1. DO NOW Who was Erwin Rommel?
What was the purpose of the Atlantic Charter?

2. SECTION 16.1: WORLD WAR TWO: Africa, Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union

3. Germany invades Poland
USSR invades Poland
USSR invades Baltics
USSR invades Finland
Germany invades Denmark and Norway
Germany invades Benelux nations
Germany invades France
Battle of Britain and the Blitz
United Kingdom
Germany
Italy
USSR

4. Italy invades Egypt
British forces kick the Italians’ fascist backsides
United Kingdom
Germany
Italy
USSR

5. The British couldn’t lose the canal, or access to the oil fields in the Middle East (most of which they controlled). Of course, Hitler wanted it too.
Hitler sent Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox, to take on the British in North Africa.

6. The Germans, of course, found the Lost Ark of the Covenant and if it weren’t for Indiana Jones, all would be lost….
… no, not really.

7. Rommel chases the British out of Egypt
They would go back and forth for some time
Eventually, the Americans under General Patton show up and get rid of the Germans for all
United Kingdom
Germany
Italy
USSR

8. Of course, Hitler didn’t care that much about Africa – he told the whole world in Mein Kampf that his goal was to invade the Soviet Union.
He wanted lebensraum.
But first he had to build some bases to supply the massive armies he would need.

9. Germany “persuades” Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania to join his cause.
They didn’t like the Soviets much either.
Germany and Italy invade Yugoslavia, Albania and Greece – countries that weren’t willing to go along with Hitler’s plan.
United Kingdom
Germany
Italy
USSR

10. On June 22, 1941 Operation Barbarossa was launched.
Stalin’s top advisers had warned him of an attack.
The Red Army was unprepared, poorly equipped, poorly trained, and poorly led. It was a complete disaster for the USSR.
Uncle Joe was TIME’s Man of the Year in 1940

11. Army Group Center tried to reach Moscow and force Stalin to surrender.
Prisoners and troops from Siberia were shipped in to stop the Nazis some 20 miles from Moscow, saving the city.
Army Group South tried to push into the Caucasus region – rich with oil.
Hitler decided he needed to take the city of Stalingrad on the way.
Army Group North surrounded Leningrad for nearly 700 days.
Hitler tried to starve the city to death, but they hung on.
Most of the Soviet Air Force was destroyed on the first day while still on the ground.

12. Stalingrad didn’t work out so well for the Germans…
(more on that later)

13. Lend-Lease Act (March, 1941) Atlantic Charter
So… what’s going with the USA anyway??
isolationism
Neutrality Acts (1935-7)
Lend-Lease Act (March, 1941)
Atlantic Charter
Undeclared naval war with Germany