top of page

BLITZ KIDS

SEQUENCE 4

What do you know about the second world war?

unité_deroulement.jpg
Tube-Blitz.jpg

Main protagonists

images.jpg
winston-churchill.jpg
hirohito.jpg
the_big_three-011.jpg
commander_of_Free_French_Forces_Charles_

Causes of Second World War(1939-1945)

​

(1) Humiliation by the Treaty of Versailles

  • War indemnity.

  • The provision for disarming Germany.

  • Saar coal mine to France for 15 years.

  • Polish corridor was given to Poland.

  • City of Danzing was made free.

​

(2) Growth of Fascism and Nazism

  • Mussolini (Italy) and Hitler (Germany) strongly glorified war and violence.

  • While West was fighting communism, Germany and Italy started massive militarization.

 

(3) Rise of Japan

  • Imperialism.

  • Rome-Berlin-Tokyo axis (1936).

 

(4) Neglect of minority interests

  • New countries like Poland, Czechoslovakia and Austria were formed after the First World War. While drawing boundaries the interests of minority groups in each of these countries were neglected.

 

(5) Military Alliance

  • Allies – Britain, France, USA, USSR and China vs Axis Powers – Germany, Italy and Japan

  • Leaders – Churchill (Britain), Roosevelt (USA), Stalin (USSR)

 

(6) Germany’s attack on Czechoslovakia

In-spite of the Munich Pact between Germany and Britain (1938), Germany re-attacked and sized Czechoslovakia.

 

(7) Immediate Cause : Germany’s invasion of Poland (1st September 1939)

  • Germany annexed Polished corridor and Danzig city. The sudden attack on Poland is known as Blitzkrieg (lightning war).

  • Brtiain and France declared war on Germany.

DOCS.png

A TIMELINE OF EVENTS

  • World War II officially began on September 1, 1939.

  • Germany conquered – Poland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Holland and France.

  • Battle of Britain – Germany vs Britain (air battle; German Air force =Luftwaffe).

  • Battle of Stalingrad – Germany vs USSR. (Operation of Barbaressa (1941 = Attack on Yugoslavia and Greece; Russia countered attack on Moscow with Scorched Earth Policy).

  • Atlantic Charter (August 1941) – Between Churchil (UK) and Roosevelt (USA).

  • Pearl Harbor Attack (7th December 1941) – Japan on USA.

  • Italy vs UK in Africa (1942) – Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, British Somaliland, Eritrea.

  • France was conquered by Germany in 1940, but British and American troops liberated France in 1944.

  • Atomic bomb – Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

 

Consequences of Second World War

  • End of colonialism and imperialism.

  • End of dictatorship in Germany and Italy.

  • Germany was divided into West Germany and East Germany. West Germanywas controlled by Britain, France and USA. East Germany by USSR. (Read more about the re-union of Germany in 1989 when you check our post about the fall of the Berlin wall).

  • Strengthening of nationalist movements in Africa and Asia. (From Britain – India, Myanmar, Egypt, Sri Lanka; From America – Philippines; From France – Indo-China; From Dutch – Indonesia)

  • 5 crore deaths (2.2 crore soldiers and 2.8 crore civilians)

  • Economics problems – Unemployment, low growth etc.

  • Emergence of two power blocks – USA and USSR. This resulted in cold war.

  • Emergence of third world Countries.

  • UNO was set up in 1945.

2269426_orig.jpg
flags.png
LISTEN.png
The Allied powers - WWII
00:00 / 00:00
QUIZ.jpg

The Allied Powers

World War II was fought between two major groups of nations. They became known as the Axis and Allied Powers. The major Allied Powers were Britain, France, Russia, and the United States. 

The Allies formed mostly as a defense against the attacks of the Axis Powers. The original members of the Allies included Great Britain, France and Poland. When Germany invaded Poland, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany. 

Russia becomes an Ally 

At the start of World War II, Russia and Germany were friends. However, on 22 June 1941 Hitler, the leader of Germany, ordered a surprise attack on Russia. Russia then became an enemy of the Axis Powers and joined the Allies. 

The US Joins the Allied Powers 

The United States had hoped to remain neutral during World War II. However, the US was attacked by surprise at Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. This attack united the country against the Axis Powers and turned the tide of World War II in the favor of the Allies. 

 

Allied Leaders 

 

 

 

 

 

​

​

​

​

 

 


(from left to right) Winston Churchill, President Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin 


Leaders of the Allied Powers: 
 

  • Great Britain: Winston Churchill - Prime Minister of Great Britain during most of World War II, Winston Churchill was a great leader. His country was the last country fighting against the Germans in Europe. He is known for his famous speeches to his people when the Germans were bombing them during the Battle of Britain.

  • United States: Franklin D. Roosevelt - One of the greatest presidents in the history of the United States, President Roosevelt led the country out of the Great Depression and through World War II.

  • Russia: Joseph Stalin - Stalin's title was General Secretary of the Communist Party. He led Russia through terrible and devastating battles with Germany. Millions and millions of people died. After winning the war, he set up the Eastern Bloc of Soviet led communist states.

  • France: Charles de Gaulle - Leader of the Free French, de Gaulle led the French resistance movement against Germany.

allied_powers_at_yalta.jpg

LONDON AT WAR

image d'ouverture.jpg
ww2_coventry_after_blitz.jpg

THE BLITZ

Blitz is a shorten form of the German word 'Blitzkrieg' (lightning war).

BLITZ.png
London-Blitz-007.jpg
LISTEN.png
Tom and his grandma at the imperial war museum - C.O.
00:00 / 00:00
DOCS.png
DOCS.png

LIFE UNDER BOMBS

LISTEN.png
Air raid - C.O.
00:00 / 00:00
VOC.png

LECTURE SUIVIE

BLITZ BRITAIN

Par Philippa Boston

Niveau Intermédiaire

Dans le ciel de Londres, un avion allemand. Puis deux… puis des centaines… Nuit après nuit, leurs bombes s’abattent sur la ville. Blitz Britain vous plonge dans Londres en pleine Seconde Guerre Mondiale, puis dans l’histoire du jeune Billy, héros ordinaire d’une nuit extraordinaire.

audio book

LISTEN.png

Lire en anglais

BLITZ BRITAIN.jpg
LIRE E TCOMPRENDRE.png

Exercice 1

​

Exercice 2

EVACUATION

DOCS.png

Reading letters written by evacuees

letter by Thomas.png
DOCS.png

Webquest

MISSION.jpg

Activité langagière évaluée : Écrire

 

Projet : Raconter les souvenirs de jeunes Britanniques évacué(e)s durant le Blitz.

 

Objectifs communicationnels / Savoir-faire : Prendre des notes, les mettre en forme, écrire des histoires qui pourraient figurer dans un recueil de mémoires.

 

Attitude : Respecter le format attendu (des récits), utiliser ses connaissances de la façon dont de jeunes Britanniques étaient évacués vers la campagne pour fuir les bombardements, organiser le texte de façon claire et structurée

bottom of page