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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