Nazi Expansion and the Outbreak of World War II in Europe Reading: Spodek, pp ,

Causes of World War II In Europe Versailles Treaty  Germans Believed they were “stabbed in the back”  Nationalism and Desire for Ethnic States in Eastern and Central Europe  Hitler Manipulated Ethnic Rivalries Soviet Development and Expansionist Desires  Stalin’s Five-Year Plans modernized and industrialized USSR  Literacy Increased from 28.4% in 1897 to 87.4% in 1939  Life Expectancy (except for political murders) rose from 32 to 69 years  Soviet Union becomes model of turning Agrarian State into an Industrialized State.

Time Line Hitler remilitarizes the Rhineland in 1936 and no one stops him Japan occupies China and does the Rape of Nanjing and no one stops them. In one sense, Japanese occupation of China is the beginning of World War II

Time Line Continued March 1938 Hitler annexes Austria and no one stops him. September 1938 is the Czechslovakia Crisis. Hitler wants Sudentenland to be part of Germany. Sudentenland is given to appease Hitler

Time Line Continued Spring of 1939—Hitler Annexes All of Czechoslovakia.  No one dares to do anything.  Britain totally unprepared for war.  French government doesn’t want war. 1939—Nazi-Soviet Non- Agression Pact September 1939, Germany invades Poland September 3, 1939 France and Britain declare war on Hitler  October 1939-May 1940 is the Phony War.  May 1940-Hitler invades and defeats Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. Why was France defeated?  Poor military leadership  Thinking defensively—The Maginot Line

Time Line Why French lost?  The Permanent Trench  Used Tanks as Taxis  Poor government leadership June 1940-End of War “Battle of Britain  Air War  England bombs Germany  Germany bombs England  Radar Hitler Invades Soviet Union  Stalin Depressed and does nothing  Problem: He killed too many generals in the Purges 1941 Germany constructs first death camp.