WWII—The Beginning

German Blitzkrieg ___________________=Lightning War—fast moving planes and tanks, then massive _________ forces Germany invades Poland _____________, 1939—the start of ___________ France and Great Britain declare war on ________ Sept. ____

Soviets Move Sept. 17, __________ invade eastern half of _____________ Then annexed countries north of ______________ __________ resisted, 1 million __________ troops sent in, suffered _____ losses before Finn surrender

The Phony War ________ and British troops on _________ Line facing Germans on ___________ Line Nothing for several months--__________ ____ 1940, Germany invades ___________ and ______, prepares for attacks on Britain and ______________

France Falls _______ 1940, German sweep through Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg ____________ attack through Ardennes Forest & into _________ quickly Germans trapped large __________ force at ___________, forced evacuation of 338,000 troops

France Falls, cont. ____________, 1940, Germans take ________ France surrenders June _______ ____________ control of northern France _______ France in south—____________ government (Petain) _____________ set up government in exile in ___________—resistance movement

Battle of Britain __________ vows to not give in after _________ surrender _________ plans to invade ___________ First, plan to take out _________________ 1940 _____________ begins to _________ Britain—first airfields, then cities

Battle of Britain, cont. 2 RAF advantages—______ and _______ machine (decoder) ___________ 1940, Luftwaffe begins night time ___________ ______ 1941 Hitler calls off attacks—1st time ______ stopped

Axis Aggression in Africa _________ invaded Egypt, Britain defeated _________ there Germany saved ____ ______________, the “Desert Fox,” sent in with his Afrika Korps ___________pushes ________ back, won Tobruk

Hitler’s Invasions Invaded _____________ countries 1941 Invaded ____ June 1941, pushed _______ miles in ________ 1941 siege of Leningrad began Drive on _____________ began in _____ 1941, reached outskirts of city _________ held line until German retreat in ______ 1943, lost ___________ men

U.S. Aid ________ Acts 1935 & 37 Sept ’39 _____________ ok’d March 1941 __________ ________________ Act Summer 1941 U.S. Navy escorting ________ ships ______________—U.S. & UK--upheld free trade ___________ 1941, German and _______ navy fire on each other