War in Europe
Hitler dominates Europe
Austria & Czechoslovakia Fall
• Hitler wanted to absorb Austria & Czechoslovakia in the Third
Reich.
• On March 12, 1938 Germany marched into Austria
unopposed.
• About 3 million German speaking people lived in the
Sudentenland.
• Hitler accused Czechs of abusing the German people.
Conquering Europe
• France and Great Britain promised to protect the Sudetenland
initially.
• But when all parties met at the Munich Conference British
Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain chose to appease Hitler
and hoped it would be his “last territorial demand”.
• This was known as the Munich Agreement.
Response
• Chamberlain’s satisfaction was not shared by
everyone.
• Winston Churchill his main political rival
thought he had given far too much to Hitler.
German Offensive
• As Churchill had warned Hitler was not done
expanding the Third Reich.
• Stalin & the Soviet Union signed a nonaggression
pact with Hitler.
• They also agreed to divide Poland between them.
Blitzkrieg
• Known as lightning war advancement in military
technology led to speedy advancement by the
Germans.
• It only took hours for some nations to fall.
• This led to France & Britain to declare war on
Germany.
France & Britain
• It didn’t take long for Germany to control both the
north and south of France.
• When France fell the famous French general Charles
de Gaulle fled to England where he declared “France
has lost a battle, but France has not lost the war.”
Battle of Britain
• The Germans began bombing runs over Great Britain
in 1940.
• Every night for two months, bombers pounded
London.
• The British used their planes to bravely fight and
eventually Hitler called off the bombings.