How WW 2 Begins and Worsens PreWW 2

How WW 2 Begins. . . and Worsens

Pre-WW 2 Europe

The New Alliances Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Soviet Union The Allies: Britain, France, Canada, and eventually. . . The US

More Steps to War After Hitler made this non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union, he made yet another alliance (though this one is less surprising) August 1939: Hitler made a deal with. . . Italy Hitler’s next target: Poland Sept. 1, 1939: Hitler launches a blitzkrieg attack against Poland This is the German word for “lightning warfare” What is this?

Sept. 3, 1939: Britain and France realize that appeasement has failed; they declare war on Germany Sept. 10, 1939: Canada joins its allies, Britain and France, and also declares war on Germany

Canada Took Its Time. . . Why? This was the FIRST TIME that Canada declared war as an independent nation Canada wanted to prove that they weren’t going to go to war just because Britain went to war They were an independent ally who had proved themselves in the last war and would prove themselves again!

WW 2 1939 -1940: “the phoney war” during this time, nothing really happened both sides wanted/needed time to build up their military forces: army, navy, air force, etc.

Spring 1940: Germany takes a number of countries quite quickly by way of the blitzkrieg attack Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium (Keep in mind: Hitler has already gained back the land that was lost in the Treaty of Versailles; he keeps on going because he wants more than what he had before. )

THE FALL OF FRANCE Spring 1940: France falls to Germany rather quickly It takes only 6 weeks for one of the world’s superpowers to fall to Hilter! Britain had tried to help France by launching a battle at Dunkirk, but the French and British forces were trapped on 3 sides by Germans

The British and remaining French were forced to flee by whatever ships were available (mainly shipping boats), abandoning any weaponry that they had brought with them for the attack in France This weaponry was now in the hands of the Nazis Britain now stands alone (with reinforcements from Canada)