World War II 1939-1941

1. World War II 1939-1941

2. Gearing Up… 1933- Soviet Union recognized by the US • Non-Aggression Pact w/Germany • Secret agreement to divide E. Europe • G: western Poland & parts of Lithuania • S: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Most of Lithuania, Eastern Poland & East of Danube River 1938- Munich Conference • Policy of Appeasement • France & UK agree that giving in to demands of Germany in an attempt to avoid a larger conflict is best Neutrality Laws (somewhere over the ocean) • Prohibited the shipment of U.S. supplies to warring nations (in own ships)

3. Fascist Aggression 1935: Hitler denounced the Versailles Treaty & the League of Nations [re-arming!]Mussolini attacks Ethiopia. 1936: German troops sent into the Rhineland. Fascist forces sent to fight with Franco in Spain. 1938: Austrian Anschluss. Rome-Berlin Tokyo Pact [AXIS] - Italy, Japan & Germany allign Munich Agreement  APPEASEMENT! 1939: German troops march into the rest of Czechoslovakia. Hitler-Stalin Non-Aggression Pact.

4. It’s ON! • September 1, 1939: German troops march into Poland • blitzkrieg – lightening war (learned from Brits) • French became active – “Maginot Line” • Line of fighting between Fr & G • British had “brotherly agreement with Poland • Treaty of Mutual Assistance • WW II begins!!! • September 3, 1939: Br. & France declare war on Germany- nothing happens for almost 1 month

5. Belgian Forts French Reserves Ardennes Forest Maginot Line French DefenseExpect the Germans through Belgium again http://www.looksmart.com/r?page=/search/frames/index.html

7. Maginot Line today http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/1491/

8. Scandinavia (Denmark and Norway) Holland and Belgium Next to FALL

9. Stuka dive bombersgave close support to ground troops http://www.looksmart.com/r?page=/search/frames/index.html&isp=fy&name=www.wt.net&bcolor

10. German Panther Tank • US Lee Tank http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz4.htm#panther German tanks were matched only by the Soviet T34

11. Who’s next? • France • 6 weeks into war • Germans march into Paris • French lay down guns so that Germans won’t destroy their beautiful landmarks & city • Divided France into 2 • Free France • Vichy France • Established “portable” German Government • Armistice with Germany

12. How’d they do it? Germans go around the “impenetrable” Maginot Line.

13. Dunkirk Maginot Line German Plan attack through the Ardennes and surround French army http://www.looksmart.com/r?page=/search/frames/index.html

14. Allies were trapped against the sea at Dunkirk, but rescue 338,000 men via sea

15. France divided • Northern France occupied • France surrenders June 22nd, 1940

17. Southern France becomes a puppet of Nazis (Vichy Government led by Henri Petain) http://history.acusd.edu/cdr2/WW2Pics/81640.jpg

18. Free France- government in exile in England led by Charles DeGaulle http://history.acusd.edu/cdr2/WW2Pics/81640.jpg

19. Hitler celebrates victory over France Hitler in Paris

21. Now on to Britain…. • Winston Churchill – Prime Minister & Military Leader • Stand for nothing but “victory” “….the Battle of France is over. The Battle of Britain is about to begin, upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization, upon it depends our own British life and the long continuity of our institution and our Empire” Winston Churchill, June 18, 1940 “Finest Hour” speech

22. The Battle of Britain- The BlitzSummer of 1940

23. Massed bombing raids, defeated by the RAF

24. Battle of Britain • Greatest Air battle of the war • Nightly air raids from 9-7 to 10-31 on London • New….RADAR • Heavy losses for Germany • And the winner is…. Great Britain!

25. US Neutrality- WWII

26. FDR’s “I hate war” Speech (1936) Chautauqua, New York, 1936 “I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen men coughing out their gassed lungs. I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed. I have seen 200 limping, exhausted men come out of line—the survivors of a regiment of 1,000 that went forward 48 hours before. I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war.“

27. Neutrality Acts: 1935, 1936, 1937 When the President proclaimed the existence of a foreign war, certain restrictions would automatically go into effect: • Prohibited sales of arms to belligerent nations. • Prohibited loans and credits to belligerent nations. • Forbade Americans to travel on vessels of nations at war [in contrast to WW I]. • Non-military goods must be purchased on a “cash-and-carry” basis  pay when goods are picked up. • Banned involvement in the Spanish Civil War. This limited the options of the President in a crisis. America in the 1930s declined to build up its forces!

28. 1939 Neutrality Act In response to Germany’s invasion of Poland. FDR persuades Congress in special session to allow the US to aid European democracies in a limited way: The US could sell weapons to the European democracies on a “cash-and-carry” basis. FDR was authorized to proclaim danger zones which US ships and citizens could not enter. Results of the 1939 Neutrality Act: Aggressors could not send ships to buy US munitions. The US economy improved as European demands for war goods helped bring the country out of the 1937-38 recession. America becomes the “Arsenal of Democracy.”

29. “America First” Committee Charles Lindbergh

30. “Lend-Lease” Act (1941) Great Britain.........................$31 billionSoviet Union...........................$11 billionFrance......................................$ 3 billionChina.......................................$1.5 billionOther European.................$500 millionSouth America...................$400 millionThe amount totaled: $48,601,365,000