1. A Dark Time for the Allies
World War II Begins
A Dark Time for the Allies

2. Winston Churchill
Prime Minister of Britain during WWII

3. Nazi-Soviet Non Aggression Pact
August 23, 1939
Germany and Russia promise not to attack each other.
This allows Hitler to start WWII without worrying about fighting a two front war.

4. The world was stunned
The biggest enemies of the Nazis (aside from the Jews) had been the Communists

6. They agree to divide up Poland

9. Allies vs. Axis Allies Britain France Soviet Union United States
45 other smaller nations

10. Allies vs. Axis
Axis
Germany
Italy
Japan

11. Allies – Label and color in the Allies
Great Britain
Soviet Union
France

12. Axis – Label and color in the Axis powers
Germany
Italy

13. Hitler invades Poland September 1939
Hitler and the Soviet Union invade
Find Poland on your map
Draw a line from Germany to Poland. Label it 1939
Draw a line from Soviet Union to Poland. Label it 1939

14. Poland

15. Poland
Soviet Union
Germany
Poland

16. How did Hitler win? Blitzkrieg “lightning war”
Planes bomb airfields, factories, towns and cities
Then fast moving tanks and troop transports roared into the country

17. Why did Hitler use Blitzkrieg
Trench Warfare was useless, Blitzkrieg got you land!
Planes changed things

18. How long did it take? Poland fell in a little over 2 weeks
Hitler did not make another aggressive move until spring of 1940

19. Hitler attacks France Spring 1940
Goes in through the Netherlands and Belgium
Allied troops escape defeat at Dunkirk by using military and civilian boats to get across English channel
Germans head south toward Paris

20. Map work Label Netherlands and Belgium on your map
At the boarder between France and Belgium next to the English Channel place a dot and label that Dunkirk

21. Netherlands and Belgium

22. Netherlands and Belgium
Dunkirk

23. Map of Dunkirk
300,000 Allied troops flee to England by boat

24. But France is not saved
Hitler moves on Paris from the north and Italy moves in from the south
By June 22, 1940 Hitler controls France
Set up Nazi government in Vichy, France

25. Hitler in Paris

26. Hitler in Paris

27. Hitler in Paris

28. Map Work
Draw an arrow from Germany through the Netherlands and Belgium and then down into France. Label it 1940
Draw an arrow from Italy up to France and label it 1940

29. France Falls

30. Battle for Britain
By June 1940 Britain stands alone against Axis powers
Hitler starts Operation Sea Lion – to invade Britain

31. Battle for Britain
But he will bomb them first to weaken them – August 12, 1940
British Royal Air Force vs. the Luftwaffe (German Air force)
First it is just against military targets

32. London Blitz September 7 1940 Lasts 57 nights 15,000 civilians die
Live your life by the Air Raid siren
Hide in cellars, bomb shelters, cold subways
Wait till the all clear

33. London Blitz
A spotter searches the horizon for German aircraft.

34. London Blitz
Bomber headed for London.

35. Air Raid Siren
Hide in the Tube!!!

36. London Blitz
St. Patrick’s Cathedral stands as a beacon of hope among the smoke and flames in London

37. London Blitz

38. London Blitz
Firemen work on a blaze. A daily occurrence during the height of German bombing in London.

39. London Blitz
Confused women stand among the ruins of a demolished building.

40. London Blitz
Children survey the wreckage of another destroyed building.

41. Winston Churchill – Inspires his people

42. It Failed The city did not break under the attack
Bombing failed to crush the British, instead it brought them together. By June 1941 Hitler gave up the London Blitz

43. Battle for the Soviet Union
June 1941
He wants living space
Lebensraum
Attacked France for revenge
He wants to expand Germany to the east

44. Battle for the Soviet Union
3 million Germans pour into Russia
2.5 million Russian soldiers die trying to fend off German
By Autumn 1941 Germans were deep into the Soviet Union and poised to take Leningrad and Moscow

45. Map Work
Draw an arrow from Germany deep into the Soviet Union label it 1941

46. Battle for the Soviet Union

47. Not good

48. Hitler is about to win!
It is a dark time for Europe