Hitlers Lightning War HSCE 7 2 3 Ch

Hitler’s Lightning War HSCE 7. 2. 3 Ch. 32 sec. 1 *1930 s---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

*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=0 x. Rp 7 wyo. IHs&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!!!!!

*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

*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 250 K 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

*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!

*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 & 500 K 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….