1. Chapter 16 Section 2War In Europe Main Idea: Using the sudden mass attack called blitzkrieg, Germany invaded and quickly conquered many European countries.

2. Austria and Czechoslovakia Fall • Nov 5, 1937 Hitler met w/ military advisors • Declared that to grow and prosper Germany needed the land of the neighbors • Hitler’s 1st target =Austria • March 12, 1938 German troops marched into Austria unopposed • Hitler’s 2nd target Czechoslovakia

3. Bargaining for the Sudetenland • Hitler said the Czechs were abusing the Sudeten Germans • Great Britain and France promised to protect Czechoslovakia • Hitler met with French premier Edouard Daladier and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain • He stated that this would be his “last territorial demand” • To avoid war they believed him and signed the Munich Agreement

4. Munich Agreement • To avoid war France and Britain believed Hitler and signed the Munich Agreement • This turned the Sudetenland over to Germany • Winston Churchill said that Britain and France adopted the policy of: • Appeasement-giving up principles to pacify an aggressor

5. The German Offensive Begins • After Hitler conquered Czechoslovakia he turned to Germany’s eastern neighbor POLAND • An attack on Poland would • Bring Germany in conflict w/ the Soviet Union • Provoke declaration of war from Britain and France (promised military aid to Poland) • Result would be fighting a 2 front war

6. Nonaggression Pact • Stalin surprised everyone by signing a nonaggression pact with Hitler • Fascist Germany and Communist Russia committed to never attack each other • Also signed a secret pact to split up Poland

7. BLITZKRIEG IN POLAND • Blitzkrieg (lightning war)- Germany’s new military strategy • Air force rained bombs over military bases, airfields, railroads and cities • Made use of tanks and powerful aircraft • September 3 (2 days after invasion) Britain and France declared war on Germany • WWII had officially begun!

8. THE PHONY WAR • After the fall of Poland French and British troops held the Maginot Line (along France’s eastern border) • Hitler sent Generals through the Ardennes (region of wooded area) in northwest France • Italy entered the war on the side of the Germany and defeated France

9. The Battle of Britain • Summer of 1940 • Germany could not compete with Britain’s navy • Germany launched an air war over Britain • On a single day (August 15th) about 2,000 German planes attacked Britain • Every night for 2 months bombers pounded London

11. RAF (Britain’s Royal Air Force) • RAF fought back against Germans • Used radar to detect and plot the flight paths of German planes • RAF shot down over 185 German planes • Hitler called off the attack indefinitely