1. Hitler’s Lightning War HSCE 7.2.3 Ch. 32 sec. 1 *1930s---Adolf Hitler forcibly grabbed new territory in Western Europe…….said he wanted no more…but kept taking --Czechoslovakia, Rhineland, Austria, & Poland---once belonged to Germany before WWI----Hitler wanted it back *Britain & France ALWAYS gave in to Hitler = appeasement— to give into an aggressor’s demands in order to keep peace *Hitler signed a nonaggression pact w/ Stalin = both countries would share Poland & not fight against the other. *September 1, 1939---Hitler engages in a surprise attack against Poland

2. *Blitzkrieg---lightning war---military strategy—hit the enemy w/ everything you have all at once --Germans easily over take Poland *September 3, 1939----Britain & France declare war on Germany http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xRp7wyoIHs&feature=relate dhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xRp7wyoIHs&feature=relate d blitzkrieg *Soviets move more than 1 million troops into Eastern Poland & takes it over, the Finland *British & French built up troops along the Maginot Line= fortifications along the French-German border…. ***1940—Germany attacks Norway & Denmark---both surrender w/in hours!!!!!

4. *May 1940---Hitler sweeps thru Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg----wants to take over France! *Dunkirk---French port city near Belgium --Allies were pushed back & trapped by Germans—their backs to the sea. --make-shift armada sailed to Dunkirk from across the English Channel --against Germ. Bombers they rescued 338 K soldiers *France Falls---June 1940—Germans take over entire northern France----southern part was left as a puppet govt. called Vichy govt. --Charles de Gaulle---French general---set up a govt.-in-exile in England---encouraged French to resist the Germans

5. *The Battle of Britain--- England has a new Prime Minister…. -Winston Churchill---said his nation would never give in! -”We shall never surrender” *Hitler wanted to invade England badly!!!! --knock out the RAF --then land 250K soldiers on the shores of England --Summer 1940---German Luftwaffe begin bombing Great Britain----1 st = airfields & factories 2 nd = bomb the cities --RAF fought back, but outnumbered---they had 2 things to help: Radar & Enigma---a German code-making machine **Battle of Britain went from Summer of 1940—May 1941--- Hitler NEVER took England **Showed that Hitler was not invincible

6. *Hitler gives up on Britain for the time being --focuses on North Africa & the Mediterranean --AH & Mussolini go into N. Africa --Brits lose Egypt to Italy, but come back strong --Germ. Has to bail out Italy --Hitler sends in the Afrika Korps---led by Erwin Rommel (Desert Fox)---pushes the Brits back to Libya *Germany invades the Balkans (Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Greece)----easy victories!

7. *June 1941----Hitler invades the Soviet Union --surprise attack that pushes 500 miles into USSR --Soviet army not ready --Soviets retreat & burn everything in their path *September = Germans put Leningrad under siege -November = Leningrad totally cut off --2.5 million people starving = had to eat cattle, cats, dogs, crows, and rats…..1 million people died, but still Germany did NOT take Leningrad! *December 1941---Germans try to take Moscow…….Russian winter sets in…..Germans are in summer uniforms…..do not take the city & 500K Germans die. *U.S. claims neutrality…but Lend-Lease Act allowed Pres. to send supplies to any nation vital to U.S……Summer 1941—U.S. ships escorted British ships….Germans torpedoed the ships = unrestricted submarine warfare. *U.S. = still neutral…..until Japanese aggression….