2. German Path to War
Main Ideas
- Hitler’s theory of racial domination laid the foundation
for aggressive expansion of Germany
- Needs more land for Aryan empire (lebensraum)
- looks toward Soviet Union
- Needs slave labor to build Third Reich
- Turns to the Slavic people
- Hitler violates the Treaty of Versailles, forms new
alliances, makes demands, and invades countries
3. Hitler violates the Treaty of Versailles
Hitler Italy, Great Britain, and France
• Condemned Hitler’s actions and warned
• Begins military draft and no more but were busy with internal,
has plans for air force economic problems and do nothing
• Sent German troops into • France cannot act without Great
Britain’s support who feels Hitler is only
Rhineland acting in retaliation but decide to let it
go and keep Hitler happy
4. APPEASEMENT
• In an attempt to
avoid war, little
was done to stop
Hitler.
• The thought
was…give him
what he wants
and he will be
happy.
video
5. Alliances with Germany
Mussolini (Italy) Japan Austria
• Wants to create a new •Makes alliance • Creates union with his
Roman empire one month after native land (Anschluss)
• Invades Ethiopia Italian alliance • Threatens to invade
• Aligns with Germany • Forces chancellor to put
after Great Britain and •Anti – Comintern Austrian Nazis in charge
France are angry with Pact against of gov’t
invasion Communism • New gov’t allows Hitler
• With Hitler, sends and troops to enter
support to Franco in • Annexed Austria to
Spain Germany
• Made alliance with • The West did NOTHING
Germany called Rome- to stop this – further
Berlin Axis APPEASEMENT
6.
7. Demands and Appeasement
• Goal: destroy Czechoslovakia
• Demands to be given Sudetenland
– Land were many Germans were already living
– Said he would go to war if needed
8. Munich Conference
• Munich Conference
– Great Britain, France, Germany, and Italy meet in Munich and
made an agreement that met most of his demands
– Hitler promises no more demands
– Chamberlain says this is “peace for our time” and believes
Hitler
– Height of Appeasement
Results: German troops are allowed to
occupy Sudetenland, and Czechs
are helpless without allies.
Video
9. Winston Churchill
• Member of Parliament
• VERY suspicious of Hitler
– does not trust him
• When Chamberlain claims
the Munich Conference has
achieved “peace in our time”
Churchill responds with:
• “Britain and France
had to choose between
war and dishonor and
they chose dishonor.
They will have war.”
• He will become PM in 1940
10. Hitler and European Powers
• Hitler feels invincible • France and Great Britain
and unstoppable – Realizes Hitler lied
– Western Czech – Great Britain offers to
• Invades and takes over protect Poland from
Bohemia and Moravia Hitler’s demand of
– Eastern Czech controlling Poland’s port
• Slovakia becomes puppet – France and Great Britain
state turn to Soviet Union and
Stalin for assistance
11. Hitler Continues on His Path to War
• Hitler
– Believes Western powers will not step up to help Poland
• Britain did promise to defend Poland if invaded
– Does not want a two-front war if Great Britain and
France do make an alliance with Soviet Union so he
makes the alliance first
• Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact
– 2 nations promised not to attack each other
– Hitler promises Stalin control of eastern Poland and
Baltic states
(SHOCKER: He was lying again)
HippoCampus
12.
13. Germany Invades Poland
Blitzkrieg • World is shocked by
Nonaggression Pact
– Fear of war increases
• Germany invades Poland
– Blitzkrieg
• Two days later Britain
and France declared war
on Germany
Video
Video 2
14. The least you need to know:
• Hitler’s idea of the Aryan race being superior brought
about WWII
• Hitler wanted to expand east
• Treaty of Versailles limited GER military power
– Hitler ignored it
• GB – policy of appeasement
• Rome-Berlin Axis – Hitler & Mussolini
• Hitler wanted Sudetenland
• Chamberlain – “peace for our time”
• Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression pact – no fighting btw USSR &
GER
– Gave GER chance to invade Poland
