The War in Europe
Lebensraum
• Third Reich’s future
depended on
Lebensraum
• Set sights on Austria
and Czechoslovakia
• Some worries it would
provoke war
• “Germany’s problems
can be solved only by
means of force”
Union with Austria
• Hitler meets with
Austrian ChancellorKurt von Schushnigg
• Hitler is demanding
and angry with him
• Demands Schushnigg
appoint Nazis to
Austrian govmt
• Schushnigg
eventually agrees
Union with Austria
• On return homeSchuschnigg changes
his mind
• Informed Hitler
• Hitler angry
• March12, 1938 march
into Austria
unopposed
Union with Austria
• Schuschnigg forced
to resign
• Germany announced
Anschluss or union
with Austria was
complete
• The world did nothing
to oppose Hitler
Bargaining for the Sudetenland
• Hitler then turns to
Czechoslovakia
• Sudetenland-northern
Czech. Along German
border
• 3 million Germanspeaking people living
there
• Used to be part of
Germany
Bargaining for the Sudetenland
• Hitler said Czechs
were abusing
Sudeten Germans
• Began massing
troops on Czech
border
• Britain and France
promised to protect
Czechoslovakia
Bargaining for the Sudetenland
• Hitler invites French
Prime Minister and
British Prime Minister
Neville Chamberlain
to Munich Germany
• Hitler promised
Sudetenland would
be his last territorial
demand
Bargaining for the Sudetenland
• French and British
PMs believe Hitler
• Sept. 30, 1938 sign
Munich Pact
• Turned Sudetenland
over to Germany
without a shot being
fired
Bargaining for the Sudetenland
• “My friends…there
has come back from
Germany peace with
honor. I believe it is
peace in our time.”
– Neville Chamberlain
Bargaining for the Sudetenland
• Winston ChurchillChamberlain’s
political rival (and
future British PM)
thought Munich pact
was shameful
appeasement- giving
up principles to pacify
an aggressor
Soviets Declare Neutrality
• An attack on Poland
would also provoke a
declaration of war
from France and
Britain-both promised
military aid to Poland
– The result would be a
two front war for
Germany
Soviets Declare Neutrality
• Stalin decides that he
has more to lose than
to gain in a war
against Germany
• August 23, 1939Soviet Union and
Germany sign
Nonaggression Pact
Soviets Declare Neutrality
• Nonaggression
Pact- Soviet Union
and Germany would
not fight each other
• Agreed to divide
Poland between them
• Now no threat of 2
front war
• Poland’s fate was
sealed
Blitzkrieg in Poland
• September 1, 1939Germany invades
Poland
• 1st test of new
Germany military
strategy-Blitzkrieg
• Means lightning war
• Allowed Germany to
take enemy by
surprise then crush
opposition
Blitzkrieg in Poland
• Britain and France
declare war on
Germany on Sept. 3
• Blitzkrieg worked
– Fighting over in 3
weeks
– Long before France
and Britain could
respond
Blitzkrieg in Poland
• During the last week
of fighting-the Soviet
Union attacks Poland
from the east
• Germany annexes 2/3
of Polish population
• By end of Sept.
Poland ceased to
exist
• WWII had begun
The Phony War
• Quiet for the next few
months
• French and British
stayed behind
Maginot Line
– Defenses along
France’s eastern
border
The Phony War
• Germans stayed in
Germany
• Quiet broken by
Soviets
• Stalin annexes other
areas to Soviet Union
–
–
–
–
Estonia
Latvia
Lithuania
Finland
The Phony War
• April 9, 1940
Germany invades
Denmark and
Norway
• Then
Netherlands,
Belgium, and
Luxembourgoverrun by May
Fall of France
• Allied British and
French forces
outnumbered and
outgunned
• Retreat to Dunkirk on
the English Channel
• 340,000 allied troops
flee across the
channel on anything
that will float
Fall of France
• Italy enters war on
side of Germans and
invades southern
France
• Germans move on
Paris from the North
• June 21, 1940-French
surrender
Fall of France
• Nazis occupy
northern 2/3 of
France
• Bottom 1/3 becomes
puppet government
known as Vichy
France
Fall of France
• French general
Charles de Gaulle
flees to Britain
• Sets up government
in exile known as
Free France
Battle of Britain
• Nazis assemble an
invasion fleet along
the French coast in
preparation for
invasion of Britain
• Nazis attempt to gain
air supremacy over
Britain before they
invade
Battle of Britain
• German Luftewaffe
begins bombing
British cities
• Nazi planes bomb
London every night
for 2 months
Battle of Britain
• British Royal Air
Force(RAF) fight
excellently
• Radar helped British
pilots
• Nazis call off attack
on September 17th ,
1940