Students will examine the rise of socialism and fascism, nationalism and militarism, from 1930's Europe through America joining the war, after Japan attacks the U.S. at Pearl Harbor.

1. US History
Europeans in World War II, Before America Joined the War
Objectives: Students will…
Examine how Germany was able to accomplish the Anschluss and take the Sudetenland, leading up to
the invasion of Poland.
The U.S. targets Germany First, as Britain nearly Falls.
 Hitler’s Anschluss of Austria, then Czechoslovakia without firing a shot.
 The German occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–1945) began with the Nazi
annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions (the Sudetenland).
 Hitler brain washes the ethnic German population living in those regions that they
deserve better. New and extensive Czechoslovak border fortifications were also located
in the same area.
 Following the Anschluss of Austria to Nazi Germany, in March 1938, the conquest of
Czechoslovakia became Hitler's next ambition. The incorporation of the Sudetenland
into Nazi Germany left the rest of Czechoslovakia weak and it became powerless to resist
subsequent occupation. On 16 March 1939, the German Wehrmacht moved into the
remainder of Czechoslovakia and, from Prague Castle, Hitler proclaimed Bohemia and
Moravia the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.
What does Britain do?... Neville’sAppeasement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SetNFqcayeA
Answer the following questions, using complete sentences, on your Cornell Notes and turn in at the
end ofclass.
1. Explain how Hitler used the Anschluss as a springboard, toward taking the
Sudetenland away from Czechoslovakia.

2. 2. Explain how Hitler conned the British into not declaring war, after the Sudetenland
is taken.
The Gleiwitz Incident was a false flag
operation by Nazi forces posing as Poles on
31 August 1939, against the German radio
station Sender Gleiwitz in Gleiwitz, Upper
Silesia. The goal was to use the staged
attack as a pretext for invading Poland. This
provocation was the best-known of several
actions in Operation Himmler, a series of
unconventional operations undertaken by the
SS in order to serve specific propaganda
goals of Nazi Germany at the outbreak of
the war.
It was intended to create the appearance of
Polish aggression against Germany in order
to justify the invasion of Poland. Britain
and France declared war on Germany on
September 3, 1939.
3. Explain how Hitler created the “Gleiwitz Incident” as an excuse to invade Poland.
4. Identify when Britain and France finally declared war on Germany.
1939-German Aggression in Poland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNOqSSP1o94

3. British Evacuate Dunkirk,France May25-June 4, 1940
All told,332,226 menwere rescuedfromDunkirk.Deemeda stunningsuccess,Churchill cautiously
advised“Wemustbe very careful not to assignto thisdeliverance the attributesof a victory. Wars
are not won by evacuations."
 Duringthe operation,the Britishlossesincluded68,111 killed,wounded,andcaptured,aswell
as 243 ships(including6destroyers),106aircraft,2,472 fieldguns,63,879 vehicles,and500,000
tonsof supplies.
 Despite the heavylosses,the evacuationpreservedthe core of the BritishArmyandmade it
available forthe immediate defense of Britain.Inaddition,significantnumbersof French,Dutch,
Belgian,andPolishtroopswere rescued.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeaawyzF8YU
5. How long was it from the time
Britain and France declared war
(Sept. 1939) until the disasterat
Dunkirk took place? (May
1940).
6. Explainhowthe Germans were
able to “divideand conquer”the
French, but in a different way than
the Czechs?
7. How long did the remaining
French fight, on the battlefields,
until surrendering to Germany?
8. What did Russia and Germany
secretly sign, in 1939, which would be
bad news for Poland?

4. the Battle of Britain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euRlmT
HpSCI The Battle of Britain was an air
campaign waged by the German Air Force
(Luftwaffe) against the United Kingdom
during the summer and autumn of 1940.
 The Battle of Britain was the first
major campaign to be fought entirely
by air forces,[17]
and was also the
largest and most sustained aerial
bombing campaign to that date.
 German objective was to gain air
superiority over the Royal Air Force
(RAF), especially Fighter Command.
 From July 1940, coastal shipping
convoys and shipping centers, such
as Portsmouth, were the main
targets; one month later, the
Luftwaffe shifted its attacks to RAF
airfields and infrastructure. As the
battle progressed, the Luftwaffe also
targeted aircraft factories and ground
infrastructure. Eventually the
Luftwaffe resorted to attacking areas
of political significance and using
terror bombing strategy.[nb 9]
 By preventing Germany from
gaining air superiority, the British
forced Hitler to postpone (and
eventually cancel) Operation Sea
Lion, a planned amphibious and
airborne invasion of Britain.
9. Explain how the British were able to
prevent Germany from carrying out the land
invasion of Britain in Operation Sea Lion?
10. Identify the type of warfare used at the
Battle of Britain?
11. Who named it the “Battle of Britain”
and when?
The name is derived from a famous speech delivered by Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the
House of Commons more than three weeks prior to the generally accepted date for the start of
the battle:
“... What General Weygand has called Battle of France is over ... the Battle of Britain is about
to begin."[20]
— Winston Churchill

5. 12. Explainwhy these civilians
are living in the “Tube”(London
Underground)?
The Blitz (shortened from German
'Blitzkrieg', "lightning war") was the period
of sustained strategic bombing of the United
Kingdom by Nazi Germany
 Between 7 September 1940 and 21
May 1941 there were major aerial
raids (attacks in which more than
100 tons of high explosives were
dropped) on 16 British cities. Over a
period of 267 days (almost 37
weeks), London was attacked 71
times, Birmingham, Liverpool and
Plymouth eight times, Bristol six,
Glasgow five, Southampton four,
Portsmouth and Hull three.
 Starting on 7 September 1940,
London was bombed by the
Luftwaffe for 57 consecutive
nights.[7]
More than one million
London houses were destroyed and
more than 40,000 civilians were
killed, almost half of them in
London.[4]
13. How many homes were
destroyed in London alone? How
many civilians were killed overall
during the Blitz?
14. How long from the time of the
Blitz (May, 1941) until the U.S.
joins the war?
FDR & Churchill meet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQwdyzkDjdA
15. “If Great Britain goesdown, all of us in the Americaswillbeliving atthe
pointof a gun”. Who madethis famousquote?
16. By the middle of 1941, NaziU Boats sank how many British ships?

6. 19. How long did the Siege of
Leningrad last and how many civilians
died?
20. Explain what Hitler’s armies found
in the way of resources, when they
entered Russia…why were they not
where he expected?
21. Explain how the Russians dealt
with the retreating German armies on
their way home.
17. Identify what other famous General
in history made similar mistakes by
invading Russia?
Operation Barbarossa
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhlDMYAGoMo
On June 22, 1941, Adolf Hitlerlaunchedhis armies eastwardin a
massive invasionof theSoviet Union: three great armygroups
with over three millionGermansoldiers, 150divisions, andthree
thousandtanks smashedacross the frontier intoSoviet territory.
The invasioncovereda front fromthe NorthCape tothe Black
Sea, a distance of two thousandmiles. By this point German
combat effectiveness hadreachedits apogee; in training, doctrine,
andfightingability,the forces invadingRussia representedthe
finest armytofight in the twentiethcentury.Barbarossawas the
crucial turningpoint in World War II, for its failure forced
Nazi Germany tofighta two-frontwar against a coalition
possessingimmenselysuperiorresources.
18. Explainthe overall
significance of Operation
Barbarossa, on World War II.
The Siege of Leningrad- Sept. 1941-1944:
After the Nazis invadedtheSoviet Union in thesummerof 1941, a
German army surroundedthecityof Leningradin an extended
siege beginningthat September. Insubsequent months,the city
sought to establishsupply lines fromthe Soviet interior and
evacuate its citizens, often usinga hazardous “ice andwater road”
across Lake Ladoga. A successful landcorridor was createdin
January 1943, andthe RedArmyfinally managedto driveoffthe
Germans the followingyear. Altogether, the siege lastednearly
900 days andresultedin thedeaths of more than 1 millioncivilians

7. Terms to Know:
1. German Aggression
2. The Battle Of Britain
3. The Approach to Japan
4. Winston Churchill
5. Benito Mussolini
6. Allied Powers
7. Anschluss
8. Appeasement
9. Axis Powers Dunkirk
10. Battle Of Britain
11. Blitzkrieg
12. Munich Agreement
13. Operation Barbarossa
14. Siege of Leningrad
15. Operation Himmler