WWII: European War

1939-1942

World Crisis•The depression challenges

democracy

Fascism•Extreme form of government

•Promised to revive economy, punish those responsible, and restore national pride

Fascist Italy

•Benito Mussolini

•Promised a revived economy and strong Military

Fascist Germany

•Adolf Hitler

•Brings order and security

Nazi Ideology•Pure “Aryan” or German Race

•Revenge of the Treaty of Versailles

•Lebensraum- Germany over crowed needed more living space.

Italy Invades Africa•Mussolini Attacks Ethiopia

•Avenge losses in 1890

•League of Nations remain silent

Germany Invades•Hitler enters the Rhineland

•Formed a buffer between France and Germany

Appeasement•France stunned-unwilling to risk

war!

•Britain urged appeasement- giving in to an aggressor (Hitler) to keep peace

Axis Powers•1936

•Hitlers growing power convinced Italy to form an alliance

•Germany, Japan, Italy

Spain’s Civil War•Democracy Fails

•Fascist Dictator Francisco Franco wins

Germany Expands•1938, Hitler ignores Treaty of

Versailles

•Absorbs Austria into Germany

Munich Conference•Hitler demands the Sudetenland

(Czechoslovakia)

•British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain gives into demands

Nonaggression pact

•Russian (communist) and Germany (fascist)

•10 year agreement never to attack each other

•They would divide Poland between them

Blitzkrieg•Germany’s Military Strategy

•Fast-moving airplanes and tanks followed by massive infantry forces

•Take enemy defenders by surprise

The Phony War•Britain and France declare war

•Mobilize Armies along the Maginot Line

•Wait for Germans to attack

Invasion of France•Germans attack through the

Ardennes

Rescue of Dunkirk•Allied forces trapped in northern

France

•Heroic act of Rescue

•800 boats that took 2 months

France Falls•June 22, 1940 France Surrenders

•Charles de Gaulle: government-in-exile

Battle of Britain•Germany attacks Great Britain’s

Air Force (RAF)

•Then focused on cities to break moral

Technology•Radar-electronic tracking device

•Enigma- German code-making machine

•Both essential to Britain’s victory

Africa•Italy invades North Africa (oil rich)

•Britain Fights back

•Germany helps Italy

•Erwin Rommel- know as “Desert Fox”

Balkans•Hitler takes control of south eastern

Europe

•Prepares for invasion of Russia

Invasion of Russia•“Operation Barbarossa”

•Russia military not prepared

•Germany advances quickly (500 miles)

Leningrad•City cut off from Russia

•Hitler tries to starve the city of 2.5 million

•City refuses to fall (Winter 1941-1942)

United States•Neutrality Act

•1941 Lend-Lease Act with Britain