Warm up: Which candidate will you choose? It is your first election and the country is in the middle of a depression, you are one of thousands of Americans who have gathered at an outdoor stadium in California. You are unemployed; your country is still suffering from the effects of the Afghanistan/Iraq War. Like everyone else, you have come to this mass meeting to hear two politicians campaigning for public office. Before long, you will have to cast your ballot. Read the promises of each of the two candidates and decide who you will vote for…….

Who will you choose? Vote now! Candidate 1 Candidate 2 Remember America’s long and glorious past Replace our present indecisive leadership with a strong and effective leader Regain the jobs taken unfairly from us Make sacrifices to return to economic health Put the welfare of the state above all, and our country will be a great power again Candidate 2 Realize that there are no simple solutions to the problems in America Put people back to work, but the recovery will be slow Provide for the poor, sick, and elderly Avoid reckless military spending Act responsibly to maintain a democratic government in America Be a good neighbor- honor our debts and commitments to other nations Vote now!

Candidate 1 is Hitler!! “Road to War in 7 Steps” Notes

#1 - 1936- Rhineland Hitler takes back territory lost in WWI France was given the Rhineland when the Treaty of Versailles was signed Hitler was testing his military as well as the reaction of France

#2 - March 1938- Hitler Annexes Austria (Lebensraum) The Treaty of Versailles had outlawed any alliance between Germany and Austria Majority of the 6 million Austrian’s supported this move German army took over without any resistance

#3 1938- Hitler annexes Sudetenland Territory was along the eastern border of Germany, western border of Czechoslovakia 3 million Germans lived in the Sudetenland Hitler made up fake headlines about how the Sudeten Germans were being mistreated Hitler manipulated Germans to support invasion

#4 Sept. 1938- Munich Conference Britain and France were allied with Czechs and were angry about Hitler’s invasion Hitler promised not to invade anyone else if Britain and France would allow him to keep Sudetenland All parties agreed in hopes to avoid war This agreement is known as appeasement

#5 March 1939- Hitler invades Czechoslovakia Hitler takes over the entire country Czechs knew that Britain and France would not be helpful and Czech army could not defeat the Nazi army Nazi experienced little resistance from the Czechs Britain and France began to prepare for war

#6 Russia and Germany make a pact Non-aggression pact of 1939 Germany and Russia vowed not to attack each other In a secret deal, not written in the official non-aggression pact, Germany and Russia agreed to divide Poland The pact insured that Germany would not have to fight a 2-front war again

#7 Sept 1, 1939- Hitler invades Poland Hitler claimed that Germans in Poland were being mistreated Nazi’s invaded Poland using their air force and tanks Stalin invaded eastern Poland and took his share 2 days later, Britain and France declared war on Germany

***The U.S. shows little reaction U.S. had a policy of isolationism after WWI U.S. agreed to aid any country resisting aggressive nations but refused to commit to anything more.

Summary Summarize the major events leading up to the beginning of WWII.