German Aggression

German Aggression Allied Appeasement German Rhineland According to the Versailles Treaty this was to be a demilitarized zone  1936 Hitler orders his troops to reoccupy this area  However if the French begin to mobilize Hitler’s orders were to withdrawal  France does nothing when the Rhineland is remilitarize  Austria Hitler is Austrian  Austria has been powerless since W.W.I  The NAZI party is strong in Austria  Austria votes to join Germany  Austria is occupied in a voluntary peaceful takeover by Germany  Sudetenland (West Sec. of Czech.) Three million German speaking people live in this section of Czechoslovakia  Hitler contends the intent of the Versailles treaty was violated in Czech.  Munich Settlement: Chamberlain(G.B.), Daladier(F.R.), on Sept. 29, 1938 give Germany the Sudetenland to avoid war  March 15, 1939 Germany take the rest of Czechoslovakia  Nazi-Soviet Pact (MolotovRibbentrop Pact) Secret Non-Aggression Treaty Between Germany and Soviet Union  Agree to split Poland between them  Germany say it’s okay for Soviet Union to take the the Baltic States  World War II Begins Great Britain and France have reasserted their pledge to defend Poland  Sept. 1, 1939 Germany invades Poland from the West, the Soviet Union invades it from the East  France and Great Britain declare war on Germany W.W. II has begun. Oct 6. 1939 Poland surrenders  Blitzkrieg ( Lightning War) April 1940 Germany attacks Norway and Denmark  May 1940 Germany invades Belgium and the Netherlands  End of May 1940 Germany invades France  June 22, 1940 France surrenders  Dunkirk ( French coastal city) 200,000 allied soldiers are trapped at this port city on the English Channel  Hitler wants his Luftwaffe to wipe them out  Two days of cloudy weather allows British to evacuate over 100,000soldiers  Battle of Britain ( Summer of 1940) Hitler originally targets military site and industries  However bombers had a 500 mile range  The British moved production beyond their range  Hitler targets heavily populated areas London  Technology in the Battle of Britain British have developed Radar  Can track the German planes from take off, and the R.A.F. can fight them going and leaving  Germans use V1 and V2 rockets which can’t be shot down 