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Hitler’s Lightning War - Notes

Hitler’s Lightning War - Notes. Germany Starts a New War. Nonaggression Pact Stalin (USSR) and Hitler (Germany) Agreed to not attack each other Divide Poland. Germany’s Lightning Attack. Germany surprise attacked Poland in 1939 Lightning Attack

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Hitler’s Lightning War - Notes

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  1. Hitler’s Lightning War - Notes

  2. Germany Starts a New War • Nonaggression Pact • Stalin (USSR) and Hitler (Germany) • Agreed to not attack each other • Divide Poland

  3. Germany’s Lightning Attack • Germany surprise attacked Poland in 1939 • Lightning Attack • German warplanes invaded Polish airspace, dropped bombs on Poles • Tanks and trucks with more than 1.5 million German soldiers into Poland • Invasion of Poland started WWII

  4. Lightning War • German invasion = blitzkrieg “lightning war” • Using fast moving planes and tanks, take enemy by surprise • Crush opposition with overwhelming force

  5. Attack on Poland • Blitzkrieg in Poland • Poland fell to Germany • France and GB joined war but too late to save Poland • Germany annexed western Poland

  6. Alliances in World War II • Allied Powers/Grand Alliance • U.S. • Great Britain, • Soviet Union • Main enemy = Nazi Germany

  7. Alliances in World War II • Axis Powers • Germany • Italy • Japan

  8. The Phony War • After fall of Poland, 7 months of no fighting • France and GB put troops on Maginot Line • France’s border with Germany • Allied and Germany soldiers just stared at each other across this line • “Phony War” • Ended with German attack on Denmark and Norway

  9. The Maginot Line

  10. France Falls to Germany • French troops attempted to fight • Fall of Belgium made it difficult to win • Italy’s Benito Mussolini joined Hitler • Italy attacked France from south • Germany controlled northern France • Southern France had puppet government

  11. Charles de Gaulle • French general • Fled to London • Set up government-in-exile committed to reconquering France • Battled Nazis until France was liberated in 1944

  12. Germany Attacks Great Britain • Hitler’s Operation Sea Lion • Take out the RAF (Royal Air Force) and put 250,000 German soldiers in England • Began bombing GB in summer of 1940 • Battle of Britain • Lasted until May 1941 • Radar and Enigma (German code-making machine) helped British • Hitler eventually called off attacks • Demonstrated that Hitler could be blocked

  13. Germany and Italy Attack North Africa • Italy wanted British-controlled Egypt • Suez Canal in Egypt important in reaching oil fields in Middle East • N. Africa fell to Axis Powers

  14. War in the Balkans • Hitler wanted to invade Russia • Took over Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Greece

  15. Hitler Invades Soviet Union • Operation Barbarossa • Blitzkrieg attack • Russians used scorched earth policy • Germans marched to Moscow in winter • “No retreat!” order by Hitler • Similar fate as Napoleon’s troops in Russian winter

  16. The United States Help Its Allies • Illegal to sell weapons or lend money to nations at war • President Roosevelt knew if Allies fell, the U.S. would be drawn into the war • Neutrality Act - convinced Congress to let the Allies buy American weapons • Lend-Lease Act • President could lend or lease weapons and other supplies to any country vital to the U.S.

  17. The Atlantic Charter • Roosevelt and Churchill • Free trade among countries • Right of people to choose their own government

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