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Do not fill this in! ====Western Europe (1940–1941)==== {{Main|Western Front (World War II)}} [[File:WWIIEuropeMay40.gif|thumb|upright=1.4|German advance into Belgium and Northern France, 10 May{{snd}}4 June 1940, swept past the [[Maginot Line]] (shown in dark red)]] In April 1940, [[Operation Weserübung|Germany invaded Denmark and Norway]] to protect shipments of [[Swedish iron-ore industry during World War II|iron ore from Sweden]], which the Allies were [[Operation Wilfred|attempting to cut off]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Murray|Millett|2001|pp=57–63}}.</ref> [[German invasion of Denmark (1940)|Denmark capitulated after six hours]], and [[Norwegian campaign|despite Allied support]], Norway was conquered within two months.{{sfn|Commager|2004|p=9}} [[Norway Debate|British discontent over the Norwegian campaign]] led to the resignation of Prime Minister [[Neville Chamberlain]], who was replaced by [[Winston Churchill]] on 10{{spaces}}May 1940.{{sfn|Reynolds|2006|p=76}} On the same day, Germany [[Battle of France|launched an offensive against France]]. To circumvent the strong [[Maginot Line]] fortifications on the Franco-German border, Germany directed its attack at the neutral nations of [[German invasion of Belgium (1940)|Belgium]], [[German invasion of the Netherlands|the Netherlands]], and [[German invasion of Luxembourg|Luxembourg]].{{sfn|Evans|2008|pp=122–123}} The Germans carried out a flanking manoeuvre through the [[Ardennes]] region,{{sfn|Keegan|1997|pp=59–60}} which was mistakenly perceived by the Allies as an impenetrable natural barrier against armoured vehicles.{{sfn|Regan|2004|p=152}}{{sfn|Liddell Hart|1977|p=48}} By successfully implementing new ''[[Blitzkrieg]]'' tactics, the ''Wehrmacht'' rapidly advanced to the Channel and cut off the Allied forces in Belgium, trapping the bulk of the Allied armies in a cauldron on the Franco-Belgian border near Lille. The United Kingdom was able [[Dunkirk evacuation|to evacuate a significant number of Allied troops]] from the continent by early June, although they had to abandon almost all their equipment.{{sfn|Keegan|1997|pp=66–67}} On 10 June, [[Italian invasion of France|Italy invaded France]], declaring war on both France and the United Kingdom.{{sfn|Overy|Wheatcroft|1999|p=207}} The Germans turned south against the weakened French army, and [[Paris in World War II|Paris]] fell to them on 14{{spaces}}June. Eight days later [[Armistice of 22 June 1940|France signed an armistice with Germany]]; it was divided into [[German military administration in occupied France during World War II|German]] and [[Italian occupation of France|Italian occupation zones]],{{sfn|Umbreit|1991|p=311}} and an unoccupied [[rump state]] under the [[Vichy France|Vichy Regime]], which, though officially neutral, was generally aligned with Germany. France kept its fleet, which [[Attack on Mers-el-Kébir|the United Kingdom attacked]] on 3{{spaces}}July in an attempt to prevent its seizure by Germany.{{sfn|Brown|2004|p=198}} [[File:View from St Paul's Cathedral after the Blitz.jpg|left|thumb|[[London]] seen from [[St Paul's Cathedral]] after the German [[The Blitz|''Blitz'']], 29 December 1940]] The air [[Battle of Britain]]{{sfn|Keegan|1997|p=[{{GBurl|id=TF8kcx9hTssC|p=72}} 72]}} began in early July with [[Kanalkampf|Luftwaffe attacks on shipping and harbours]].<ref name=Murray_BoB>{{harvnb|Murray|1983|loc=[https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/AAF-Luftwaffe/AAF-Luftwaffe-2.html#cn70 The Battle of Britain].}}</ref> The United Kingdom rejected Hitler's peace offer,<ref name=ibiblio_1940>{{cite web |title=Major international events of 1940, with explanation |url=https://www.ibiblio.org/pha/events/1940.html |publisher=Ibiblio.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130525060313/https://www.ibiblio.org/pha/events/1940.html |archive-date=25 May 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> and the [[Adlertag|German air superiority campaign]] started in August but failed to defeat [[RAF Fighter Command]], forcing the indefinite postponement of the [[Operation Sea Lion|proposed German invasion of Britain]]. The German [[strategic bombing]] offensive intensified with night attacks on London and other cities in [[the Blitz]], but largely ended in May 1941{{sfn|Dear|Foot|2001|pp=108–109}} after failing to significantly disrupt the British war effort.{{r|Murray_BoB}} Using newly captured French ports, the German Navy [[Battle of the Atlantic#'The Happy Time' (June 1940 – February 1941)|enjoyed success]] against an over-extended [[Royal Navy]], using [[U-boat]]s against British shipping [[Battle of the Atlantic|in the Atlantic]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Goldstein|2004|p=35}}</ref> The British [[Home Fleet]] scored a significant victory on 27{{spaces}}May 1941 by [[Last battle of Bismarck|sinking the German battleship ''Bismarck'']].<ref>{{Harvnb|Steury|1987|p=209}}; {{Harvnb|Zetterling|Tamelander|2009|p=282}}.</ref> In November 1939, the United States was assisting China and the Western Allies, and had amended the [[Neutrality Acts of the 1930s|Neutrality Act]] to allow [[Cash and carry (World War II)|"cash and carry"]] purchases by the Allies.{{sfn|Overy|Wheatcroft|1999|pp=328–330}} In 1940, following the German capture of Paris, the size of the [[United States Navy]] was [[Two-Ocean Navy Act|significantly increased]]. In September the United States further agreed to a [[Destroyers-for-bases deal|trade of American destroyers for British bases]].{{sfn|Maingot|1994|p=52}} Still, a large majority of the American public continued to oppose any direct military intervention in the conflict well into 1941.{{sfn|Cantril|1940|p=390}} In December 1940, Roosevelt accused Hitler of planning world conquest and ruled out any negotiations as useless, calling for the United States to become an "[[Arsenal of Democracy|arsenal of democracy]]" and promoting [[Lend-Lease]] programmes of military and humanitarian aid to support the British war effort; Lend-Lease was later extended to the other Allies, including the Soviet Union after it was [[Operation Barbarossa|invaded]] by Germany.{{r|ibiblio_1940}} The United States started strategic planning to prepare for a full-scale offensive against Germany.<ref>{{cite web |author=Skinner Watson, Mark |title=Coordination With Britain |website=US Army in WWII – Chief of Staff: Prewar Plans and Operations |url=https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-WD-Plans/USA-WD-Plans-12.html |access-date=13 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430001549/https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-WD-Plans/USA-WD-Plans-12.html |archive-date=30 April 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> At the end of September 1940, the [[Tripartite Pact]] formally united Japan, Italy, and Germany as the [[Axis powers]]. The Tripartite Pact stipulated that any country—with the exception of the Soviet Union—that attacked any Axis Power would be forced to go to war against all three.{{Sfn|Bilhartz|Elliott|2007|p=179}} The Axis expanded in November 1940 when [[Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)|Hungary]], [[Slovak Republic (1939–1945)|Slovakia]], and [[Kingdom of Romania|Romania]] joined.{{Sfn|Dear|Foot|2001|p=877}} [[Romania in World War II|Romania]] and [[Hungary in World War II|Hungary]] later made major contributions to the Axis war against the Soviet Union, in Romania's case partially to recapture [[Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina|territory ceded to the Soviet Union]].{{Sfn|Dear|Foot|2001|pp=745–746}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. 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