World War II Begins

United States Roosevelt speaks out against growing “epidemic of world lawlessness”

American people favored isolationism Roosevelt promised to keep out of the war but saw danger posed by Japan, Germany, and Italy

What caused Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany? On Sept. 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland (a violation of the Munich Agreement). Great Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. World War II had begun.

Blitzkrieg (lightning war) – new method of warfare introduced by the Germans. Stressed speed and surprise in the use of tanks, troops, and planes.

Britain and France could do nothing to help Poland September, 1939 – Hitler and Stalin were dividing Poland per their prewar agreement

Stalin forces Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia to allow Soviet army bases in their countries

Finland fights back but surrenders in 1940

Spread of War Allied forces prepare for attack against France on Maginot Line – string of steel-and-concrete bunkers along French-German border

April, 1940 – Germany attacks Denmark and Norway to the north May, 1940 – turn west to invade Netherlands and Belgium

Dunkirk Allied troops retreat to Dunkirk following surrender of Belgium Trapped between the Germans and the French coast of the English Channel

800 British warships, ferries, and fishing boats back and forth across channel and rescued more than 300,000 British and French soldiers

France June – Germans crossed Somme River and swept into France Italy joined the war and attacked France from the southeast

June 14, 1940 – German troops marched into Paris France surrendered one week later

Britain Battles for Survival Britain only country in western Europe not controlled by Germany

Britain Battles for Survival August, 1940 – German warplanes begin bombing British air bases, shipyards, factories, and cities destroying parts of London and killing many people

Battle of Britain – German air forces (Luftwaffe) and Britain's Royal Air Force battle until October

Prime Minister, Winston Churchill refuses to surrender leaving Hitler frustrated Germany suffers heavy losses; Hitler abandons plans to invade

Germany Turns on Stalin Hitler decides he needs resources and land of the Soviet Union June, 1941 breaks Nonaggression Pact with Stalin

Destroys planes and tanks and captured over half a million soldiers in the early phase of the invasion

Stalin orders scorched-earth policy

Soviets burned their cities, destroyed crops, and blew up dams that provided electrical power Germans had difficulty supplying their troops and advancing