Section 1

Alliances and Civil War

                -Axis Powers

                                -Rome-Berlin AxisàMussolini and Hitler

                                -Anti-Comintern PactàGermany and Japan

                                                -Prevent spread of communism

                -Spanish Civil War

                                -1936

                                -Fascists defeat communists

                                -Francisco Franco takes over

                -Nonaggression Pact

                                -Germany and Italy HATED communism

                                -Stalin had wanted to join alliance with England and France

                                                -Didn’t think they would support him

                                                -Secretly negotiated deal with Hitler (1939)

                                -Germany and USSR agreed not to attack each other

                                -Germany and USSR agreed to divvy up Poland / Eastern Europe

The War Begins

                -September 1, 1939àHitler invades Poland

                                -Used “blitzkrieg” strategy (“lightning war”)

                                                -Speed, timing/coordination between air and ground forces

                                                -Overwhelming force

                                                -Attack enemy before he can react

                                -Polish air force destroyed, ground troops couldn’t stop Germans

                -Allied Powers form

                                -England and France agreed to help Poland

                                -But Poland fell so fast, nothing could be done

                -Germany attacks France (May 1940)

                                -First attacks Denmark (easy target)àNo real fighting

                                                -More coastline

                                -Then attacks Belgium and Netherlands on way to France

                                -Maginot Line

                                                -French line of defense built after WWI

                                                -Supposed to stop invasion

                                -Southern troops attack Ardennes (forest)

                                                -France thought forest was too thick to pass throughànot defended

                                                                -Germany passed right through

                                -Dunkirk

                                                -Town in NW France

                                                -German troops surrounded 300,000 French soldiers

                                                -Rescued by Allies

                                -June 22 France surrenders

                                -Some of France was left under control of French who cooperated with Hitler

                                                -Vichy France

                                -Some French escaped to England and planned resistance movement

                -Battle of Britain (August 1940)

                                -Winston Churchill new PM

                                -Purely an air attack

                                                -Plan was to destroy British air force

                                                                -FailedàBritish had radar

                                                -London blitzàattack on British ports and cities

                                                                -Goal: terrorize citizensàbreak their will to fight

                                                                                -Failed

                                -Bombings continued for nearly 6 months

                                                -Hitler finally conceded

                -Invasion of the USSR

                                -Hitler and Stalin had nonaggression pact

                                -June 1941àHitler sends 3m troops to attack Russia

                                                -Successful at first

                                                                -Was not prepared for Russian winter

                                                                                -Millions died

Japan Attacks US

                -Japan and Germany had alliance (both against communism)

                -Japan becoming more militaristic / aggressive in Asia

                                -Taking over smaller nations

                -1941àJapan conquers French Indochina (Vietnam)

                                -Had natural resources Japan wanted (oil, rubber)

                                                -US bans sale of oil, steel to Japan as punishment

                                                                -Japan upsetàThey need oil, steel from US

                                                                                -Try to negotiate dealàtalks not productive

                -Pearl Harbor

                                -Naval base in Hawaii

                                -December 7, 1941

                                -Attack lasted 2 hours

                                -2,400 people died

                                -8 battleships destroyed

                                -Dozens other ships destroyed

                                -Aircraft carriers not destroyedànot in Pearl Harbor

                                -December 8, 1941àUS declares war on Japan

                                                -Days later, Germany declares war on US

28-1

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