World War II: The War in Europe

Germany Begins War in Europe April 1939 Hitler demanded the Polish corridor Nonaggression pact with Russia on Aug. 23, 1939 Sept. 1, 1939 Germany attacked Poland France and GB declared war on Germany on Sep.3 Blitzkrieg- fast planes and artillery, followed by infantry Soviets take eastern half of Poland and other eastern territories (Baltics) After period of calm, also called the phony war because no one was fighting, Hitler attacked Denmark and Norway on April 9, 1940- both fell to Hitler quickly

Battle for France and Great Britain May 1940 began attack on France through Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg May 26, 1940 Belgium surrendered June 10- Mussolini joined Hitler and attacked France from the south June 14- Paris fell June 22- France surrendered Charles de Gaulle set up government in exile Summer 1940 Luftwaffe attacked Britain in Hitler’s Operation Sea Lion Britain’s two secret weapons- radar system and the enigma machine Battle of Britain- continued until May 10, 1941, when Hitler finally decided to give up

Eastern Front and the Mediterranean Germany and Italy attacked North Africa partly to regain Tobruk- British and Germans fighting but ultimately Germans will win under the leadership of Edwin Rommel, aka “the desert fox”. This is a huge symbolic loss for the British Hitler began plan to attack the Soviet Union through the Balkans Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary join Germans while Yugoslavia and Greece resisted June 22, 1941 Operation Barbarossa to invade Soviet Union Russians retreated and used scorched-earth policy (Napoleon) Sept. Hitler surrounded Leningrad but wouldn’t surrender, so Hitler looked towards Moscow. Winter came and Germans couldn’t fight anymore

The U.S. Aids its Allies Initially U.S. didn’t want to get involved 1935-1937 neutrality acts 1941 Lend-Lease Act allowed the president to lend arms and other supplies to any country vital to the U.S. Atlantic Charter (Churchill and Roosevelt) upheld free trade and the right of people to choose their own government Sept. 4 German U-boat fired on a U.S. destroyer

The Holocaust Begins Aryans- Germanic peoples 1933- persecution becomes gov. policy 1935 Nuremburg Laws denied them rights to German citizenship- yellow star Kristallnacht- November 9, 1938 Nazi storm troopers attack houses, kill Jews 1939 many Jews left Germany Ghettos in Poland - sealed off Some resistance within the ghettos

Hitler’s Final Solution Genocide program included other groups, too- gypsies, Poles, Russians, disabled 1942 Final solution decided on and they built first death camps in Poland Auschwitz, Majdanek, Treblinka Cyanide gas poisoning, experiments 6 million Jews died in death camps and Nazi massacres