World War II
War Starts in Europe
Hitler Invades Austria
•War started in 1938
•Hitler decided toannex Austria andCzechoslovia
•He said, “The‘German’ question canbe solved only bymeans of force.”
•On March 12, 1938,German troopsmarched into Austriaunopposed
•U.S. and world didnothing
Czechoslovakia
•Hitler seemed ready to invade
•England and France promised to protectthat country
German military offensive begins
•March 15, 1939 German troops marched intoCzechoslovakia and took over country
•By nightfall, Hitler said, “Czechoslovakia hasceased to exist”
Appeasement
•England and France did nothing
•Czechoslovakia given to Hitler without shotbeing fired
•This policy was called “appeasement” – Ideaswas that by allowing Germany to do what itwanted then no war would occur
•Russia, under Stalin, signed a non-aggression pact with Germany– would not attack each other
•On Sept. 1, 1939 the Lufwaffe (German air force) bombed Poland
•When Germany attacked Poland, Russia also invaded from theeast
Poland conquered by Germany andRussia
By end ofmonth Polandno longerexisted – waspart ofGermany andRussia
Blitzrieg
–This attack on Poland called “Blitzrieg”
–Blitzrieg means “lightning war”
–Used new military technology – fastertanks and airplanes
Germany Attacks France
•Troops position onMaginot Line – asystem of fortificationsalong France’s easternborder
•Thought to beinvulnerable
•Germany attacked in1940
Germany Conquers France
•Germany conquered France
•Germany occupy north part of countryand puppet government in France
•400,000 soldiers fled to England acrossthe channel in fishing boats, barges, andpleasure craft at Dunkirk
Battle of Britain
•In 1940, Hitler prepared for invasion of Britain
•Navy power and air war – bombing runs every night fortwo months
England Fights Back
•Royal Air Force (RAF) fought back
•Used new invention of radar
•On one day shot down 185 German planes
•Hitler called off planned invasion, thoughbombing continued
December 7, 1941
This causes the US toenter WWII
War!
•Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941
•U.S. declared war on Japan on Dec. 8, 1941
•3 days later, U.S. declared war on Germany
U.S.A. rose to the occasion!
•5 million volunteered for service
•Selective service (the draft) enlisted 10 millionmore men for service
•Woman also started to serve for first time
LIBERATION OF DEATHCAMPS
•While the British andAmericans movedwestward intoGermany, the Sovietsmoved eastward intoGerman-controlledPoland
•The Sovietsdiscovered manydeath camps that theGermans had set upwithin Poland
•The Americans alsoliberated Nazi deathcamps withinGermany
