Bell Ringer

1. Bell Ringer • What was the difference between militarists and fascists? • Define appeasement • Who were the Axis Powers? • Define isolationism

2. Chapter 32: World War II, 1939 - 1945 Section 1 – Hitler’s Lightening War

3. Germany Sparks a New War in Europe • After being excluded from the Munich Conference, Stalin was not eager to join the West and signed a 10 year nonaggression pact with Hitler. Hitler had promised him territory. In a secret part of the pact, Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to divide Poland between them. They also agreed that the USSR could take over Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

4. Germany Sparks a New War in Europe Germany’s Lightening Attack The invasion of Poland was the first test of Germany’s military strategy – the blitzkrieg, or “lightening war” Idea was to take enemy defenders by surprise and quickly overwhelm them • After signing the pact, Hitler quickly moved ahead with plans to conquer Poland • Launched a surprise attack in September 1939 • France and Great Britain declared war on Germany • Poland fell before either nation could make any military response

5. Germany Sparks a New War in Europe • The Soviets Make Their Move • Stalin annexes Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia without a struggle • Tried to annex Finland, but they resisted • In November 1939, Stalin sent 1 million troops into Finland • Expected to win quickly so they were not prepared for winter fighting • The Soviets struggled to advance in the deep snow • Suffered heavy losses but eventually won through sheer force of numbers • By March 1940, Stalin forced Finland to accept his surrender terms

6. Germany Sparks a New War in Europe The Phony War Waited there for the Germans to attack but nothing happened Soldiers from both sides just sat there and stared at each other Newspapers referred to it as the “phony war” • After declaring war on Germany, France and Britain mobilized their armies • Stationed troops along the Maginot Line, a system of fortifications along the German-French border

7. Germany Sparks a New War in Europe • In April 1940, the calm ended • Hitler launched a surprise invasion of Denmark and Norway • 4 hours after the attack, Denmark fell • 2 months later, Norway surrendered • Germany began building bases on the coasts to launch strikes on Great Britain

8. The Fall of France • In May 1940, Hitler began a dramatic sweep through the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg as part of his strategy to strike at France. While the Allies were focused on those countries, Hitler sent a large force to slice the Ardennes, an area northern France. From there, Germany passed the Maginot Line and moved across France, reaching the country’s northern coast in 10 days.

9. The Fall of France • Rescue at Dunkirk • After reaching the French coast, German forces joined with troops in Belgium • By May 1940, the Germans had trapped the Allied forces in northern France • The Allies retreated to the beaches of Dunkirk where they were trapped • Great Britain set out to rescue the army • Sent a fleet of 850 ships across the English Channel to Dunkirk • From May 26 to June 4, they sailed back and forth carrying soldiers to safety

10. The Fall of France • France Falls • Following Dunkirk, resistance in France starts to crumble • By June, the Germans had taken Paris • Accepting the inevitable, France surrendered on June 22, 1940 • After France fell, Charles de Gaulle, a French general, set up a government-in-exile in London and committed himself to reconquering France • Organized the Free French military forces and battled the Nazis until France was liberated in 1944

11. Bell Ringer • Define blitzkrieg • What was the Maginot Line? • Why did newspapers refer to the war as a “phony war” at the beginning?

12. The Battle of Britain • Great Britain now stood alone against the Nazis • Winston Churchill, the British prime minister, declared that the nation would never give in • Hitler now turned his attention to the invasion of Britain. • First plan was to knock out the Royal Air Force and then land soldiers

13. The Battle of Britain • In the summer of 1940, Germany’s air force began bombing Great Britain • First, they targeted airfields and aircraft factories • In September, began to focus on cities, especially London, to break British morale • Despite the destruction, the British never wavered • The Royal Air Force began to hit back

14. The Battle of Britain • 2 technological devices helped • One was an electronic tracking system known as radar • Could tell the number, speed and direction of incoming warplanes • The other device was a German code-making machine named Enigma • An Enigma was smuggled out of Germany and enabled Great Britain to decode German secret messages • With these 2 devices, the Royal Air Force could quickly launch attacks

15. The Battle of Britain • To avoid the attacks, Germany gave up on daytime raids in October • The Battle of Britain continued until May 1941 • Stunned by British resistance, Hitler called off the attacks • Turned his attention to the Mediterranean and Eastern Europe

16. Bell Ringer • What 2 technological devices helped Britain during the Battle of Britain? How did they help?

17. The Mediterranean and the Eastern Front • The resistance of the British caused a shift in Hitler’s strategy in Europe. He decided to deal with Great Britain later, turning his attention east and the ultimate prize – the Soviet Union.

18. The Mediterranean and the Eastern Front • Axis Forces Attack North Africa • Germany’s 1st objective in the Mediterranean region was North Africa • Mainly due to his partner, Mussolini • Despite its alliance with Germany, Italy was neutral at the start of the war • With Hitler’s conquest of France, Mussolini knew he had to act • Declared war on France and Great Britain and moved into France

19. The Mediterranean and the Eastern Front • Mussolini took his next step in North Africa in September 1940 • Ordered his army to attack British–controlled Egypt • Within a week, Italian troops pushed 60 miles inside Egypt, forcing British units back

20. The Mediterranean and the Eastern Front Britain Strikes Back By February 1941, the British had swept across North Africa and taken 130,000 Italian prisoners Hitler had to step in to save his Axis partner To reinforce the Italians, Hitler sent in commander Erwin Rommel • Britain strikes back in December 1940 • The result was disaster for the Italians

21. The Mediterranean and the Eastern Front • In March 1941, Rommel’s forces attacked, catching the British by surprise and forcing them to retreat • The British began to drive Rommel back, forcing him to retreat • By June 1942, Rommel regrouped and pushed the British backed across the desert, seizing Tobruk • Rommel’s successes in North Africa earned him the nickname “Desert Fox”

22. The Mediterranean and the Eastern Front • Hitler began to plan his attack on his ally, the USSR, as early as the summer of 1940 • The Balkan countries were key to Hitler’s invasion plan • Wanted to build bases there for the attack on the Soviet Union • Also wanted to make sure the British didn’t interfere

23. The Mediterranean and the Eastern Front • To prepare, Hitler moved to expand his influence in the Balkans • By early 1941, through the threat of force, he persuaded Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary to join the Axis powers • Yugoslavia and Greece resisted • In April, Hitler invaded both countries • Yugoslavia fell in 11 days • Greece surrendered in 17 days

24. The Mediterranean and the Eastern Front • Hitler Invades the Soviet Union • With the Balkans in control, Hitler moved ahead with Operation Barbarossa, his plan to invade the Soviet Union • Started in June 1941 • The Soviet Union was unprepared for the attack • The Germans pushed 500 miles into the Soviet Union • As the Russians had retreated, they burned and destroyed everything • Known as the scorched earth strategy

25. The Mediterranean and the Eastern Front • By November, German forces had Leningrad cut off from the rest of the Soviet Union • To force surrender, Hitler was ready to starve the city’s inhabitants • German bombs destroyed warehouses were food was stored • 1 million people died during the winter of 1941-1942, yet the city refused to fall

26. The Mediterranean and the Eastern Front • Impatient with the progress in Leningrad, Hitler looked to Moscow • By December, the Germans had advanced to the outskirts of Moscow • The Soviets counterattacked • As temperatures fell, the Germans were forced to retreat – they were wearing summer uniforms • Hitler sent his generals a stunning order: “No retreat!” • The German troops dug in 125 miles west of Moscow and held the line against the Soviets until March 1943 • Hitler’s advance on the Soviet Union gained nothing but cost 500,00 lives

27. The United States Aids Its Allies • Most Americans felt that the United States should not get involved in the war • The US passed the Neutrality Acts which made it illegal to sell arms or lend money to nations at war • Roosevelt knew that if the Allies fell, the US would be drawn into the war • In September 1939, he asked Congress to allow the Allies to buy American arms

28. The United States Aids Its Allies • Under the Lend-Lease Act passed in March 1941, the president could lend or lease arms and other supplies to any country vital to the United States • By that summer, the US Navy was escorting British ships carrying US arms • In response, Hitler ordered his submarines to sink any cargo ships they met

29. The United States Aids Its Allies • Although the United States had not yet entered the war, Roosevelt and Churchill met secretly and issued a joint declaration called the Atlantic Charter • Upheld free trade among nations and the right of people to choose their own government • Later served as the Allies’ peace plan at the end of World War II

30. The United States Aids Its Allies • On September 4th, a German U-boat fired on a US destroyer in the Atlantic • In response, Roosevelt ordered navy commanders to shoot German submarines on sight • The US was now involved in an undeclared naval war with Germany