1st Marking Period Reflection• What would you like to see more/less of in the second marking

period?• Discussions?• Projects?• Assignments?• Format of instruction?• Group work?• Test preparation?

• The topics we will be covering in the 2nd MP:• WW2• Holocaust• 1950s

WORLD WAR II BEGINSChapter 20 Section 2

Path to War

• In 1935 Hitler began to defy the Treaty of Versailles. He began building up an air-force and began a military draft—both in clear violation of the treaty

• European leaders tried to negotiate with Hitler

THE AUSTRIAN ANSCHLUSS

• In 1937, Hitler called for the unification of all German people-including those in Austria and Czechoslovakia

• He then sent troops into Austria (German speaking) in March and declared Anschluss or unification of Germany and Austria

• Hitler then announced German claims to the Sudetenland (an area of Czechoslovakia with a large German-speaking population)• Czechs resisted

•Munich Conference: Britain, France, Italy, Germany• Britain and France agreed to Hitler’s

demands (Appeasement)• Made concessions in exchange for peace

Munich Conference

Hitler Demands Danzig• A month after the Munich Conference, he

demanded Danzig (90% German, in Poland)• He also requested to put a highway and Railroad

across the Polish Corridor• His new demands convinced Britain and France

that war was inevitable

March 31, 1939—Britain announces that if Poland went to war to defend its territory, Britain and France would come to its aid.

•May 1939- Hitler ordered German army to prepare to invade Poland• Ordered his foreign minister to begin

negotiations with USSR•Why would Hitler start talking to Stalin?

Who are the people portrayed?

What is the overall meaning?

Nazi-Soviet Pact• Hitler did not want to fight the Soviets as well• Germany proposed a non-aggression treaty to the

Soviets—Stalin agreed• This pact shocked the world—Communism and Nazism

were supposed to be totally opposed to each other • No one knew about the secret deal to divide Poland

between Germany and the Soviet Union

THE WAR BEGINS

• September 1, 1939-Germany invades Poland• September 3, 1939-Britain and France declared

war on Germany• *WWII begins• Germans used blitzkrieg or “lightning war”• Large number of tanks to break through and

encircle the enemy—with aircraft dropping bombs and paratroopers as support.

• September 27, 1939- Polish capital, Warsaw, falls to the Germans

Invasion of Poland

The Fall of France• After World War I, the French had built the Maginot Line.

(concrete bunkers along the German border).• French preferred to wait behind the line for the Germans to

approach---proved disastrous. WHY?

The Fall of France

• Disastrous because…• It allowed Germany to concentrate on

Poland first• Hitler decided to go around it and into

Belgium instead•Weak border between Belgium and

France

Miracle at Dunkirk• After trapping the Allied

forces in Belgium, the Germans began to drive them to the English Channel

• Only hope was for Britain and France to evacuate their surviving troops by sea

• Only port not captured by Germans was Dunkirk

Miracle at Dunkirk

• As the German forces closed in on Dunkirk—Hitler suddenly ordered them to stop • No one really knows why…nervous about risking his

tanks?

• Gave then British time to evacuate….• 338,000 British and French troops had been saved, a

miracle

• Price: Had to leave most of the equipment behind

French Surrender• 3 weeks later, France

surrenders• Germany now

occupied much of Northern France and its Atlantic coastline.• Installed a puppet

government at the town of Vichy, France.

Winston Churchill

• New prime minister of Britain• Germany expected them

to surrender after France, but Churchill was defiant• Intended to rally the

British people and alert isolationist US to Britain’s trouble

Battle of Britain• Hitler ordered his commanders to

invade Britain• Problem: had few transport ships to

get across English channel; British air force would sink them• Hitler needed to defeat the British

Royal Air Force

• German air force, Luftwaffe, launched an air battle to destroy the Royal Air Force• June- Oct 1940

Hitler’s goal: terrorize the British into

surrendering

Battle of Britain

• Royal Air Force was outnumbered• One major advantage though: new technology called

radar• Could detect incoming German aircraft and direct

British fighters to intercept them

• Outcome:• Germany lost 1,733 aircraft…Britain lost 915 fighter

planes

• October 1940- Hitler cancels invasion of Britain