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1. Notebook Entry: Blitzkrieg

2. For what reasons did Hitler want to strike quickly?

By the end of class our objectives are to:

- identify Hitler’s plan of attack - consider possible outcomes for Germany

- analyze the reasons for Great Britain and France becoming involved

EQ: Evaluate the extent to which WWII fits our model for modern conflict.

Q3 ends tomorrow | Missed Interval: Today & Tomorrow at 3pm

Tonight’s Homework: Read & Outline p. 822-824

causation, leaders, issues, rivalry, racism, militarism, alliance systems, nationalism

During the 1930s, Hitler played on the hopes and fears of the Western democracies. Each time the Nazi dictator grabbed new territory, he would declare an end to his demands. Peace seemed guaranteed – until Hitler started expanding again.

One People,One Reich, One Führer!

Hitler’s Next Target:• Demanded the Polish Corridor (port city of

Danzig) be returned

• Secret agreement that Russia and Germany would split Poland

• Great Britain and France resisted

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Lightening Attack:• Surprise attack on September 1, 1939

–Warplanes bomb Poland–Tanks crossed border

–Capital (Warsaw) captured• Stunned the world

–Marks the start of WWII

War Begins:• September 3rd – Great Britain and France

declare war on Germany• 3 weeks later Poland fell

–Happened before the French and British could take military action

• Germany’s strategy: Blitzkrieg–Lightening war–Fast planes and tanks–Take enemies by surprise, surround,

overwhelm, and crush

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Soviet Action:• September 17th – Stalin sent troops to

occupy eastern half of Poland

• Soviet Union also took Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia

• Finland resisted

–Stalin sent 1 million troops, but underestimated the impact of the Finnish winter

–Soviets finally won in March 1940

For what reasons did Hitler want to strike

quickly?

Use The Concept of Blitzkrieg to

help support Hitler’s reasoning.