1. Germany: Background to World War II
The Path to War
Germany:
Background to World War II

2. Vocabulary Appeasement Isolationism Anschluss Sudetenland
Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
Lebensraum
Munich Conference

3. Hitler’s Ideas
Only the Aryans were capable of building a great civilization.
Germany required Lebensraum
More land in order to support a larger population & more power.
The answer was to take over the USSR.
German peasants would re-settle the area.
The Slavic people would be used as slaves.

4. Creation of the Axis Powers
Hitler believed most western nations to be weak.
He looked for strong allies to help in the fight against the Soviet Union.
Germany, Italy, & Japan formed the Axis Alliance
Agreed to fight the Soviets and not interfere with each other's territorial expansion.

5. Fascist rise to power
Italy
Japan
Germany
The Axis Powers

6. Hitler ignores the Treaty of Versailles
Germany stopped paying reparations
Hitler created a new air force
A military draft expands Germany’s army from 100,000 to 550,000 troops
He sends troops into the de-militarized Rhineland

7. Western Powers Reaction
Great Britain began a policy known as Appeasement that was followed by other European countries.
Appeasement is the belief that if a country satisfied the demands of unhappy neighbors, stability and peace would be achieved
The U.S. adopted isolationism
A policy that kept the U.S. from alliances and economic agreements with outside nations

8. Hitler continued to take over pieces of Europe
Hitler achieved Anschluss (union) with his native land of Austria.
He used threats and scare tactics
The Sudetenland was invaded by Germany
An area in NW Czechoslovakia
The Czechs turned for help to the British and French.

9. The Reichstag after Anschluss

10. Munich Conference
Britain, France, Italy & Germany meet in Munich Germany.
Hitler claimed “The Sudetenland is the last territorial claim I shall make in Europe”.
Hitler was allowed to take the Sudetenland if he left the rest of Czechoslovakia alone.
The Czechs weren’t invited but they had to agree with the terms.
In 6 months Germany controlled all of Czechoslovakia

11. Europe finally reacted to Germany’s advances
Hitler demanded the independent port-city of Danzig.
Hitler’s true intentions were clear.
France & England state they will go to war if Hitler attempts to take it
Hitler didn’t want to fight a 2-front war between England, France, & the USSR.
Hitler gets Joseph Stalin, to sign the Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact.

12. Signing of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

13. Final Plan
Hitler knew he would eventually invade the USSR, but with Stalin on his side for the moment, he was free to invade Poland.
On September 1, 1939 German forces invaded Poland.
Two days later Britain and France declared war on Germany.
World War II has now officially begun.

14. Nazis Invade Poland

15. Recap Hitler’s Plans Reactions of the West Nazi takeover War Begins
Lebensraum, Axis Alliance, Treaty of Versailles
Reactions of the West
Appeasement & Isolationism
Nazi takeover
Austria, Czechoslovakia, Munich Conference
War Begins
Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression Pact, Invasion of Poland