1. Section 1 Hitler’s Lightning War
Chapter 32 World War II
Section 1
Hitler’s Lightning War

2. Rise of Hitler
Hitler joined new political group that wants to overturn Treaty of Versailles
Called National Socialist German Workers’ Party (aka Nazism)
First attempt to take over Germany in 1923 fails, goes to jail for 5 years for treason

3. Cont Writes Mein Kampf in jail Hitler’s beliefs and goals for Germany
Burned down the Reichstag, blamed Communists
1933, becomes chancellor (legally), call him Der Furher
formed the SS (Schutztaffel), they killed hundreds of Hitler enemies
Gestapo – secret police

4. Cont Used propaganda to build a following
Burned books that went against Nazi beliefs
Used Jews as scapegoats for all Germany’s troubles

5. Rise of Mussolini
Benito Mussolini (Fascist) marches on Rome in October 1922
Fascism promotes extreme nationalism
Demand to put Mussolini in charge
Mussolini is called Il Duce

6. Testing the League In 1935, Italy took over Ethiopia
Ethiopia appeals to the League of Nations, which does nothing
Hitler takes control of the Rhineland
Buffer zone between Germany and France that the Treaty didn’t allow Germany to go into
League of Nations does nothing
Using appeasement: give into demands to maintain peace

7. Cont Hitler and Mussolini form alliance called the Axis Powers in 1936
Hitler starts calling Germany the Third Reich (German Empire)
Hitler moves army into Austria, annexes it
Moves army into the Sudetenland (part of Czechoslovakia)
Hold the Munich Conference where British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, uses appeasement

8. Cont
At Munich Hitler promised to not take anymore land, 6 months later he took the rest of Czechoslovakia
Mussolini takes Albania
Hitler signs a ten year nonaggression pact with Joseph Stalin (leader of USSR, replaced Lenin)

10. Germany’s Lightning Attack
Part of nonaggression pact was that Germany and USSR would split Poland
In September 1939, German troops invade Poland with new war strategy called blitzkrieg
Lightning war
2 days following Poland’s invasion, France and Britain declare war on Germany
Before France and GB can do anything Poland is divided up

11. The Soviets Make Their Move
Gets eastern part of Poland
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia fall without struggle, Finland does
USSR to many troops (largest in world), takes down Finland

12. The Phony War
France and Britain station their troops on the Maginot Line
Defense border between France and Germany
Hitler launches surprise attack into Denmark and Norway in April 1940
4 hours after attack, Denmark falls
2 months later Norway falls

13. Fall of France Hitler then takes Netherlands, Luxembourg
Allied troops pinned in Dunkirk
Using 850 ships, the British rescue 338,000 soldiers
June 14, 1940 Paris falls
June 22, 1940 France surrenders
Charles de Gaulle sets up the Free French military and an exile gov’t in London

15. Battle of Britain Now Great Britain stands alone
Winston Churchill is their prime minister
Promising never to surrender, they take on huge air strikes from the Luftwaffe

16. Cont London gets hit hard, but Britain never surrenders
Britain used radar and a German code breaking machine called Enigma to hold off Germany

17. Axis Forces Attack North Africa
Mussolini goes into Egypt, but gets pushed back by Britain
Hitler sends Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox, to save his Axis partner
The Desert Fox pushes the British back

18. The War in the Balkans
Threatening force, Hitler convinces Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary to join Axis Powers
Invade Greece and Yugoslavia
Greece falls in 11 days
Yugoslavia falls in 17

19. Hitler Invades Soviet Union
Invasion of Soviet Union is called Operation Barbarossa
Starts June 1941
Germany pushes USSR back 500 miles
Stalin issues scorched earth policy
Nazis surround Leningrad, cut off all supply lines, destroy food warehouses
People start to eat cow and horse feed, then cats and dogs, then crows and rats
1 million people die in Leningrad, but they refused to fall

20. Cont Hitler is impatient and starts to go after Moscow
Like with Napoleon, German troops aren’t prepared for winter and are going to get pushed back in 1943
Germans lose 500,000 lives in attack on Moscow

21. The US Aids its Allies 1935-1937 US passes Neutrality Acts
Can’t sell arms or lend money to nations at war
1941, pass Lend Lease Act
President can lend or lease arms to nations vital to our defense