On December 18, 1940, he signed the directive for Operation Barbarossa to crush Soviet Russia in a quick campaign.Īt this point, Hitler’s plans were complicated by the action of Mussolini (who had entered the war on June 10) in attacking Greece (October 28, 1940). Hitler, however, had long envisaged German expansion eastward and now rapidly convinced himself that Germany was threatened by Russian ambitions. Russian economic collaboration had been of great value to Germany in reducing the pressure of the British blockade, and in the first half of 1941 the Soviet government showed a marked disposition to avoid a breach with Germany.
How far he seriously intended to embark on so difficult an undertaking has been questioned, but in any case the failure of the Luftwaffe to win air supremacy over the Channel and their defeat in the Battle of Britain meant that the essential preliminary conditions were lacking, and in October 1940 Operation Sea Lion, the invasion of Britain, was postponed indefinitely. Hitler had no plans at all for the next stage of the war, but, when the British showed no disposition to consider a compromise peace, he ordered preparations to be made for the invasion of Britain. Learn about the beginning of aerial bombardment in Europe during World War II See all videos for this article The operation was launched on April 9 and proved highly successful without disturbing the main concentration of German forces. This would be done partly to safeguard the vital iron ore supply route from northern Sweden through Narvik, Norway, partly to guarantee the inviolability of the Baltic, and partly to prevent the dispatch of British and French troops to the aid of Finland (then at war with the U.S.S.R.) through Norwegian ports. Erich Raeder, commander in chief of the navy, won Hitler over to the idea of occupying Norway and Denmark. The campaign, however, lasted only 35 days, and the ease of his conquest tempted Hitler to take the initiative in extending the war to the west.ĭuring the course of the winter of 1939–40, Adm. Hitler began World War II with the intention of waging a localized war against Poland and following this with the quick offer of a peace settlement. Two days later Great Britain and France, after delivering an ultimatum demanding the immediate withdrawal of the invading forces, declared war on Germany. The British, however, refused to bring pressure to bear on the Poles, and on September 1 the German army invaded Poland. When the British government replied with the signature of a pact of mutual assistance between Great Britain and Poland (August 25), Hitler attempted to avert British intervention through further negotiations. Hitler was convinced that the signature of the Moscow pact would lead the British and French to withdraw their guarantees to Poland. Witness the German invasion of Poland (1939) marking the beginning of World War II See all videos for this article
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