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WORLD WAR II BEGINS
UNIT 8: WWII
GERMAN PATH TO WAR
•Hitler believed Aryan Germany’s superiority gave them the right to expand across Europe
–Sought to unite all Germanic peoples in Europe under Third Reich
–Needed more land to support larger population
• Lebensraum: “living space”
– Territory Nazi Germany believed necessary for German expansion
– Inferior races in territory must be removed or enslaved
L E B E N S R A U M
S P A Z O V I T A L E
G R E A T E R E A S T A S I A
C O -P R O S P E R I T Y
S P H E R E
HITLER’S FOREIGN POLICY
France
• Hitler hated France passionately
– Viewed France’s role in the harsh terms of the Treaty as unforgiveable
– “France does not want reparations; it wants the destruction of Germany, the fulfilment of an age-old dream; a Europe dominated by France.”
Britain
• Hitler believed Britain would ally with Germany
– “[They are] our brothers. Why fight our brothers?”
• Goebbels directed Nazi propaganda to flatter Britain as much as possible
– Praised their successful empire-building
– Praised their “Aryan” origins
• As Britain continued to refuse Germany’s flattery, propaganda quickly changed to call British “a Jew amongst the Aryans” and accused them of war crimes
VIOLATIONS OF THE TREATY
• 1935, Hitler violates the Treaty of Versailles:
– Creates air force
– Increases military from 100,000 500,000
• France, Britain (but mostly France) warn Hitler to cease military
build-up
– Distracted by Great Depression
• Hitler violates further, sends troops into Rhineland
EUROPEAN RESPONSE
•Great Britain adopts strategy of appeasement (giving
up principles to avoid conflict or to pacify an aggressor)
–Why?
• Germany = buffer against communism
• Britain, France not ready to fight another war so soon
• Hitler became leader legally and was supported by his people
GERMAN EXPANSION
• 1936, Germany allies with Italy and Japan (Axis Powers)
• 1938, German Anschluss
–Austria weakened by depression, easily bullied by growing
Germany
• Austrian leader pressured into resigning
–German troops march into Austria unopposed
• Gestapo immediately begin work to identify undesirables
GERMAN EXPANSION
• After Anschluss, Hitler demands Sudetenland (Czech border regions)
where 3 million ethnic Germans live
• Munich Agreement: Britain/France hand Sudetenland but nothing more
over to Germany
– Czechoslovakia not included in negotiations
– Winston Churchill condemns appeasement policy, warns war will follow
• Germany takes Czech. completely <1 year later
– Violates Munich Agreement
– Britain, France vow to protect Poland from German expansion
SUDETENLAND
• The Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia had 3 million ethnic
Germans but also had
– 66% of Czechoslovakia's coal
– 70% of its iron and steel
– 70% of its electrical power
GERMAN-SOVIET PACT
• German-Soviet Pact: a nonaggression pact in which Germany
and USSR promised not to attack each other
– Agreed to divide Poland between the two
– Enabled Germany to expand east without fear of two-front war
• Blitzkrieg in Poland
– Sept. 1939, Hitler overruns Poland in blitzkrieg (lightning war)
• USSR invades from east
– France, Britain declare war on Germany
• World War II begins
