World War IIBegins

Hitler Invades Poland

1. September 1, 1939 Hitler orders a

Blitzkrieg on Poland

a. Luftwaffe (Nazi Airforce) begins a

“lightning attack.”

b. Wehrmacht (Nazi Army) follows

2. Within 48 hours the intended

target is to be destroyed

3. Britain and France finally

stand up to Hitler and warn

him to stop the attack by 11:00

am, September 3, 1939

a. Hitler ignores the threat

4. Britain and France declare war on Nazi

Germany

5. By the end of September, Poland is

destroyed

6. Poland is divided between Hitler and

Stalin

7. The Baltic states fall under Stalin’s

influence

The Phony War

1. This period is known as such because no

fighting really took place outside of

Poland from September 3, 1939 until the

spring of 1940

2. Fighting did take place in Northern

Europe

3. Stalin invades Finland in November 1939

and defeats the Fins in March 1940

Germany on the Offensive

1. April 9, 1940, Hitler attacks

Denmark and Norway

a. Denmark falls in 24 hours

b. Norway falls in 48 hours

German Troops Blitz the West

1. In May 1940, Winston

Churchill replaces

Neville Chamberlain

as British Prime

Minister

2. Hitler plans his attack against France

3. The French are confident in the Maginot Line

4. France moves 2 million soldiers along the border waiting for Hitler

5. Like in WWI, the Nazis attack in a sweeping motion from the north

6. Luxembourg falls within hours

The Miracle at Dunkirk1. Hitler’s attack on France split the allied army

in two

2. A large number of British soldiers were

trapped at Dunkirk

3. Nazis were closing in on the British when

Hitler orders them to retreat

4. This allows 198,000 British and 140,000

French/Belgium troops to be rescued

from Dunkirk

5. Allies suffers loses

a. 6 destroyers are sunk

b. 19 destroyers are damaged