Transcript Bell Work –Copy the following, they will be on your

Sec. 2 War Begins
Many nations were drawn into the conflict,
largely because of political alliances and
economic relationships.
Key terms: blitzkrieg, lend-lease,
disarmament
Essential Questions:
Which European nations fell to
Germany in 1939 & 1940?
How did the U.S. respond to the war in
Europe?
War in Europe
On Sept. 1, 1939 Hitler sent his armies into
Poland.
Two days later Great Britain & France declared
war on Germany. WWII had begun.
The German blitzkrieg, or “lightning war” took
Poland quickly. How was Poland divided?
Stalin forced Latvia, Lithuania & Estonia to
accept Soviet military bases & when he tried
that in Finland war broke out. Finland
surrendered to Soviets in March 1940.
The War Expands
Western front quiet through winter 1939-40 with
British & French forces settled in at the Maginot
Line.
In Spring fighting began again with Hitler
attacking Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, &
Belgium.
Following collapse of Belgium, Allied troops
retreated to port of Dunkirk – trapped until more
than 800 British ships, ferries & boats evacuated
more 300,000 troops to safety.
Italy joined the war on the side of Germany, to be
joined later by the Japanese, forming the Axis
Power.
The Battle of Britain
Britain was all that stood between Hitler’s
domination of Western Europe.
Germany’s bombing campaign was begun to
break British moral before invading Britain.
During the Battle of Britain, Germans never
gained control and finally Hitler ended the air
attacks.
Britain’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill
helped to inspire the people.
Frustrated by failure, Hitler launched an attack
on the Soviet Union in June 1941. The Soviet
Union joined the Allies.
America and the War
Isolationists banded together to form the
America First Committee. Who were members?
Roosevelt took steps to prepare for war:
strengthened navy, “cash & carry” act to sell
weapons, Selective Training & Service Act (why
was it historically significant?).
Roosevelt decides to run for a third term in 1940.
Congress approves Lend-Lease Act in March
1941
Churchill and Roosevelt met & drew up the
Atlantic Charter. What did they pledge and
urge?
The Japanese Threat
Japan seized Indochina, then looked to the Dutch
East Indies & British Malaya as well as the
Philippines.
United States responds by apply economic
pressure, freezing Japanese assets, stopped sale
of oil, gasoline & other resources.
Japan responds by attacking the American military
base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941.
Congress declared war on Japan the next day. On
Dec. 11th Germany & Italy declared war on U.S.
The U.S. had joined the Allied nations – including
Great Britain, France, China & the Soviet Union
against the Axis Powers – Germany, Italy and
Japan in World War II.