How was Germany defeated?
- Created by: LBC0502
- Created on: 27-05-14 20:10
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- How was Germany defeated?
- Advances made on the Eastern Front (1944-45)
- Stalingrad and Kursk
- Summer 1943, Germans outnumbered 3-1 in tanks
- USSR victory near end of seige of Leningrad in January 1944 (Northern part of German invasion, city besieged for 2.5 years)
- Between 7-20 million Soviet civilians were killed (Germans saw Soviets as sub-humans)
- End of 1944, there were no German troops occupying USSR, Soviet advance began again in mid-January 1945
- April 1945, Poland, Hungary and Austria were liberated. On 2nd May, Soviets took Berlin. 1.5 million soldiers were killed
- USSR eliminated 600 German divisions (a division was about 12,00 men)
- Germany surrendered and signed a document at Rheins, France on 7th May 1945 at 02:41 hours
- Operations eased at 23:01 hours on 8th May
- Advances made by the Allies in the West (1944-45)
- December 1944, Hitler wanted to split the Allied forces from Antwerp port, Belgium
- Battle of the Bulge
- Allies had supply problems and took 23 litres of fuel to deliver 4.5 litres of fuel
- Hitler hoped Britain and USA would separate from the USSR
- Hitler hoped to create new weapons for defeat Stalin
- The offensive in Ardennes was planned in secret without the Allies knowing
- 16th December 1944, there was poor weather for the Allies and Germans were successful and created a 'bulge' in the US lines
- January 1945, US withdrew from defence lines. There were 80,000 US casualties and 100,000 German casualties
- March 1945, Allies pushed across River Rhine, and the Germans surrendered on 8th May. Hiter committed suicide on 30th April
- Historians say that Allies were close to Germany, therefore German soldiers were less willing to fight
- Other reasons contributing to the defeat of Germany
- Allies supplies were impossible for Germany to compete with (because of USA)
- Allies were able to replace ships from war at sea
- Allies had technical developments e.g sonar, depth charges and centimetric radar to combat U-boats (1942-44)
- The invasion of the Soviet Union meant that Hitler had to fight a war on two fronts (along with several divisions in North Africa and Italy)
- RAF and USAAF destroyed industrial complexes, roads, bridges, railway yards and munition factories. German industry declined in early 1945
- German treatment to civilians in the countries they occupied led to growth of resistance (partisan groups)
- Hitler made the mistake of halting German tanks outside Dunkirk and refused to allow troops to retreat from Stalingrad
- Hitler faced three powerful leaders, Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin, who inspired their people throughout the war years
- People in Britain and USA were united in the belief that the were fighting to get rid Europe of tyranny. They felt sacrifices were worth enduring in order to create a better future for the world
- Advances made on the Eastern Front (1944-45)
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