EUROPE ERUPTS IN WARWWII 1939-1941

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

APPEASEMENT

Hitler promised British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlin that after he acquired Sudetenland he would stop

Chamberlin took the approach of appeasement Giving in to demands to maintain peace

Others believed Hitler was not going to stop Including Winston Churchill

NEVILLE CHAMBERLIN AND ADOLF HITLER“Peace for our time”

HITLER’S EARLY MOVES

Captures remaining part of Czechoslovakia

Establishes a pact with Italy

Announces nonaggression pact with Soviet Union

HITLER AND STALIN

Non-aggression pact outlined that: Soviet Union would stay out of Germany’s

way as it continued to expand Germany would not attack Soviet Union Germany agrees to give parts of soon-to-

be-conquered territory to Soviet Union Reactions:

Shocked British and French Stalin feared Hitler, believe working with

Nazis offered security

HITLER ATTACKS POLAND

Dressed German criminal in Polish military uniform

Took him to German-Poland border and shot him

Claimed it had been an attack by Poland

Launched massive invasion of Poland

HITLER ATTACKS POLAND

Germans used blitzkrieg Combination of air and

fast-moving armored strikes to drive deep into enemy territory

Couldn’t stop German attack

By end of September 1939 Poland was in German hands

THE ALLIES

Britain and France joined forces

Declared war on Germany – Sept. 3, 1939

Waited to for German’s to make next move

But Germans did not attack during winter 1939-40 Time known as sitzkrieg

Planned invasion of France through Ardennes forest French thought it too

dense to pass through Troops were located

north and south of Ardennes

Maginot Line

THE MAGINOT LINEProtection of France

HITLER STRIKES AGAIN

April 1940 forces capture Denmark & Norway Improve German’s access to Atlantic

Ocean

MOVING TOWARDS FRANCE

May 1940 – Germans conquer Netherlands and Belgium

By early June, Germans had trapped Allied soldiers at French port of Dunkirk

Allied ships and civilian boats rescue 340,00 troops from the port and carried them to

Britain.

FRANCE FALLS

Germans broke through Ardennes forest Bypassed Maginot Line Shattered France’s defense

End of June, France surrendered to Germany & Italy Germans occupy majority of France Unoccupied regions (known as Vichy France) were

controlled by officials who cooperated with Hitler French leaders fled to Britain to organize

resistance effort

GERMAN MILITARY IN FRANCEDuring German occupation of France

BATTLE OF BRITAIN

Britain stood alone, led by Winston Churchill

Churchill refused to consider negotiations

BATTLE OF BRITAIN

Step 1: Germans try to destroy Royal Air Force Result: FAILURE Using radar, the RAF

detected approaching planes & inflicted heavy damage upon them

Step 2: Luftwaffe (German air force) began bombing London Result: Thousands

dead Churchill kept spirits

up British stopped

Luftwaffe Hitler called off

invasion

BATTLE OF BRITAIN

TENSIONS IN EAST ASIA

•Japanese nationalists (military) influence increasing1930’s•Japan expands naval forces•Violates of Washington Naval Conference1934•Japan signed anticommunism pact with Germany (connection to Europe’s Fascists)1936•Begins war with China1937•Forms military alliance with Germany and Italy – the 3 become known as Axis Powers1940

TENSIONS IN THE FAR EAST

1941 – Forces take control of French Indochina Approved by French Vichy Modern day Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Threatened British and American oil interests in

the region Roosevelt took action, denying Japan access

to vital oil supplies General Hideki Tojo refused to compromise

October 1941, Tojo took control of the country Time for compromise was over