War in Europe

1
War in Europe

• Ch. 24 section 2

2
Hitlers goal for Germany

• Once Hitler had gained power in Germany, he set
  out to unite all German-speaking peoples of
  Europe.
• In order to convince the people of Germany to
  follow his plan, which could easily lead to war,
  Hitler used dramatic speeches.

3
Austria

• Created during the Treaty of Versailles at the
  end of WWI, most of Austrias 6 million people
  spoke German and favored unification with
  Germany.
• March 12, 1938- German troops march into Austria
  unopposed.
• Germany announced Anschluss (union) with
  Austria complete.
• The rest of the world did nothing.

4
The Sudetenland

• About 3 million German-speaking people lived in
  the western region of Czechoslovakia known as the
  Sudetenland.
• The Sudetenland is also a mountainous region
  which provides a natural barrier against German
  attack.
• Hitler charged that the Sudeten Germans were
  being mistreated by the Czechs and massed troops
  on the border.
• France and Britain had pledged to protect
  Czechoslovakia, but at a meeting in Munich Hitler
  convinced them that this would be his final
  territorial demand.
• Neville Chamberlain and Edouard Daladier agreed
  to allow Germany to take the Sudetenland. (Sept.
  30, 1938)
• This was criticized as appeasement by some, but
  Chamberlain claimed that it provided peace in
  our time.

5
German Offensive

• March 15, 1939- German troops took the rest of
  Czechoslovakia
• Poland- Hitler began complaining of the treatment
  of German-speakers in Poland most thought he
  would not attack Poland because it would risk war
  with the Soviets as well as France and Britain
  (2-front war)
• Non-aggression Pact Germany and the Soviet Union
  signed a non-aggression pact this shocked the
  world because Germany and the USSR were bitter
  enemies there was also a secret pact that the
  two nations would divide Poland between them.

6
German Offensive cont.

• Blitzkrieg in Poland- Sept. 1, 1939
• A coordinated attack by the German Luftwaffe (air
  force) and German tanks were followed by an
  infantry assault
• Major fighting was over in 3 weeks Germany
  controlled western Poland and 2/3 of the
  population- the Soviets took the rest of Poland
  from the east
• World War II had begun.

7
Phony War

• Following the fall of Poland, French and British
  troops waited for Germany to attack.
• Maginot Line- fortifications built by the French
  along German border to prevent German invasion
• Sitzkrieg- sitting war or phony war no
  fighting occurred
• Germany launched a surprise invasion of Denmark
  and Norway (gained control of the North Sea)

8
Fall of France

• Germany attacked Belgium and into France through
  Ardennes Forest, avoiding the Maginot Line.
• Germans moved easily into Paris and trapped
  400,000 French and British troops at Dunkirk.
• Every ship and boat available helped to evacuate
  330,000 across to Britain (mistake 1)
• Italy invades France from South
• Germany occupies northern France Vichy govt in
  southern France
• Charles De Gaulle leads Free French

9
Battle of Britain- summer 1940

• Germany began bombing Britain to prepare for
  invasion (British navy better)
• Wanted to destroy Royal Air Force (RAF)
• Germany constantly bombed Britain and the RAF
  constantly fought back
• Though outnumbered, the RAF shot down hundreds of
  German planes
• Hitler called off the invasion of Britain in the
  fall of 1940 (mistake 2)
• Never in the field of human conflict was so much
  owed by so many to so few Winston Churchill
  praising RAF pilots