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Nazis take the Sudetenland
o Hitler wanted to takeover Czechoslovakia but his generals warned him that they had a strong army and the mountains as a defense Czechoslovakia would be a difficult country to overcome. Hitler threatened the British prime minister that he would invade Czechoslovakia if Britten didn’t support the Germans plan. 8/29/1938 Hitler, Chamberlain, Daladier and Mussolini signed the Munich Agreement which transferred the Sudetenland to Germany. They weren’t able the protect themselves and Germany marched -
Nazis take the Sudetenland (continue)
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Ribbentrop/ Molotov pact (continued)
, so Germany was successful making sure it wasn’t a two front war. http://history1900s.about.com/od/worldwarii/a/nonaggression.htm -
Ribbentrop/ Molotov pact
o August 23, 1939.guaranteed that the two countries would not attack each other. It was broken when the Nazis attacked the Soviet Union 2 years later. Hitler wanted this because fighting a two front war in World War I had split Germany's forces, making it weaker. When the Nazis attacked Poland, the Soviets stood by and watched. Two days later, the British declared war on Germany and World War II had begun. Because of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, the Soviets didn’t fight against Germany, -
Germany’s invasion of Poland
o Hitler invaded Poland because he wanted the give lebensraum to Europe. Which led to Britain and France declare war on Germany. Nazi operatives had posed as Polish military officers to stage an attack on the radio station in the Silesian city of Gleiwitz. Germany used the event as the pretext for its invasion of Poland. (THE LEARNING NETWORK) This started World War 2. http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/01/sept-1-1939-nazi-germany-invades-poland-startingworld-war-ii/ -
Battle of Britain
o Hitler gave orders for the preparation of a seaborne invasion of Britain, called Operation Sea lion. He sent the German air force to attack Britain's Royal Air Force first. Hitler ordered the attack because the British air force would sink German ships carrying German soldiers across the Channel. http://www.chiddingstone.kent.sch.uk/homework/war/battleofbritain.htm -
German Blitzkrieg
o Also known as the lightning war. It was called this because of what armored warfare they used during the invasion of Poland. Using Tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power they broke past enemy lines. Journalists used blitzkrieg to describe this. http://www.military.com/video/operations-and-strategy/second-world-war/ww2-german-forces-the-blitzkrieg/1429790341001/ -
Nazi Invasion of the soviet union
o The largest German military operation of World War II. Hitler invaded because of the communist threat they had on Germany. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005164 -
Pearl Harbor
o Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. The next day President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan, Congress approved. Japan became allies with Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. The U.S. joins World War II. http://www.history.com/topics/pearl-harbor -
D-Day (Normandy Invasion)
o Britain, America, Canada, and France attacked German forces on the coast of Normandy. Germany invaded France, and tried to take over the rest of Europe. Britain and the United States had slowed down the expansion German forces. The Allies amassed troops and equipment in Britain. They did many air strikes on German territory. http://www.ducksters.com/history/world_war_ii/d-day_invasion_of_normandy.php -
Battle of the Bulge
o After France was freed and Germany was defeated at Normandy, people thought that the war was over. But Hitler had different ideas. On December 16, 1945 Germany launched a major attack. The battle lasted for one month the American forces fought back and kept Germany's army from overrunning Europe. http://www.ducksters.com/history/world_war_ii/battle_of_the_bulge.php -
Liberation of concentration camps
o As Allied troops moved across Europe, they began to encounter tens of thousands of concentration camp prisoners. Germans attempted to hide the evidence of mass murder by demolishing the camp. Soviets also overran the sites of the Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka killing centers the Soviets liberated additional camps in the Baltic states and in Poland. Shortly before Germany's surrender, Soviet forces liberated the Stutthof, Sachsenhausen, and Ravensbrueck concentration camps. http://www.ushmm.or -
VE Day
o Allied Forces overran Germany and this was the end of World War II. On May 7th German General Jodl signed the unconditional surrender document. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ve_day.htm
