The end of a 20 year truce!

ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CAUSES OF WWII
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Aggression by the totalitarian powers
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Nationalism
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Failures of the Treaty of Versailles
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Weakness of the League of Nations
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Tendencies towards isolationism and pacifism in Europe and the U.S.
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Appeasement

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German invasion of Poland
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Fall of France
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Battle of Britain
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German invasion of the Soviet Union
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Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
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D-Day (Allied invasion of Europe)
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Atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki

United States
*FDR – U.S. President
*Harry Truman – U.S.
President following death of FDR
*Dwight D. Eisenhower – allied commander in
Europe
*Douglas MacArthur –
General - Allies in the
Pacific
*George Marshall general
Britain
*Winston Churchill – prime minister
Soviet Union
*Joseph Stalin – dictator
Germany
*Adolf Hitler – dictator
Japan
*Hideki Tojo – general
*Hirohito – emperor

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Italy, Germany, and Japan have formed the Axis
Powers

Italy has taken Ethiopia (parts of it…)

League of Nations did nothing

Germany has taken the Sudetenland, Austria, and the Rhineland

British and French following policy of appeasement
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What next?

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September 1, 1939 – Germany invaded Poland

Accomplished by the use of the “blitzkrieg” tactic

“lightning war”

Planes rain bombs down at the same time as slower troops and tanks cross the border—the goal was to take the enemy by surprise

Even though France and England declare war against Germany on September 3, 1939 Poland falls within 3 weeks

“One People, One
Reich, One Führer!”


The “secret” part of the nonaggressive pact was that the Soviet Union could occupy the eastern half of Poland.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY WERE THE POLITICAL
REASONS BEHIND STALIN’S ACTIONS IN EUROPE
AT THE BEGINNING OF WWII???


May 1940 – Germany began its attack toward
France

France held its defenses along the Maginot
Line
 a line of defenses built by the French along their border to keep the Germans out
WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENS NEXT…???

What do you see wrong with this picture???


Germany kept the Allies’ attention along the
Maginot Line while sneaking his army through the Ardennes.

Italy declared war on France & Britain by June
10 th

June 14 – Paris falls to the Germans

France is taken over in 6 weeks!

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After the fall of France, Britain remained the only country left to face Germany
Winston Churchill – Prime Minister – declared
Britain would never surrender!
Operation Sea Lion – Germany’s plan to knock out the Royal Air Force (RAF)

Bombing by day and night continues until May, when
Hitler, surprised by the resistance, calls off the attacks
Battle of Britain continued until May 10, 1940 when Hitler turned his sights to Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean


1 st objective – North Africa – mainly due to
Mussolini

To gain access to oil, Mussolini sought to control British occupied Egypt in Sept 1940

Hitler gets involved to aid Mussolini as the
British begun to push the Italian troops further back

Erwin Rommel “Desert Fox” sent in to achieve a victory for Germany – he is successful

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Hitler’s plan to attack the Soviet Union
Soviet Union was not prepared for this attack – why???
As the Russians retreat they use a scorched earth policy – what is this???
September 8 th – Hitler attempted to starve the city of Stalingrad into surrendering but the people refuse
Turned his sights to Moscow – the capital and heart of the Soviet Union


What was the U.S. position at the beginning of the war???
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March 1941 – Lend-Lease Act – the president could lend or lease arms and other supplies to any country vital to the U.S.

Secret meetings between FDR and Churchill
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Undeclared naval war between Germany and the U.S.

What does this mean???


France falls

Hitler decides to expand
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Hitler invades Poland
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Hitler marches to Austria
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Munich Conference – giving Sudetenland over

Battle of Britain RAF vs. German Luftwaffe

Hitler claims Baltic States, Scandinavia and
Belgium