1. Chapter 16 Section 1 Hitler’s Lightning War
Objective: Analyze how Germany overran most of Europe & North Africa
Vocabulary: Nonaggression Pact, Blitzkrieg, Charles de Gaulle, Winston Churchill, Battle of Britain, Erwin Rommel, & Atlantic Charter

2. Setting the Stage
Hitler played on the hopes & fears of the Western Democracies
Each time Hitler grabbed new territory, he declared an end to his demands
Hitler finally turned his eyes on Poland
What were some of the hopes/fears of Great Britain & France?

3. Germany Sparks a New War in Empire
Soviet leader Joseph Stalin signed a ten-year nonaggression pact with Hitler
After being excluded from the Munich Conference, Stalin was not eager to align with the West
In secret, Germany & the Soviet Union agreed to divide Poland between them
Hitler also agreed that the USSR could take over Finland & the Baltic countries
Why did Hitler sign the non-aggression pact with Hitler?
Lithuania, Latvia, & Estonia

4. Germany’s Lightning Attack
Hitler attacked Poland on September 1st, 1939
Germany aircraft & artillery began a merciless bombing of Poland’s capital, Warsaw
France & Great Britain declared war on Germany on September 3rd
However, Poland fell before they are able to send any aid
Blitzkrieg: “lightening war” – a form of warfare involving surprise attacks using fast moving airplanes that are followed by massive attacks with infantry
September 1st 1939 is considered the beginning of WWII
Take people by surprise & quickly overwhelm them

5. The Soviets Make Their Move
Stalin sent Soviet troops to occupy the eastern half of Poland on September 17th
Stalin then moved to annex the Baltic countries
Finland resisted until March 1940
The Finns were outnumbered & outgunned
Soldiers on skis swiftly attacked Soviet positions

6. The Phony War
French & Britain had mobilized their armies along the Maginot Line
The Germans lined up a few miles away along the Siegfried Line
People called it the sitting war or the phony war
However, the calm ended on April 9th, 1940
Hitler attacked Denmark & Norway, allowing him to set up bases to attack Britain
Why would people call it a “phony war”?

7. The Fall of France
In May of 1940, Hitler swept through Netherlands, Belgium, & Luxembourg
Hitler sent larger forces of tanks through the Ardennes
The Germans trapped the Allied forces
The Allies retreated to the beaches of Dunkirk in France
850 British ships (Navy Ships, along with civilians) joined the rescue effort of the Allied forces
Hitler wanted to keep the allied forces attention on other countries
Ardennes, heavily wooded area in northern France
For about a week they went back & forth to rescue about 338,000 soldiers

8. France Falls June 22nd 1940, France fell to the Germans
The Germans split France in half
They took control of the northern half & implemented a puppet government in the south
Charles de Gaulle: a French general set up a government- in-exile in London
De Gaulle organized the Free French military forces that fought until France was liberated
Vichy France
Why would Charles de Gaulle set up a government in exile? What would be the symbolism behind it?

9. The Battle of Britain
Winston Churchill: prime minister of Britain declared he would never give up
Hitler planned on invading Great Britain by knocking out the Royal Air Force (RAF)
Germany began bombing civilian cities, like London
Radar & enigma helped Britain stay strong
Battle of Britain: consisting bombing of Britain from September 1940 until May 1941, when Hitler’s attacks were finally blocked
“We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing groups, we shall fight in the fields, & in the streets….We shall never surrender”
Luftwaffe (Germany air force) began bombing great Britain
Targeted British airfields & aircraft factories then civilians to demolish their morale
Radar is a tracking system
Even though the Battle of Britain was destructive why was it important for the Allies? What did they learn about Hitler?
Enigma (allowed the British to decode German secret messages)
Radar helped to detect incoming planes
Enigma helped to decode German secret messages

10. The Mediterranean & the Eastern Front
Germany’s first objective in the Mediterranean region was North Africa
Mussolini wanted to take control of the Suez Canal, which would provide the Axis powers access to oil fields
Hitler had to send General Erwin Rommel to help support Italian troops in North Africa
Rommel was pushed back but regrouped & pushed the British back
Italy remained neutral at the beginning of the war but started to help when they saw Hitler’s success in France
The British were defeating the Italians,
Rommel’s success in North Africa earned him the nickname the desert fox

11. The War in the Balkans & Soviet Union
To prepare for his invasion of the USSR, Hitler moved to expand his influence in the Balkans
Some countries joined his forces while others resisted
June , Germany invaded the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa)
As the Soviet Union, retreated they burned the land behind them
Leningrad, completely surrounded by the Germans refused to surrender
Germany turned towards Moscow, however when the temperatures fell & the Germans weren’t equipped for it, & couldn't advance
Bulgaria, Romania, & Hungary joined the Axis powers
Yugoslavia & Greece resisted (Hitler took over Yugoslavia in 11 days & Greece in 17 days)
Who also struggled when the Russians did the scorched-earth policy?
1 Million people died in Leningrad (they ate cattle, horse, cats, dogs, & finally crows & rats)
½ million German died in their invasion of the Soviet Union

12. The United States Aids Its Allies
Even though the US wanted to stay neutral; Roosevelt knew if the Allies fell, the Axis powers would attack them next
Lend-Lease Act: the president could lend or lease arms & other supplies to any country vital to the US
Hitler stated he would sink any cargo ship found in enemy waters
Atlantic Charter: meeting between Churchill & FDR outlining the Allied plans for peace at the end of World War II
Roosevelt passed the Cash & Carry (pay cash & carry the goods on their own)
Hitler started to practice unrestricted submarine warfare
Why do you think FDR met with Churchill?