World War II: Germany's Blitzkrieg and the Allied Victory

German Blitzkrieg: Early Victories

With the invasion of Poland, a new kind of war emerged: Blitzkrieg, a war based on surprise and rapid movement of the German army (Wehrmacht) with their tanks and armored divisions (Panzer), combined with air support. The purpose was to overwhelm the enemy and destroy its infrastructure. In three weeks, they arrived in Warsaw. Part of the territory was incorporated into the Reich, and the other part formed a government under Nazi control. The Soviet army occupied eastern Poland, continued its expansion into Finland, and spread its influence in the Baltic Republics. The Nazis set their sights on northern Europe due to its military importance and the need for Swedish iron ore for the German industry (Sweden was neutral). Denmark and Norway were quickly conquered, and the British could not prevent it. In Britain, a national unity government was formed, headed by Winston Churchill. The aim of the German High Command was France. The offensive was launched through the Netherlands and Belgium, which were occupied within 48 hours. Franco-British troops were surrounded and evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk. With the success of the Germans, Benito Mussolini entered the war on June 10th and joined the Nazi operations. The Germans entered Paris on June 14th. The occupation divided France into two zones: the north, under Nazi rule, and the south, which was a puppet state of Germany.

The Allied Victory and Nazi Defeat

The economic, military, and human potential of the Allies signaled a change in the war, while the Axis powers' difficulties became more apparent. Allied offensives forced the Germans to retreat. Furthermore, mass bombings of German cities became widespread, and anti-fascist resistance in the occupied territories gained strength, effectively aiding the Allied counteroffensive. In July 1943, the Italian campaign began with Allied landings in Sicily, preparing for an attack on the southern peninsula. This caused a crisis in the fascist cabinet, leading to the fall and imprisonment of Mussolini. Hitler reacted by invading central and northern Italy, and the Duce was rescued. The peninsula was divided into two parts: in the north, the Fascist Social Republic of Salò was created, with Mussolini at the helm; in the south, a monarchy was established with an anti-fascist government, which declared war on Germany on September 13th, 1943. From this area, the Allies began their northward advance, which was slow due to German resistance. The Allies did not reach Rome until June 1944. On the eastern front, the advancing Red Army pushed the Germans back to the borders of 1941. By the end of 1944, the Soviets had occupied Romania and Bulgaria. Meanwhile, the Yugoslav and Albanian resistance had managed to liberate their territories. On June 6th, 1944 (D-Day), Anglo-American forces landed in Normandy, encouraged by the Soviets in the east and the actions of partisans. On August 24th, Paris was liberated. By 1945, Germany was collapsing. Soviet troops liberated Hungary and Poland, entered Austria and Czechoslovakia, and reached Berlin on April 24th. The Anglo-American allies had penetrated the left bank of the Rhine. Adolf Hitler committed suicide on April 30th. Two days earlier, Mussolini was captured and executed by the Italian resistance, leading to the liberation of northern Italy. On May 7th and 8th, the unconditional surrender of the Third Reich was signed.