START OF THE WAR IN EUROPE BLITZKRIEG HITLER

START OF THE WAR IN EUROPE BLITZKRIEG

HITLER VIOLATES TREATY OF VERSAILLES • Rearms Germany and reoccupies Rhineland • Declares Austria part of Germany • Pacifism widespread. Britain afraid to take action. • Chamberlain chooses appeasement— making concessions to preserve peace • France wants war, but needs Brit support

HITLER AND CZECHOSLOVAKIA • 3 million Germans live in Sudetenland. Hitler wants this land. Brits convince Czech govt. to give it self rule to avoid war. Hitler takes region for Germany. • Britain appeases Hitler again— 1938 Munich Pact • U. S. happy war is avoided once more

Munich Pact= Sept 38 agreement by, Fr, Br to allow Hitler to have Sudetenland with the agreement to not take anything else. (Appeasement) Blitzkrieg= Lightning war used by Germans in Europe.

INVASION OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA • Germany overruns all of Czechoslovakia 6 months after Munich Agreement • Hitler makes demands on Poland. Brits promise to aid Poland if it is attacked. • Stalin, leader of Soviet Union, wants alliance with Brit & France. They do not support communism. Stalin makes pact with Hitler instead.

• Non Aggression Pact= Aug 1939 agreement between Russia and Germ to not attack each other

PLANS TO INVADE POLAND • Hitler sees Brit & France as weak. “In starting and making war it is not right, but victory, that matters. ” Makes plans to invade Poland. • FDR sends messages of peace

WWII BEGINS • Hitler invades Poland, 9/1/39. Brit & France declare war on Germany (audio) • Polish armies defeated in less than 3 weeks • FDR wants to lift arms embargo. America 1 st Committee opposes—C. Lindbergh, H. Hoover feel U. S. unprepared to fight (audio) • Sept 1939 “cash and carry” passed—pay cash and transport goods yourself!

Germany takes France • June 1940 • France gives Northern part to Germany. • Germany sets up puppet gov in Southern France.

U. S. SUPPORT OF BRITAIN • By late 1940, Hitler in control of much of Eastern Europe, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. • Britain isolated—lone power capable of stopping Hitler • Atlantic Charter—FDR & Chamberlain agree not to seek land support the right to self-govt. (FDR’s 4 Freedoms speech)

LEND-LEASE ACT (March 1941) • Isolationism declining after France falls. • Britain out of cash, cannot participate in cash-and-carry. • U. S. must be the “arsenal of democracy” • Lend-Lease Act allows for transfer of military equip. to nations whose defense is nec. to the U. S. • 10/41—two U. S. destroyers sunk by Uboats