World War II Semester 2 – Day 156
Assign WWII Project
Germany needed more land to support a larger population German Path to War Germany needed more land to support a larger population Set its sights to the Soviet Union
1936 – Hitler sent troops to the Rhineland First Steps 1935 – created new air force Began a military draft 1936 – Hitler sent troops to the Rhineland
New Alliances Mussolini Germany and Italy sent troops to Spain Rome-Berlin Axis Germany and Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact
Union with Austria Anschluss, union with Austria
Demands and Appeasement Sudentenland, area in northwestern Czechoslovakia Munich Conference – did not object to Hitler’s plan, but rather met all his demands
Great Britain and France React Hitler thought Western democracies were weak and would not react Invaded and took control of Bohemia and Moravia Controlled Slovakia Hitler began to demand the Polish port of Danzig, Britain offered to protect Poland
France and Britain began negotiations with Joseph Stalin to contain Nazi aggression
Hitler and the Soviets Hitler made agreement with Stalin Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact Hitler offered Stalin east Poland and the Baltic States Hitler then invaded Poland
Japanese Path to War Japanese seized Manchuria for natural resources Japan withdrew from League of Nations for condemning them
War with China China tried to appease Japan by allowing them to control north China Chiang Kai-shek united with Communists to fight the Japanese Japanese seized capital Nanjing
New Asian Order Comprised of Japan, Manchuria and China Wanted control of Soviet Siberia Demanded resources from French Indochina US threatened economic sanctions (oil and scrap iron) Decided on surprise attack on US
Germany Sparks a New War in Europe Stalin and Hitler signed a non-aggression pact Hitler attacked Poland France and Great Britain declared war on Germany Blitzkrieg – “lightening war”; used fast moving airplanes and tanks followed by massive military infantry forces; surprise
Stalin occupies Poland Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia fell quickly Finland fought – winter weather helped the Finns Soviets defeated the Finns (outnumbered) “Phony war” for months no fighting between British, French and Germans Hitler suddenly attacked Denmark and Norway
Fall of France Attacked through France, Luxembourg and Belgium (Ardennes) Allied forces trapped; retreated to beaches of Dunkirk Escaped across the English Channel Paris fell Charles de Gaulle – set up gov’t in exile in London and focused on reconquering France
Battle of Britain
The Mediterranean and Eastern Front Regular Assignment: Create a chart of events leading to the siege of Moscow Create a flow chart tracing events in the Mediterranean and on the Eastern Front leading to the siege of Moscow
US Aids its Allied US Neutrality Acts: made it illegal to sell arms or lend money to nations at war Lend-Lease Act: president could lend or lease arms and other supplies to any country vital to the US Atlantic Charter – free trade among nations and the right of people to choose their own government U-boat fired on US ship; Roosevelt ordered navy commanders to shoot German submarines
Honors Assignment Create a chart listing examples of Japanese aggression and German aggression prior to the outbreak of WWII. Japanese Aggression German Aggression