Transcript document

War in Europe
Ch 24 Sect 2
Pg 742
Union with Austria
Majority of Austria’s 6 million people were
Germans who favored unification w/
Germany.
 Germany troops marched on Austria
unopposed.
 Germany announced its union w/ Austria
was complete.
 U.S. & the rest of the world did nothing.
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Bargaining for the Sudetenland
3 million German speaking people lived in
the western border regions of the
Sudetenland.
 Hitler wanted to annex Czechoslovakia in
order to provide more living space for
Germany.
 France & Great Britain promised to protect
Czechoslovakia.
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Bargaining for the Sudetenland
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Hitler invited French & British prime minister’s to
a meeting in Munich.
Hitler declared that the annexation of the
Sudetenland would be his last “territorial
demand”.
Chose to believe him.
Signed the Munich Agreement – turned the
Sudetenland over to Germany.
Adopted a policy of appeasement – giving up
principles to pacify an aggressor.
Soviet Union Declares Neutrality
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Poland also had a sizable German speaking
population.
People thought Hitler was bluffing.
B/C
 An
attack on Poland would cause war w/ Russia,
Poland’s east neighbor.
 Provoke France & Britain who pledged support to
Poland.
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Hitler & Stalin signed a non-aggression pact –
committed to never attack each other.
Signed a 2nd treaty to divide Poland in half
Blitzkrieg in Poland
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German air force bombed military bases,
railroads, & cities in Poland.
German tanks were sent across Poland’s
country side.
Germany’s new form of warfare blitzkrieg –
“lightening war”
Britain & France declared war on Germany.
Major fighting over in 3 weeks
Soviet Union attacked Poland on east side to
gain territory.
WWII began!
The Phony War

For several months France & Britain sat
on the Maginot Line.
A
system of fortifications built along France’s
east boarder.
Waited for something to happen.
 Germans called it sitzkrieg “sitting war”
 Newspapers called it the Phony War

Fighting
Soviet Union attacked Finland.
 Hitler launched a surprise attack on
Denmark & Norway.
 Germany turned against the Netherlands,
Belgium, & Luxemburg.
 Germany sent tanks through Ardennes to
reach France w/o crossing the French &
British troops.
 French & British thought Ardennes was
impassable.

Fall of France
Italy entered the war on the side of
Germany & invaded France from the
South.
 Germans are closing in on Paris from the
north.
 Germans occupied northern France while
a Nazi gov. ruled the South.
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Battle of Britain
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Summer of 1940…
 Germans
begin launching air raids over Britain b/c
their navy is too weak.
 Goal was to gain total control of skies by eliminating
the Royal Air Force.
 Every night for 2 months bombs were dropped on
London.
 RAF fought back w/ new radar technology.
 Hitler called off the invasion.
 German bombers continue to bomb Britain to stop
production & break civilian morale.
Answer these questions
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3.
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6.
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8.
What foreign policy actions did Hitler take after he
came to power?
How did Britain and France respond to Germany’s
actions?
What action freed Hitler to invade Poland?
What new tactics did Germany use in attacking
Poland?
What was the “phony war”?
What happened to France after the phony war?
What was Britain’s situation at the end of 1940?
What was the result of the Battle Britain?