The War in Europe
Lebensraum
• Third Reich’s future
depended on
Lebensraum
• Set sights on Austria
and Czechoslovakia
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
Union with Austria
• Schuschnigg forced
to resign
• Germany announced
Anschluss or union
with Austria was
complete
Bargaining for the Sudetenland
• Hitler then turns to
Czechoslovakia
• Sudetenland-northern
Czech. Along German
border
Bargaining for the Sudetenland
• Hitler said Czechs
were abusing
Sudeten Germans
• Began massing
troops on Czech
border
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
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 Churchill-
Soviets Declare Neutrality
• An attack on Poland
would also provoke a
declaration of war
from France and
Britain-both promised
military aid to Poland
Soviets Declare Neutrality
• Stalin decides that he
has more to lose than
to gain in a war
against Germany
Soviets Declare Neutrality
• Nonaggression
Pact- Soviet Union
and Germany would
not fight each other
Blitzkrieg in Poland
• September 1, 1939Germany invades
Poland
• 1st test of new
Germany military
strategy-Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg in Poland
• Britain and France
declare war on
Germany on Sept. 3
• Blitzkrieg worked
Blitzkrieg in Poland
• During the last week
of fighting-the Soviet
Union attacks Poland
from the east
The Phony War
• Quiet for the next few
months
• French and British
stayed behind
Maginot Line
The Phony War
• Germans stayed in
Germany
• Quiet broken by
Soviets
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
Fall of France
• Italy enters war on
side of Germans and
invades southern
France
Fall of France
• Nazis occupy
northern 2/3 of
France
Fall of France
• French general
Charles de Gaulle
flees to Britain
Battle of Britain
• Nazis assemble an
invasion fleet along
the French coast in
preparation for
invasion of Britain
Battle of Britain
• German Luftewaffe
begins bombing
British cities
Battle of Britain
• British Royal Air
Force(RAF) fight
excellently