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Europe Goes to War

Europe Goes to War. Germany Rearms. Germany dug itself out of depression by rearming and expanding their armed forces (both of which violated the Versailles Treaty that ended WWI) Unemployment fell to zero, Germany boomed and was ready to put Hitler’s expansion plans to work.

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Europe Goes to War

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  1. Europe Goes to War

  2. Germany Rearms Germany dug itself out of depression by rearming and expanding their armed forces (both of which violated the Versailles Treaty that ended WWI) Unemployment fell to zero, Germany boomed and was ready to put Hitler’s expansion plans to work

  3. Germany Invades the Rhineland The German military entered the Rhineland (an area in Western Germany they were supposed to be banned from) Great Britain and France had not forgotten about the large cost of WWI and did not do anything to stop the Germans 1936- Hitler and Mussolini sign an alliance and create Axis powers (Later joined by Japan) Axis powers (Germany, Italy, Japan)

  4. Germany Expands Germany occupied Austria in 1938 Germany takes the Sudetenland (an industrial region of Czechoslovakia) in 1938 British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlin and French President Edouard Daladier offered Hitler a policy of appeasement (giving in to a competitor’s demands in order to keep the peace) at the Munich Conference in 1938 They thought that giving Hitler the Sudetenland would stop his conquest of Europe Hitler promised the Sudetenland was all he wanted but six months later he invaded the rest of the country and divided it up among his allies

  5. End of Appeasement After Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia, France and Great Britain prepared for war, knowing Hitler did not plan on ending his conquest for more territory France and GB pledged their support for Poland if Germany invaded them

  6. Hitler and Stalin Align Not wanting to fight a two front war, Hitler agreed to a ten year non- agression pact with the Soviet Union A secret document of the Pact divided up the independent Eastern European countries between Germany and the USSR USSR and Germany hated each other but had much to gain by not fighting one another

  7. Invasion of Poland On September 1, 1939 Germany invaded Poland On September 3, 1939 Great Britain and France declared war on Nazi Germany

  8. Invasion of Poland

  9. The Blitzkrieg • While invading Poland the Germans used their new method of attack known as the Blitzkrieg (Lightning War) • Fast, concentrated air and land attack that took the enemy’s army by surprise • German army was more prepared and had better weapons than the Polish, French, and British Armies • Poland was under German control in less than a month • Imposed German laws and persecuted Polish Jews

  10. Maginot Line Fortified line of defense built by the French protecting them from the Germans along the German border Weaknesses: Guns only faced Germany, wall did not protect against Belgium

  11. Germany Attacks On April 9, 1940 Germany launched a blitzkrieg against the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg and controlled all of them within 3 weeks Germany then invaded France through Belgium so they avoided the Maginot Line

  12. Invasion of France

  13. Dunkirk (Dunkerque) German forces split the French and British forces in half and trapped many troops in the northern town of Dunkirk, France Facing heavy artillery from the Luftwaffe (German Air Force), 340,000 troops escaped capture by boarding 900 naval vessels and fleeing to GB

  14. Fall of France After Dunkirk, Germany moved south to Paris which was abandoned by the Government On June 22 the French surrendered to Germany

  15. The Resistance General Charles de Gaulle led the Free France revolution against Germany Free France would sabotage German operations in France and distribute anti German leaflets

  16. Battle of Britain After the Fall of France, Hitler planned his next invasion: Great Britain In August 1940 the Luftwaffe unleashed the greatest air attack ever seen upon GB Day after day as many as 1,000 planes rained bombs on Britain

  17. Taking the War to Civilians At first the Luftwaffe bombed aircraft factories, oil storage tanks, ports, radio installations, and airfields In late August German planes started to bomb London and civilians The bombing of London would target civilian population centers to break their will to resist and would continue until May 1941 Both sides targeted civilians and caused a total war

  18. Defense of Great Britain Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF), greatly outnumbered, defended its homeland against the Luftwaffe By the end of the air raids 20,000 people in London were killed and 70,000 injured

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