German Aggression 1935-1940

Europe, 1935

The Rise of Hitler (Review)

• Adolf Hitler– Beginnings

• WWI Veteran– Hates Treaty of

Versailles

– Nazi Party• Tries to overthrow

Weimar Republic gov’t in 1923.

– Writes Mein Kampf in prison

– Der Fuhrer• 1933, Appointed

Chancellor• 1934, Reichstag

Fire– Hitler becomes

dictator

– Lebenstraum• “Living Space”

Germany Re-arms!

• Starting in 1935, Hitler begins re-arming secretly

• Against Versailles Treaty

• Also builds “autobahn”

• October 1936 - “Axis Powers”– Hitler signs treaty

with Benito Mussolini• “An axis between two

great cities, Berlin, and Rome.”

• Against Versailles Treaty

– No secret alliances!

WWII, The Preview

• Revolution in Spain, 1936– A socialist group seized power in

1936 elections.• “Republicans”

– General Francisco Franco led army in revolt against new gov’t

• “Nationalists” (Fascist/Totalitarian)– Germany backs Nationalists– Soviets back Republicans

• Nationalists win– Francisco Franco, a dictator,

takes power• Sympathetic to Germany

Guernica

-Pablo Picasso

Violating Versailles• March 1936, Hitler

remilitarizes the Rhineland.– Violation of

Versailles Treaty!

• March 1938, Hitler moves troops into Austria.– Anschluss = Union of

Germany and Austria

• March 1938, Hitler threatens to annex Sudetenland.– Industrial, resource

rich area of Czech.

Munich Conference• September 1938,

European powers meet to avoid another war.– Adolf Hitler (Germany)– Neville Chamberlain

(Britain)– Benito Mussolini (Italy)– Edouard Daladier

(France)

• What two countries are notably absent?– Soviet Union and

Czechoslovakia

• Munich Pact (1938)– Germany can have

Sudetenland as long as they leave the rest of Czechoslovakia alone.

• Appeasement– Giving in to demands.– Refusal to comply

with these demands may lead to war!

• Hitler took the rest of Czechoslovakia less than 6 months later.– Britain and France do

not declare war.

Munich Pact

“I believe it is ‘peace for our time.’ Go home and get a nice quiet sleep.”

The Non-Aggression Pact

• Why does Hitler want to sign a treaty with the Soviet Union?

• August, 1939– Hitler signs “Non-Aggression Pact” with Soviets

• Plan to divide up Eastern Europe

Blitzkrieg!

• Sept 1st, 1939– Hitler Attacks Poland

• Poland, Britain, France declare war

– Blitzkrieg• “Lightning war”

France Braces For War• “Sitzkrieg” “Phony

War” “Bore War” “Twilight War”– No intense fighting

from October 1939 to April 1940

• British and French mobilize.– Maginot Line

• Along border with Germany

– Underground rails, heavy artillery, thick bunkers

Invasion of France• April 1940

– Blitzkrieg on Norway, Denmark.

• May 1940– Blitzkrieg on

Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg.

• France– Germans mostly go

around Maginot Line– Advance across northern

France to English Channel.

• Splits British/Northern French and Southern French troops.

Fall of France• Dunkirk

– British/Northern French troops flee across English Channel

• 340,000 troops

• June 1940– French gov’t flees Paris,

escapes to London– Italy declares war on

France– Hitler captures Paris

• Vichy France– Germany occupies

northern 3/5 of France– Southern France becomes

“Vichy” France• Support Nazi Regime

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