Jake Glass

6/11/14
I.

The Course of World War II

A. Europe at War
1. Hitler stunned Europe with speed and efficiency of the German attack on
Poland
a. Blitzkrieg, or lightning war, used panzer divisions, supported by
airplanes
i.
300 tanks
2. September 28, 1939, Germany and Russia split Poland
B. Hitlers Early Victories
1. April 9, 1940, with another blitzkrieg, invaded Denmark and Norway
2. May 10, 1940, invaded Netherlands, Belgium, and France
3. French and British forces were surprised
a. Built a defense system called Maginot Line
i.
A series of concrete and steel fortifications armed with heavy
artillery
4. June 22, 1940, France signs armistice
a. German army occupied about 3/5 of France
C. The Battle of Britain
1. Beginning of August 1940, Luftwaffe launched major offensive on British
a. German Planes bombed British air and naval bases, harbors,
communication centers, and war industries
b. British fought back with determination
i.
In September, in retaliation for a British attack on Berlin, Hitler
ordered a shift in strategy. Instead of bombing military targets,
Luftwaffe began massive bombing of British cities
D. Attack on Soviet Union
1. Scheduled for spring of 1941, but attack was delayed because of problems in
the Balkans
a. Invaded S.U. on June 22, 1941