The Blitz 1940.
The Blitz . In 1940, as an alternative to dropping its bombs on key military locations such as airfields and aerodromes, the German aeroplanes turned their concentration on London with a population of 9 million citizens. Hitler planned to invade Britain, and part of the reason for this was not only to destroy the key military strongholds/ basses, but the morale of the British populace. Before the Nazis could invade Britain they had to defeat the royal air force (RAF), otherwise British aeroplanes would bomb the German army as it sailed to Britain. So the Battle of Britain started. Through the long, hot summer days the British and Germans fought in the skies over Britain. This battle was vital. By early September, the British expected to be invaded any day. Both sides lost many planes and pilots, but the RAF was not defeated. The British command did not put all its aircraft into the fight at once, in case the Germans invaded, and this helped to keep planes working for the time when they were needed most. Hitler had to change his tactics. He thought that he could defeat the British morale by terrifying London. He set about ordering his planes to bomb London and the other major cities in Britain, which is why the major cities of Britain were bombed in 1940-41. An example of the major destruction in London was the bombing of the docks. This was the first bombing so that it
America in 1940's
America in the 1940's Facts About this decade * Population 132,122,000 * Unemployed in 1940 - 8,120,000 * National Debt $43 Billion * Average Salary $1,299. Teacher's salary $1,441 * Minimum Wage $.43 per hour * 55% of U.S. homes have indoor plumbing * Antarctica is discovered to be a continent * Life expectancy 68.2 female, 60.8 male * Auto deaths 34,500 * Supreme Court decides blacks do have a right to vote * World War II changed the order of world power, the United States and the USSR became super powers * Cold War begins. Different types of war profiteers can be distinguished ranging from single persons, to whole companies or trusts, and nations. During and after World War II enormous profits were made by persons selling rare goods like cigarettes, chocolate, coffee and butter on the black market. In general, all companies selling weapons increase their profits when war starts. Furthermore, one can distinguish passive war profiteers from active war profiteers: * Passive war profiteers make profits from a war without influencing the duration and/or outcome of a war. * Active war profiteers, in addition to making profits from a war, have a vital interest in starting and prolonging wars in order to make or increase their profits. Basil Zaharoff's Vickers Company sold weapons to all the parties involved in the Chaco War. Making profits form war was
Britain's Survival 1940-1943
AQA Coursework Assignment 1 History Specification B (Modern World) 3042 Britain and the Second World War Coursework Title: Britain's Survival 1940-1943 By Stavros Kouppas 11.2 Mr Kinsey When France surrendered in June 1940 Britain was the only European country holding out against Germany. Explain why Britain was able to continue to hold out between June 1940 and the end of 1943... By Stavros Kouppas 11.2 Hitler was a charismatic, Austrian born demagogue (A person who gains power through impassioned public appeals to the emotions and prejudices of a group by speaking or writing), who rose to power in Germany during the 1920s and early 30s. He failed to take power in 1923, but eventually he won power by democratic means. Once he was in power he wanted to eliminate all opposition and launched an audacious program of world domination, as well as wiping out all Jews in the world. Hitler wanted to dominate Europe because he wanted to avenge the humiliation brought to Germany by the Versailles Peace Settlement of 1919. Once it became evident that Adolf Hitler was set on the military domination of Europe, King George VI did all he could to encourage the countries that owed him allegiance to play a part in the war. Hitler ordered the invasion of Austria and the Sudetenland in 1938. Hitler's army invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, sparking England and France to declare war
The Battle of Britain 1940
The Battle of Britain 1940 In the summer of 1940, the German Luftwaffe attempted to win air superiority over southern Britain and the English Channel by destroying the Royal Air Force and the British aircraft industry. This attempt came to be known as the Battle of Britain, and victory over the RAF was seen by the Germans as absolutely essential if they were eventually to mount an invasion of the British Isles. The Germans had overrun Belgium, the Netherlands and northern France in May 1940, using the Blitzkrieg ('Lightning War') technique that relied, among other things, on close coordination between ground troops and the air force. Although the Luftwaffe proved very competent in this role, it was not trained or equipped for the longer-range operations that became part of the Battle of Britain. It is widely believed that had the Germans succeeded in their aim of destroying the RAF, they would have been able to invade Britain relatively easily. This was, after all, at a time when the country was the only European power resisting Nazi Germany, even though she did enjoy massive support from her Commonwealth partners. The Soviet Union did not enter the war against Germany until June 1941, and the United States didn't get involved until December of that year. It was this state of affairs that lay behind Winston Churchill's famous speech to Parliament on 20 August, right in the
April 8th 1940,
April 8th 1940, Dear Diary, Life is the same as usual in Rotterdam. My wife, Lisa and son Jack, are doing fine and my job at the harbour is going well. However a new threat seems to be lurking in the distance, one we have not had to deal with for a long time...war. It is now just over a year since the Germans took their first victim, Czechoslovakia in March 1939. Since then I have heard that the German war machine has churned its way through Poland, Denmark and Norway and as nobody has yet succeeded in stopping them, I fear places like Holland, Belgium and France are next. However, we have not taken sides, Holland is a neutral country and up to now we have been living peacefully under good-old Dutch rule. May 13th 1940 Dear diary, My worst fears have come true. I heard this morning on the wireless that Germany officially declared war 3 days ago. Rumour has it that German planes are currently flying over Holland full of bombs and troops, sweeping through Holland at a terrifying rate. I myself have not yet been directly affected but I know it's only a matter of time and so I am taking no chances. My family and I are making preparations to leave Rotterdam tomorrow. We will head for the country and hopefully find refuge in my brother Frank's, farm in Arnhem. I've told Jack that we are going to visit his uncle just like we used to do, for I cannot bear to tell him the
Morale of teh British in 1940
Q4: Use Sources E, F and G and your own knowledge, to explain why the government was concerned about the morale (spirit and attitude) of the British people in the autumn of 1940? The government were extremely concerned about the morale of the British people in the autumn of 1940-and rightly so. With an average of 250 tonnes of bombs being dropped a night in September it would have been extremely hard to stay positive. As Source E states, 'group after group [went] to Euston' and left the East-End. This would have caused many potential problems for Britain because if people ran away from one major city to another, panic would spread around Britain rapidly. This would obviously have a rather negative effect, nationwide, on morale. Both the British government and citizens were aware of the German's aims in the Blitz; to terrorise, provoke fear, cause panic, halt production and cause as much damage as possible. The government knew this could have two effects on the people-it could either make them determined not to give in or Hitler's terror tactics could take effect. The people knew that to achieve their desired outcome in the Blitz the Germans would target major cities. Those who were de-moralised by the Blitz could see fleeing from these cities as a solution. It was vital, as mentioned by Source G that 'there were men and women to continue production'. If people were fleeing
French Foreign Policy, 1919 - 1940
French Foreign Policy, 1919 - 1940 France's victory in 1918 is considered by many with hindsight to be a pyrhic one. France had lost ten percent of its population and almost a complete generation of young men had been lost. The rich northeast of the county had been damaged almost beyond repair and the French had to borrow 175 billion Francs in order to begin reparations. The war had turned them "into partisans of peace at virtually any cost". It was this wish to avoid war that dominated French foreign policy from 1919 until 1940. The Versailles treaty of 1919 did not being the French the permanent security from Germany they had hoped for. General Foch wanted to have the French army guard the land west of the Rhine from German remilitarisation. He felt the demilitarised zone was not enough to guard France. However, the U.S.A., Britain and the League of Nations disagreed with Foch and felt that Germany had lost enough of their land. Thus the situation was left unchanged. Relations with European powers, with the exception of Germany, deteriorated in the twenties. Britain refused to guarantee French safety in an attack by Germany, and they also disagreed over policies in a Greek Turkish dispute. Lenin refused to repay Tsarist debts, which contributed to French financial difficulties. However, France did sign various agreements with new countries in Eastern Europe, including an
How did Britain Survive (June 1940-1943)?
When France surrendered in June 1940 Britain was the only European country holding out against Germany. (How did Britain Survive (June 1940-1943)) Churchill saw the invasion of Britain coming. Churchill watched as Hitler moved across Europe. The key to Hitler's invasion technique was speed, it was known as 'Blitzkrieg'. It involved using modern military technology to sweep quickly across vast areas of land. After the majority of Europe had been captured Hitler had no choice but to turn to the one country it was still at war with, Britain. Hitler said to Jodl, ' The British have lost the war but they don't know it; one must give them time and they will come round.' Many assumed that Britain would surrender now that France had been defeated. At the time conquering Britain would have bought Hitler more disadvantages than advantages and peace with Britain would guard Germany from the war brewing with America. Peace with Britain would give Hitler peace on the German Western Front and an opportunity to attack Soviet Russia. There were of course times when the British contemplated making peace. On 27 May just before the Dunkirk evacuation the War Cabinet contemplated peace negotiations. The next day Churchill had second thoughts. In front of the Cabinet he declared, 'Of course whatever happens at Dunkirk we shall fight on.' Ministers screamed 'Well done Prime Minister,' several
In his 1940 comedy/drama
An Essay on Good Person of Szechwan The main theme of this play and the techniques Brecht used to convey this theme: Most of us understand better with age that recognizing goodness isn't always easy. Is justice as good as kindness? When does kindness become weakness? When does justice become callous? In his 1940 comedy/drama "The Good Person of Szechuan," Bertolt Brecht the great German playwright who died in 1956 at age 58, does something better than merely answer these questions. He explores them. The script, has the crazy energy of farce, but doesn't tie up into a happy ending. You laugh throughout book, but finish leaving disturbed. Three gods recruit a water seller to help them find a good human being, if there is any such thing left. They find their prize in prostitute Shen Te. When the gods award her a sizable amount of money, she opens a tobacco shop and vows to be a good person forever. People immediately take advantage of her. Suddenly she's a male version of herself, Shui Ta, a cousin and instead of mercy, he/she begins handing out unbending justice. Brecht doesn't allow us to get too involved in the characters. He's more interested in getting us to think. In my personal opinion I looked apon the book as having the theme, 'Identity in a capitalist world.' As the book was written in the second world war, I can see how Brecht assumed everyone in the world would
Why did Britain go to war in 1940?
Why did Britain go to war in 1940? After 1918, the First World War was often referred to as 'the war to end all wars'. But unfortunately this quote was not true. In addition, I am going to discuss the reasons why Britain went to war for a second time in the year 1940. After the First World War, the treaty of Versailles was introduced to force Germany to pay reparations for the damage 'they caused'. But German resentment for this 'dictated piece' only helped Hitler to gain more support from the German people. Hitler came to power in 1933. His main aim was to unite all German speakers across the world together as one. To ensure that his aim would be fulfilled, Hitler had to firstly build up the German armed forces, which was totally against the rules of the treaty. But this did not seem to be much of a threat to the League of Nations as they were more concerned about Mussolini who was seeking to build an Italian empire in the east of Africa. The league used appeasement again when Hitler sent in German troops to reoccupy the Rhineland. Even though this procedure taken by Hitler ignored the terms of the treaty of Versailles, the league did nothing to stop him. The fact that the league didn't have an army could be one reason for appeasement. But also, they wanted to avoid having a second world war. The fact that many people in Britain and France had doubts about whether the
