1. WORLD WAR II
WORLD WAR II BEGINS

2. Warm Up Rise of Dictators
Define collectivization:
What is the book called that Hitler wrote?
What is the “night of long knives”?
What title did Hitler take?
Who became the dictator in Japan?
Who became the dictator of Spain?
What did he do to his own cities?

3. Road to War Aggressive nations Japan invades Manchuria in 1931
The League of Nations does nothing
Japan then invades China
Millions of Chinese will die, Rape of Nanjing
Italy in 1935 invades Ethiopia
The Ethiopian leader appealed to the League of Nations, which once again did nothing
Italy also takes over Albania

8. Hitler began to ignore and violate the terms of the Treaty of Versailles
Once in power, Hitler began to secretly rebuild the Germany army
A few years later he sent troops into the Rhineland, Germany territory that bordered France
The Treaty of Versailles made this area a demilitarized zone
The French and British complained, but took no action
Realizing that the other Europeans powers wouldn’t risk war to stop him, Hitler set his plans for an empire into motion
Lebensraum = living space for the German people

10. Germany begins to acquire territory
First step in Hitler’s plan was to annex Austria
German troops marched into Austria in 1938 without opposition and took over Austria
Called the Anschluss
Next Hitler turned to Czechoslovakia, demanding the Sudetenland, a region with a large German population
The French and British met with Hitler at the Munich Conference in 1938 to decide the fate of the Sudetenland
Hitler demanded it or else war
France and Britain told Czechoslovakia to give Germany the Sudetenland - appeasement

11. Hitler got what he wanted without any fighting and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain returned home claiming to have achieved “peace in our time”
Six months later Hitler violates the Munich agreement and takes over the rest of Czechoslovakia
France and Great Britain realized that Hitler would never be satisfied and decided they would have to make a stand
Hitler next began demanding Poland or else
France and Great Britain stated they would fight to protect Poland

12. New alliances Rome-Berlin Axis = between Italy and Germany
Anti-Comintern Pact = between Germany and Japan to oppose the spread of communism
Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact = between Germany and the Soviet Union
Stalin first tried to make an alliance with the French and British, but they refused
Hitler made this agreement because he was trying to prevent a two front war
Had every intention of invading Russia, wanted the land for the German people and to turn the Soviets into slaves or kill them, especially the communists
Stalin knew Hitler would eventually betray the pact and invade, needed time to rebuild the Soviet army

13. World War II Begins German Invasion of Poland – Sept. 1, 1939
Britain and France declare war on Sept. 3
The Germans use blitzkrieg against the Poles who are still using horses
The Soviet Union invades Poland from the other side
Hitler and Stalin had agreed to divide Poland
It takes only three weeks to crush Polish resistance
Poles = 60,000 soldiers dead, 25,000 civilians dead, and 900,000 troops captured
Germans lose 14,000 soldiers
“annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe” begins

14. Blitzkrieg “lightning war”
Emphasized speed – it is quick and devastating
The Luftwaffe (German air force) leads the way, bombing and damaging defenses
The planes are followed by fast-moving tanks and artillery, then soldiers who finished off any resistance
The two opposing sides
Axis Powers = Italy, Japan, and Germany
Allied Powers = France and Great Britain (will be joined later by other nations)

15. Blitzkrieg
describe a military doctrine of an all-mechanized force concentrating its attack on a small section of the enemy front then, once the latter is pierced, proceed without regard to its flank.

18. France feels safe behind the Maginot Line, a concrete fortress built along the French-German border
The best soldiers are stationed there, concentrating on defense
Belgium refuses to allow British and French troops into the country to set up defenses
Afraid to upset or provoke Hitler
Hitler’s assault on France begins on May 10, 1940 when he launches three separate attacks
Invades the Netherlands and Belgium – two countries that lay in between France and Germany

21. After the ruthless bombing of Rotterdam, the Netherlands surrenders on May 14 with their queen escaping to Britain
The Allies come too late to save Belgium, which surrenders on May 28
King Albert stays and is taken captive and is deposed by his people at the end of the war
At the same time Nazi forces blitzkrieg at the Ardennes Woods, where the French least expect it
It is a dense forest region along the border between France and Belgium
The French believe it impossible for an army to get through
The Germans get through in a couple of days and face inexperienced French troops

23. Band of Brothers
Chapter 6 10min-14min
Ardennes Forest

25. Evacuation at Dunkirk In five days the road to Paris is open
Paris declares itself an open city to avoid being bombed
Captured on June 14th as Nazis make a victorious march through the Arc de Triumph
Italy invades France on June 10th and declares war on Britain as well
French lose 8 soldiers to Italy’s 5,000
Evacuation at Dunkirk
German tanks and troops have trapped hundreds of thousands of Allied troops who retreated to the coastal city of Dunkirk
Almost the entire British army is in France

26. Hitler halts the march into France because of losses, this gives the Allies time to get away
Between May 26th and June 4th, 800 boats from Britain, ranging from warships to fishing boats, evacuate 340,000 soldiers from France, including over 100,000 French soldiers
Soldiers run into the water and swim to ships while Allied airplanes hold off the Luftwaffe
235 ships sunk and 68,000 soldiers killed
Leave all weapons and tanks behind

27. Fall of France France surrenders on June 21st
Harsh terms, Hitler wants to humiliate France, sign a peace treaty at the Versailles palace
North France given to Germany and southeastern France goes to Italy
The rest of southern France gets to remain independent, but must be loyal to Germany and cooperate with Hitler
Called Vichy France
Army reduced to 100,000 men and no more navy
French ships are to go to Germany

28. Britain is now all alone
The British steal whatever French boats they can or sink them from falling into Nazi hands
Must pay for war and German occupation – way more money than Germany had to pay after WWI
Some French leaders, including General Charles de Gaulle, escape to Britain
They will organize French resistance and work with the Allied powers
Britain is now all alone
“The Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin.”
- Winston Churchill