This document outlines the key leaders and events leading up to World War 2. It discusses the positions and strategies of British Prime Minister Chamberlain, Soviet leader Stalin, Italian leader Mussolini, and German leader Hitler. It describes Hitler's goals of expanding German territory and his violations of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler's invasions of Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland are summarized, which led Britain and France to declare war on Germany in 1939, starting World War 2.

2. Chamberlain – British Prime Minister, wanted to avoid
war as much as possible. Believed in appeasement
(giving Hitler what he wanted to avoid war)

3. Stalin – Soviet (Russian) Dictator – Hated Hitler, but
fearful of war with Germany. Communist. Signed Nazi-
Soviet Non Agression Pact with Hitler in an attempt to
avoid war with Germany.

4. Mussolini – Italian dictator, allied with Germany,
believed in fascism, hated communism.

5. Adolf Hitler – German Dictator. Believed in
Lebensraum (living space for Germans) by invading
other countries. Anti-Se.mitic racist

6. Build up the German Military – Hitler believed that
Germany should be powerful, even if that meant
breaking the Versailles Treaty
Unite all German Speakers in Europe into one Empire,
called the Third Reich
Conquer other countries for Lebensraum (living space)

7. Appeasement – belief that by giving Hitler what he
wanted he would not attack them
Many people in France and Britain also felt sorry for
Germany after World War 1.

8. Hitler took over the Rhineland (the part of Germany
near France) in 1935
Supported fascist General Franco in Spain during the
Spanish Civil War (1936-39)
Took over Austria in 1938 (This event was known as
The Anschluss)
Took over the German speaking part of Czechoslovakia
(the Sudetenland) in 1938
Took over all of Czechoslovakia in 1939

10. Hitler wanted Poland, but invading Poland would mean
going to war with Russia.
To avoid this, Hitler and Stalin signed a treaty, known
as the Nazi-Soviet Non Aggression Pact
This agreement secretly allowed Poland to be divided
between the two countries
Britain and France could not understand this as Stalin
and Hitler hated each other!

12. 1st September 1939 – Hitler invades Poland. Britain
and France declare war on Germany – World War 2
begins.
Hitler believed in using overwhelming air power and
tanks – a tactic known as blitzkrieg (Lightning War)
When Stalin also invaded Poland, the Poles
surrendered.

15. Once Poland was defeated, a quiet period set in as the
main countries prepared for the battles ahead – this
was known as the “Phoney War”.
The French had built a line of forts along their border
with Germany – the Magniot Line– however Hitler was
able to bypass this by invading through Belgium

17. After Germany invaded France, over 300,000 British
troops in France retreated to Dunkirk where they were
rescued by British ships in Operation Dynamo
France then surrendered
Hitler took over Northern France, the southern part of
france was ruled by Pro-Nazi Frenchmen in the town of
Vichy

19. Chamberlain was seen as too weak and Winston
Churchill was elected Prime Minister
Churchill belived that the only way to deal with Hitler
was to fight.

20. The Battle of Britain was an air attack on Britain by
Germany. It lasted from August 1940 to May 1941
Hitler’s Luftwaffe failed to defeat the Royal Air Force
(RAF) and Hitler then decided to invade Russia
The Blitz was the bombing of British cities (including
Belfast) during the Battle of Britain.

25. Hitler realised he would not be able to defeat Britain in
the West so turned his attention to Russia
The Russian army (the Red Army) was weak after Stalin
had shot most of its leaders in the 1930s
The invasion of Russia on 22nd June 1941 meant that
Hitler was breaking the Non-Aggression pact with
Stalin

26. “We have only to kick in the door and the whole rotten
structure will come crashing down” – Adolf Hitler
“When Barbarossa commences, the world will hold its
breath and make no comment” – Adolf Hitler
“We drowned the enemy in our own blood” – Russian
survivor of Operation Barbarossa

32. Americans wanted to avoid geting involved in the war
– this was known as “isolationism”
Japan (allied with Germany) wanted to take over large
parts of the Pacific and decided to launch a pre-
emptive attack on America at Pearl Harbour
America’s President at this time was Franklin D.
Rosevelt (FDR)

35. Germany declared war on America after Pearl Harbour
In response, the Americans decided to defeat Germany
first and then defeat Japan
War broke out in Africa between Germany and the
Allies (Britain and America)
The allies pushed Germany out of Africa and then
invaded Italy, which surrendered to the Allies in 1943