“Nature is cruel, so we may be cruel, too… I have the right to remove millions of an inferior race that breeds like vermin”

-Hitler

Sept. 1, 1939 – Hitler invades Poland

Danzig - Declared a free city by League of nations

Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939.

Italy declared war on France and Britain on June 10, 1940.

In German blitzkrieg means “lightning war”.

Hitler used blitzkrieg during his invasion of Poland.

Blitzkrieg included surprise attacks, rapid advances into enemy territory, and massive air attacks that struck and shocked the enemy.

Germany achieved most of its victories in World War II with the Blitzkrieg tactic.

Blitzkrieg

Britain sent troops to wait with the French down behind the Maginot Line.

Reporters called this quiet time of not much action the “phony war”

The Maginot Line was a defensive for France against an invasion of Germany.

The Maginot Line was established after World War I.

The line showed to be little use in 1940 when Germany invaded France for the third time.

Maginot Line

“Blitzkrieg: German soldiers being parachuted into Holland - May 10, 1940”

In April 1940 the quiet time of the war exploded into action.

Hitler launched a series of blitzkrieg.

Norway and Denmark both fell.

Germany had overrun the Netherlands and Belgium.

Germany along with Italy forced France to surrender.

Fall of France

On June 22, 1940 France signs an armistice with Germany in occupied France.

An armistice is a cease fire or a truce.

The Franco-German Armistice divided France into two zones. One zone was under German military occupation and the other was under French control.

In 1942 Germans occupied all of France

Retreating Allied forces made it to Dunkirk and found themselves trapped between the advancing Nazis and the English Channel. The British sent every boat they could get across the English Channel to pick up troops off the beaches of Dunkirk.

The event at Dunkirk is called a miracle because the retreating allies had lost hope and then the British pulled through for them and rescued 338,000 men.

The British were the only allies left Germany will use the Luftwaffe to knock

out RAF The British will control the airways with use

radar and better fighter planes and pilots The resort to night bombings for 57 days King and Queen stayed in Bunker in

London 1700 German aircraft lost – The Luftwaffe

never recovers