HSC Modern History Year 2016 Mark 90.00 Pages 76 Published Dec 28, 2016 HSC Modern History Conflict in Europe Notes By Patrick (98.05 ATAR)
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) Your notes author, Patrick. Patrick achieved an ATAR of 98.05 in 2016 while attending Macarthur Anglican School Currently studying Commerce (Liberal Studies) at The University of Sydney Achievements: HSC Allrounder 2016 HSC State Ranking - 4th in Indonesian Continuers Patrick says: Graduated the HSC in 2016, received Band 6 results in English Advanced, General Mathematics, Modern History, Geography, Indonesian Continuers and Studies of Religion 1. HSC Allrounder for 11 units worth of Band 6 results and a state ranking of 4th in Indonesian Continuers.
Section 2: Course of the European War GERMAN ADVANCES Blitzkrieg: - Lightning War. - Defined by modern historian John Green as A devastating tactic combining quick movement of troops, tanks and massive use of air power to support infantry movements. - Hitler not planning for short war -> short, sharp attacks. 1. Target chosen and offensive weapons (artillery) concentrated in narrow area to drive wedge through enemy defences. 2. Armoured tank divisions would then attack. 3. Air power (Luftwaffe) utilised to prevent enemy from reorganising, resupplying and getting forces to the front. 4. Mechanised infantry units would then encircle enemy troops and force a surrender. The Fall of Poland - September to October 1939: - German invasion began at dawn on the 1st of September, 1939. - Britain & France honoured guarantee -> declared war on Germany 3rd of September. - Polish Army - 370 000 troops - 313 tanks - 400 planes - German Army - 1.25 million troops - 2 400 tanks - 1400 planes - 10 000 artillery field guns. - POLAND NO MATCH FOR GERMAN WEHRMACHT. - German Forces Commander -> General von Brauchitsch.
- Luftwaffe (Hermann Göring) destroyed Polish Air Force within days -> worked closely with ground forces after this. - Polish armies attacked 1 by 1 in Blitzkrieg style. Timeline - - 8th of September -> after six day battle near the River Bzura, Polish forces fell back on Warsaw. - Was then besieged by Germans. - 17th of September -> Chance of resistance ended as Soviet troops invaded from the East. - Met with minor resistance as the Poles thought they were coming to help initially. - 28th of September -> Warsaw (capital) fell. - 5th of October -> all Polish resistance ended. Impact - - German Losses - 10 500 dead - 30 000 wounded - 3 400 MIA - Quick and easy victory - Polish Losses - 66 000 dead - 200 000 wounded - 700 000 became German prisoners - 217 000 became Soviet prisoners Dividing Poland - - German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop flew to Moscow of Nazi Soviet Pact in relation to Poland. - Lithuania given to Russia in the East - Germany consolidated Western Poland - Soviets ruled their area of Poland for 2 years -> 1/5 of population arrested. - Germany 5 years -> killed 1/5 of the population.
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org) Soviet Attack on Finland: - 30th of November -> attack began. - Trying to consolidate control over the Baltic Sea. - Stalin fighting in support of pro-soviet government Otto Kuusinen. - Soviet forces became bogged down in winter war. - Ended March 1940. Results - - Soviet Losses -> 200 000 troops - Finnish Losses -> 25 000 troops - Finland kept independence -> only lost 10% of territory. - Poor performance of the Soviet Red Army noted, particularly by Germany. The Phoney War: - October 1939 - April 1940. - Term coined by the Americans. - Germans refer to it as Sitzkrieg. - Europe formally at war, however virtually no fighting occurring. - Action included - Minor skirmishes along Maginot Line between France and Germany. - Finnish Soviet War. - SS organising Poland. - Naval Action -> German U Boats took a toll of British shipping (sinking aircraft carrier Courageous ) and British Navy scuttling German ships in the Atlantic. The Fall of Denmark and Norway: - April 1940. - Ended the Phoney War. Timeline - - 9th of April -> Hitler launches Operation Weserubung (direct attack on D & N).