1. World War II Begins

2. Adolph Hitler In 1935 Hitler began defying the Treaty of Versailles
He announced Germany would build a new Air Force
Begin a Military draft
Negotiations
Rather then start a war European leaders attempted to negotiate
They wanted to avoid a repeat of WW1
Some believed Hitler's demands were reasonable
Most thought the Nazi’s would want peace after they gained the territory they requested

3. The Austrian Anschluss
Hitler called for the Unification of all German speaking territories
Austria and Czechoslovakia
Hitler demanded that Nazi’s were given high government positions in the Austrian Government
Austria’s Chancellor decided to put the matter of unification up to a vote
Hitler decided to send troops to Austria, and officially announced Unification

4. The Munich Crisis
Hitler then announced Germany’s claim to the Sudetenland (a section of Czechoslovakia)
The Czechs strongly resisted Hitler’s demands and France claimed they would fight if Germany attacked Czechoslovakia
Russia and Britain also claimed they would send support/aid

5. The Munich Conference
Representatives from Britain, France, Italy and Germany met to decide the fate of Czechoslovakia
Britain and France developed a policy known as appeasement
Giving in to unjust demands in order to avoid all out conflict
Czechoslovakia had to give up the Sudetenland or fight Germany on their own

6. Hitler Demands Danzig
Hitler demanded the city of Danzig be returned to German control
The city was more than 90% German but had been part of Poland since WW1
Hitler’s new demands convinced Britain and France that war was inevitable
Britain and France declared that if Germany was to invade Poland they would send aid and support to Poland
Hitler prepared his military to invade Poland

7. The Nazi-Soviet Pact
If Germany was going to fight France and Britain, Hitler did not want to fight the Soviet Union as well
Germany offered a non-aggression treaty and Stalin accepted
Stalin believed that the best way to fight Capitalism was to turn Capitalist nations against one another

8. The Invasion of Poland
Germany invades Poland, and WW2 officially begins
What is Blitzkreig?
Using this tactic Germany defeated Poland in just over a month

9. The Fall of France
While French and British troops waited for a German attack in France, German troops launched a blitzkrieg into Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg
As French troops raced to the northern border, German troops began their assault of France
German troops smashed through the French lines and continued through northern France
Without reinforcements (many French and British troops were stuck in the Netherlands) France fell.

10. The Fall of France

11. Who Is This ?

12. Britain Remains Defiant
After the fall of France, Hitler believed that Britain would want to negotiate peace
Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Britain, vowed that Britain would never surrender
Hitler ordered his Luftwaffe to begin bombing British ships in the English Chanel

13. Bombing of Civilians
After London was supposedly accidently bombed, Britain retaliated and bombed Berlin
The Luftwaffe began bombing London and other British cities
Civilian causalities began to rack up in alarming numbers