WWII

Pre-War Aggressions

Japan in Asia

Kellogg-Braind Pact

U.S. Secretary of State and French Foreign minister

Made war illegal

Japan in Asia

Second Sino-Japanese War

Stage a fake attack in Manchuria

Blame the Chinese

Japan again invades Manchuria

League of nations condemns Japan

They don’t do anything

Only encourages them

Japan withdraws from league

Japan in Asia

Second Sino-Japanese War

Slowly begin taking China

Capture all of its seaports and major cities

The Rape of Nanking

Torture, rape, and mass murder (300,000)

Denied by the Japanese

Eventually gest rolled in with WWII conflict

Expand into all of Asia

See the ocean as their dominion

Really all of Asia

Italy in Africa

Italy invades Ethiopia

One of few independent nations of Africa

Revenge for defeating Italy previously

Easily defeat the Ethiopians

Rebuked by the League

League has no military branch to enforce sanctions

Memories of WWI make nations reluctant

Japan and Italy realize they can easily continue

Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)

Rebels over throw the government

The Second Spanish Republic

Freedom of religion

Separation of church and state

Spanish Civil War

Loyalists (Republicans) Supporters of the

republic

Mostly in the east and southeast

Also hold Madrid (capitol)

Nationalists (Falange)

A fascist party lead by Francisco Franco

conservatives

Opposed the new Second Republic

Declare to overthrow it

Spanish Civil War

Support from other nations

Soviet Union and Mexico support Republic

Germany and Italy support Nationalists

Chance to surround France

United States, France, and Britain stay out of official fighting

Volunteers enlist to help republic

Spanish Civil War

Nationalists win in 1939

Spain becomes Fascist dictatorship

~500,000-1 million people died

Loyalist refugees flee to southern France

Maintains power until Franco’s death in 1975

Germany

Hitler Aggresses

Removes Germany from League of Nations

Re-arms and enters the Rhineland

Anti-Comintern Pact

Pact with Japan to stop spread of Communism

Aggression is to stop communism, nothing else

Annexation of Austria

Nazi Party becomes a large force in Austria

Hitler makes an agreement with Austrian chancellor

Austria will unite with Germany

Austrian chancellor wants people to vote on it

Austrian Chancellor resigns

Annexation of Austria

Hitler marches troops into AustriaAnnexes Austria as part of Germany

Against the treaty of Versailles

League of Nations does nothing

The Sudetenland

An area in western Czechoslovakia

Wanted to be part of Germany Given to create

Czechoslovakia

Hitler sees himself as protector of Germans

The Sudetenland

Policy of AppeasementNeville Chamberlin meet with Germany and Italy

Attempt to give in to Germany’s demands to avoid war

Give him the Sudetenland

“Peace in our time”

Germany conquers CzechoslovakiaOnly takes 6 months

Dealing with Stalin

Stalin distrustful of Western powersWestern powers did not like communism

Wants to guarantee independence of Poland, Finland, and Baltic States

Create a military alliance

Military would enter to protect from Germany

Dealing with Stalin

Nazi-Soviet pact

German-Soviet nonaggression pact

Kept secret from the west

Germany and USSR wont invade each other

Maintain neutrality in event of war

Split Poland down the middle

Divide eastern Europe into sphere of influence

Isolates France and England in the west

Hitler breaks it later, moron

Invasion of Poland

Control of Danzig

A seaport in Poland protected by the League

Germany also has rights to use it

Hitler announces annexation of Danzig

Invasion of Poland

September 1, 1939Air force begins a massive bombing campaign

Blitzkrieg “Lightning war” Strong and Fast A new kind of war

Tanks cross the border toward WarsawPoles put up a brave defensive

Ultimately fails miserably Surrender within a month

Britain and France can no longer ignore Germany

Enter the war 2 days later France begins fortifying Maginot

line

Early War

Nations still hoped to avoid all out war again

Germany did very little on the western front in beginning

Russia invades Poland from east mid September

Poland disappears again

Also invade Finland and the Baltic states

Early War

The low countries

Germany invades Denmark and Norway

All hopes of avoiding war dropped

Help from Fascist parties inside nations

Continues into BENELUX

Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg

Early War

Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister

May 1940

Months after Poland invaded

Chamberlin did not do much to fight German advances

Churchill against appeasement from the beginning

Early War

Evacuation of Dunkerque

German forces outflank Maginot line

Go through the low countries

Surround Allied forces in French seaport

German forces stop ground advancement

Early War

Evacuation of Dunkerque (cont)

Every boat in Britain used to evacuate troops

Fishing boats, row boats, everything

Successful evacuation of 338,000 men

In about two weeks

Hitler is an idiot

Stops his troops advancing

Allow Britain to regain strength

Morale victory for Britain

The Fall of France

Not manned or prepared for new warfare

Similar to the Schlieffen Plan

Extensive use of tanks and planes

No longer stationary trench warfare

Bombing of civilian targets

Causes panic and confusion

The Fall of France

Germany attacks from the north

Italy from the south

Leaders of France quickly surrender

Germany occupies northern France and Atlantic wall

French navy disarmed

The Fall of France

Vichy France

The legitimate government of France

Sothern part of France

Collaborates with the Germans

The Fall of France

French Resistance

Charles de Gaulle, leader of the resistance

Escaped to northern Africa or Britain

Formed the Free French Government

Set up army and headquarters in Britain

Supplied by Britain and U.S

The Fall of France

French Resistance (cont.)

The Maquis

Underground resistance fighters

Fought against Germany from occupied nations

Blew up bridges, train tracks, and disrupting communications

Battle of Britain

Control of the skies

Germany attempts to destroy the RAF

England fights back on its own for over a year

The German Luftwaffe bombs British Airfields along the coast

England has RADAR for early detection

From July 1940-October 1940 bombing of airfields

Also airplane factories

As many as two a day

Battle of Britain

Control of the Skies (cont)

British Pilots Britain was loosing many

experienced pilots and too many planes

Faster than they could really be replaced

Britain appears ready to give in Then Hitler changes targets

August “accidental” bombing of London

Responds with bombing of Berlin

Retaliatory attacks on London

Begin the London Blitz

Allows RAF to recover

Battle of Britain The Blitz

Almost nightly raids on major cities of England

71 consecutive nights of bombings

57 consecutive nights in London alone

Goal of demoralizing the British people

Failed

Luftwaffe weakens after traveling further distances

Escorts are too low on fuel to stay whole time

Easier for RAF to pick off

Battle of BritainThe Blitz (cont)

Barrage Balloons

Big silver balloons designed to snag German planes

Would force them to land or crash, thus loosing the plane

Destroyed much of London and surrounding cities

Killed over 400,000 people

Did not destroy Britain

Operation Sea Lion never takes off

Invasion plan on England

Keep Calm and Carry On

U.S. Involvement

U.S. Remains Neutral

Sell munitions to nation on “cash-and-carry” basis (1939)

We will sell to belligerents

They must pay cash

Must arrange for transport on their ownOnly Great Britain

controls these routs

U.S. Involvement

U.S. Remains Neutral (cont)

More sympathy after Dunkerque

Send old warships to UK in exchange for use of naval and air bases

Lend-Lease Act

We will supply war materials on credit

Obvious who we will support when the time comes

Roosevelt see U.S. getting involved

Doing everything but fighting

The Atlantic Charter

Churchill and Roosevelt meet in 1941

Goals for the post war world

No new territories or shift in territories without consent

Return of self government

Abandonment of the use of force

Disarmament of aggressor nations