Agree or Disagree?

1. Involvement in a foreign war changes the way a government treats it’s citizens.

(Discrimination/Draft) 2. Fighting a war hurts a nation’s

economy. (Too many resources toward the war/ Employs

people) 3. Conflicts between nations affect

neutral parties. (Able to appease both/ often forced to choose

sides)

Hitler’s attempt to restore Germany to a world power:

http://ww2history.com/videos/Western/Hitler_s_War

Gaining Territory:

1938: Hitler forced the country of Austria to unite with Germany

Forced Czechoslovakia to turn over the Sudetenland (area rich in ethnic Germans)

At the Munich Conference: Great Britain/ France/ Czechoslovakia gave the Sudetenland to Germany

Appeasement – Giving into an aggressor to keep peace

Nonaggression Pact:

Secret pact between the Soviet Union and Germany to not attack one another and divide Poland in two.

What started WWII?

Germany’s invasion of Poland on Sept. 1st 1939.

Their invasion was called a Blitzkreig – lightening war.

Germany attacked from the west, USSR attacked from the east

They occupied Poland in less than month As a result GB and France declare war

and mobilize their troops for war

Maginot Line

France gathered their troops on the French/Germany border to prepare for a German invasion.

Maginot Line – fortified line of defense at the French/German border

By May 1940, Hitler occupied…

DenmarkNorwayNetherlandsBelgiumLuxembourg

This enabled Hitler to conqueror Paris without going through the Maginot Line…1 month later Germany captured Paris

The Battle of Britain

Germany next set it’s sights on Great Britain…

British Air Force – British Royal Air Force (RAF)

German Air Force – Luftwaffe

The Battle of Britain…

The Battle of Britain…

What was the U.S. response at this point?

To remain neutral. However, In 1939 Congress passed the Cash –n- Carry

System – allowed the U.S. to sell supplies (non war items) to European countries

Countries had to pick up the supplies themselves The U.S. knew that Germany wouldn’t be able to

navigate through the British controlled Atlantic ocean so it benefited our greatest ally (Britain) and boosted our much needed economy.

1941 – The U.S. adopted the Lend Lease Act - The U.S. supplied France, Great Britain, China, and U.S.S.R with food, oil, and war materials (U.S would profit $7.8Billion)