C6: End of WW2 in Europe & Asia-Pacific (2261 ELECTIVE HISTORY)

CHAPTER 6: Reasons for the End of WW2 in Europe and the Asia-Pacific 1. Strengths of the Allies 2. Military Weaknesses of Germany and Japan POSSIBLE QUESTIONS: Reasons for Germany / Japan’s Defeat 'The entry of America was more decisive than the Allied Resistance in defeating Germany'. How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. ‘The main reason why Germany lost the war in Europe was due to US military might’. How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. ‘The defeat of Japan only came about with the dropping of the atomic bombs.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer. How do I explain these factors? While it all depends on the key issue, here are some general guiding questions for you to consider: - [Effect on warring parties] How did this factor affect this side’s war effort? Did it contribute in helping their war effort or did it result in severe consequences? - [Link to issue] How then did this lead to the defeat of Germany / Japan? Why was Blitzkrieg unsuccessful in the long term? (pp.6-7) Blitzkrieg was successful at the initial stages of the war. However, once the war dragged on and turned into a battle of attrition, it grew increasingly disadvantageous for Germany. - June 1941, Germany declared war on USSR who pressured the Germans from the Eastern Front. - In late 1941, the US entered the war and bolstered the Allied forces from the Western Front. - In June 1944, the Allies landed on Normandy (in France) and invaded Germany on March 1945.

WW2 IN EUROPE (1939 - 1945) Fall of France, 1940 (p.7) - Germans attacked France in May 1940 - British Expeditionary Force and Royal Air Force (RAF) supported the French, but were not successful - The Allied armies retreated to the Channel coast in the region around the port of Dunkirk, where they were vulnerable and could have been destroyed - However, the German forces decided to slow down their advancement on the Allied armies, and this provided an opportunity for the Allied armies to reorganise and recuperate for the war - France fell into the hands of Germany in June which allowed Germany to avenge for their defeat in 1918 Battle of Britain, 1940 (p.7) - After the fall of France, Hitler focused his German Air Force (Luftwaffe) to carry out large scale attacks against Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) to try to achieve air superiority - However, Britain was not an easy target to fight and the Germans turned to bombing British cities, known as the Blitz - The Blitz lasted from Septembe