1. CH1201 March 2014

3.  Leader of the Nazi  He blamed Communists & Jews for the loss of German pride & defeat in the First World War  In January 1933, became to power in Germany & immediately began to challenge the Treaty of Versailles  Immediately adapted an aggressive foreign policy, which led to war.

4.  Hitler's aims were aggressive, & he openly stated them in his book "Mein Kampf" in 1924:  Question #1  Destroy the Treaty of Versailles.  Create a Greater Germany (a country of all the German people).  Lebensraum (living space) to conquer land for Germany in Eastern Europe.

5.  Once he came to power, Hitler set about doing exactly what he had said he would do  For each of his actions between 1935 & 1939, you can see which aim(s) he was fulfilling by undertaking  1935 - Rearmament  1936 - Remilitarisation of the Rhineland  1938 - Anschluss with Austria  1938 - The annexation of the Sudetenland  1939 - The invasion of Czechoslovakia  1939 - The invasion of Poland

6.  Hitler promised to reestablish Germany as a world power in the face of Versailles Treaty  Withdrew German from the League of Nations  He implemented rearmament Question #2 (army / navy / air force / tanks / tactics)  Question #3: Blitzkrieg or lightening– combined use of air force, artillery, tanks &, infantry in attack  Rearmament helped German unemployment drop from 6 million in 1931 to just over 1 million by 1937

7.  In addition to breaching the Versailles Treaty through rearmament, Hitler also began a policy of territorial expansion in Europe beginning in 1936  Question #4: His goal was to expand Germany’s borders & reacquire territory that had been stripped from Germany following the First World War  This would help to restore Germany as a major power in Europe

8.  Prior to WWI & Versailles it belonged to Germany but following WWI it became a DMZ under League of Nation control (occupied by allied troops)  Hitler was determined to get it back & in March 1936 he peacefully invaded.  It was the first outright violation of the Versailles Treaty  Question #5: Britain & France were not prepared for war so they did not act  Hitler now set his sights on Eastern Europe

9.  Hitler wanted all Germans living within new German state…..the Reich.  Anschluss (Union)  Question #6: Hitler argued that many Germans lived in Austria so it should be part of Germany.  March ’38 Nazi forces entered Austria.  Once again Britain & France did nothing…..didn’t want to risk another war.

10.  Question #7: This territory was located in northwestern Czechoslovakia  It was taken from Germany in 1919 (3 million German speaking people living there).  Question #8: It was important for Czechoslovakia because most of the countries heavy industry & defenses were there  Czechs wanted to fight but Britain & France would not support them

11.  Question #9: The leaders of Sudetenland  Question #9: The leaders of Britain & France met with Hitler in Munich & decided to give Germany the Sudetenland in return for Hitler’s promise to not make any further territorial demands in Europe

12.  The western powers hoped to save the world from war  Czechs were not invited  Hitler promised it was going to be his last territorial demand  British Prime Minister Chamberlain stated this agreement would bring “Peace in our Time”  Britain & France used the policy of appeasement to deal with Hitler. Why give in to his demands?

14.  Britain, France, stood by as Germany occupied all of Czechoslovakia  Munich Agreement was broken by Hitler  Question 11: Britain & France declared to stand up to future German aggression by Hitler in Europe  Why did appeasement fail?

16.  Question #12: The world was shocked in August 1939 when the Nazi-Soviet Pact was announced

17.  Both promised not to attack each other in the event of war  They also secretly agreed to divide Poland which secured Germany’s eastern border from a Soviet invasion  This also allowed Germany to concentrate on a war against Britain & France…eliminate a two-front war as in WWI

18.  Question 13: Hitler demanded Polish Corridor be handed back to Germany  When Poland refused Germany invaded using “Blitzkrieg” on Sept 1 st, 1939  Question 14: Britain & France came to Poland’s aid & declared war on Sept 3, 1939

20.  Here’s a neat review activity from the BBC  Road to World War II Road to World War II Road to World War II  http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/m wh/ir1/war2act.shtml