
Despite its new techniques of war, Germany was not as strong as Britain and France had feared. The Germans learned that as they went and refined the principles of Blitzkrieg - combining fast-moving attacks using infantry, tanks and aircraft- in the eighteen days that it took to defeat Poland.
The organisational structure of Germany’s armed forces was chaotic and subject to this whims of Hitler. The Polish campaign was not a real test for Germany, especially when the Soviet Union joined the attack on …show more content…
At a time when Fighter Command was under very heavy pressure, the Luftwaffe shifted the focus of their attack. They began their attack the city of London. This reduced the direct pressure on Fighter Command. It also meant that the Germans had further to fly to reach their target, which allowed the RAF more opportunities to intercept and shoot down German aircraft. This change also meant that RAF fighters from 12 Group, stationed north of London, could be more heavily involved. At this point, the battle began to shift in favour of the RAF. The frequency of German air raids dropped dramatically after September as Hitler postponed plans for the invasion of Britain and turned his attention to the east and the prospect of war with Russia. The Battle of Britain had been