Transcript Section 1: Hitler`s Lightning war

HITLER’S LIGHTNING WAR
Chapter 16.1
NON-AGGRESSION PACT
• A peace agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union – Not
to attack each other
• Secretly agreed to split Poland between the 2 nations
• Allowed Germany to focus on France and granted the Soviet Union
the Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia
BLITZKREIG
• Germany’s military strategy involving
fast-moving airplanes and tanks,
followed by massive infantry forces
• Took enemies by surprise and
quickly overwhelmed them
• Translated to “Lightning War”
• Used to invade Poland - the incident
that caused Britain and France to
declare war on Germany
RESCUE AT DUNKIRK
• British navy and civilians rescued Allied forces at
Dunkirk after the Germans had trapped them there
• 338,000 soldiers - rescued by Navy ships as well as
yachts, lifeboats, motor boats and fishing boats
CHARLES DEGUALLE
• A French general who set up
a government-in-exile in
London after the Nazis
conquered France
• Committed all of his energy to
reconquering France and
used the radio to call on the
people of France to join him in
resisting the Nazis
WINSTON CHURCHILL
• New British Prime Minister
• Declared that the nation
would never give in, even
after the Nazis took control
of France
• Powerful speaker
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN
• After defeating France, the Nazis turned their attention on Great
Britain
• Attacked Britain from air:
• Summer 1940 – Spring 1941
• Hitler’s forces greatly outnumbered the British RAF (Royal Air
Force), BUT the British were able to break German codes and
resist German advances
• LESSON: Hitler can be stopped!
• Hitler called off the attacks in May 1941
LUFTWAFFE
• Germany’s Air Force
• Fought in the Battle of Britain
ERWIN ROMMEL
• Commander of the
German tank force in
Africa, the “Afrika Korps”
• Sent by Hitler to help the
Italians in North Africa
after they had been
defeated by the British
• Nicknamed the “Desert
fox” for his successes in
North Africa
OPERATION BARBAROSSA
• Hitler’s plan to break the
nonaggression pact and
invade the Soviet Union
• Germans used the element
of surprise to push Soviet
forces back 500 miles into
the country
• Soviets fought back by
using the scorched-earth
policy
• Germans lost 500,000 men
to the Soviet winter
ATLANTIC CHARTER
• A declaration of the principles and goals that Churchill
and Roosevelt had for the free world
• Upheld free trade among nations and the right of
people to choose their own government