Transcript Hitler*s War of Aggression

Hitler wants
more land
 Predict:
What
countries
will he try to
take over
first?

Today we’ll talk about the 9 steps of Hitler’s
War of Aggression

Write this at the top of your paper:
 Rabidly racist Adolph suddenly made countries
need powerful weapons

Background: Versailles Treaty
 Signed at end of WWI
 Limited the size of Germany’s army

Background: Alliances
 Hitler had allied with Mussolini in Italy

For each of the slides:
 Title
 Date
 Bold words


Hitler announced that Germany would no
longer obey the Versailles Treaty
Started re-arming Germany in 1935
 Delighted the German people – created jobs and
promised them renewed power
 Other countries issued a mild condemnation but
did nothing

After re-arming, Germany begins to take over
the land it lost in WWI

March 1936 – German troops
entered the Rhineland
 Went against the Versailles Treaty
 Germany had used this as a base
for attacks in WWI

But Britain and France took no
action
 Followed a policy of
appeasement
▪ Giving in to an enemy, hoping that
makes them happy and they stop

Demands for Anschluss - the union of
Austria and Germany had increased after
Hitler became German Chancellor

March 1938 – Germany’s army occupies
Austria

Britain and France had previously pledged to
protect Austrian independence, but ignored
their pledge


Hitler next turned to Czechoslavakia
About 3 million German-speaking people lived
in the Sudetenland (part of Czech.)
 1938 - Hitler demanded the Sudetenland

Czechs refused and asked France for help

France, Britain, Italy and Germany met at the
Munich Conference in Sep. of 1938

Gave Hitler the Sudetenland to try to protect the
peace
 In return, Hitler agreed to respect Czechoslovakia’s new
borders

Less than 6 months after the Munich
Conference, Hitler took Czechoslovakia
 March 1939




Britain and France grew worried
Asked the Soviet Union to join them in
stopping Hitler
While Stalin negotiated with Britain and
France, he also negotiated with Hitler
Finally, Germany and the Soviet Union
signed a non-aggression pact on Aug. 23,
1939


Now that Hitler had the Soviet Union on his
side, he quickly moved ahead with his plans
to conquer Poland
Surprise attack – Sep 1, 1939



France and Britain finally
declared war on Germany
on Sep 3, 1939
Couldn’t stop Hitler before
he took Poland
War had officially begun –
but it would be over 6
months before Britain and
France would really start
fighting

When should Britain and France have stepped
in? Why?

Rabidly racist Adolph suddenly made
countries need powerful weapons.

(Re-Arms, Rhineland, Anschluss,
Sudetenland, Munich, Czechoslovakia, NonAggression, Poland, War)
Europe Goes to War

For the numbered slides (8):
 Title
 Date
 Bold words

April 1940 – Germany
attacks Denmark &
Norway

May 1940 – German
blitzkrieig attack on the
Netherlands, Belgium &
Luxembourg
 Won in 5 days, 3 weeks, and 1
day (respectively)


Take France
How will they try to do it?

May 1940 Germany cut
through Belgium,
racing across
northern France
 This cut France off
from the English
Channel

June 1940 - Germany moved south through
France forcing the French to surrender
 Germany gained control of Northern France
▪ Vichy France

Hitler tried to take the
war to Britain

August 1940 –
 Month-long bombing
campaign of Britain
 1,000 planes bombing
Britain

Bombing of London – The Blitz
 Continued until May 1941

September 1940 – Japan, Germany & Italy
sign tripartite pact, become formal allies

June 1941 – Germany invades the Soviet
Union
 4 million soldiers – largest invasion ever

December 7, 1941
 Surprise attack

America declares war on Japan the next day
 On Germany, Italy Dec. 11

Warfare whereby an attacking
force spearheaded by a dense
concentration of armored and
motorized or mechanized
infantry formations, and
heavily backed up by close air
support, forces a breakthrough
into the enemy's line of
defense through a series of
short, fast, powerful attacks;
and once in the enemy's
territory, proceeds to dislocate
them using speed and surprise,
and then encircle them