Origins of World War II

WWII (1939-1945)

Part 1

Big Question: How did WWII start in
Europe? Why was Blitzkrieg so effective?

Main Idea

▪ Western appeasement of Hitler and

the German-Soviet non-aggression
pact allowed Germany to invade the
rest of Europe

Main Idea

▪ Appeasement: policy of

conceding to aggression

▪ Concede: surrender

▪ Surrender: submit, yield, succumb

(tapout)

▪ pacify, satisfy, placate

▪ placate: calm, soothe

Open Ended

What does the word appeasement mean? Why were countries willing to "appease" Hitler?

Multiple Select

Which words help explain the idea of appeasement? (pick 2)

• disagree & contest

• pacify & satisfy

• argue & fight

• placate & submit

Germany’s invasion of Poland

▪ September 1, 1939

- Hitler invades
Poland

▪ September 3, 1939

- Britain and France
declare war on
Germany

What was the Hitler-Stalin
non-aggression pact?

▪ Germany and the

Soviet Union (USSR)
agree not to fight a
war.

▪ They will divide Poland
▪ Soviet Union can have

Finland and the Baltic
states

Multiple Choice

True or False: On September 1, 1939 Germany invaded Poland?

• True

• False

• Don't Click This One

Multiple Choice

True or False: Poland, Britain and France were allies?

• True

• False

• Don't Click This One

Multiple Choice

True or False: Allies are like friendships?

• True

• False

• Don't Click This One

Multiple Choice

True or False: After Germany invades Poland, France and Britain did not intervene because they wanted appease Hitler?

• True

• False

• Don't Click This One

Germany’s invasion of Poland

• Poland is located

between Soviet Union &
Germany

• Germans & Soviets lost

land after WWI

• Natural resources

• Coal

Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the Blanks

Germany’s invasion of Poland

• Poland’s population

consisted of 3,000,000
Jews before WWII.

• The worldwide Jewish

population count before
1940 was 17 million

Germany’s invasion of Poland

▪ Blitzkrieg 🡪

▪ Fast moving airplanes and

tanks

▪ Millions of ground troops
▪ Fast and overwhelming

attack

▪ Strategy worked –Germany

wins within 1 month

Multiple Choice

Which country invaded Poland and France with their blitzkrieg?

• Spain

• Soviet Union

• Italy

• Germany

Multiple Choice

World War 2 officially began with Germany's invasion of:

• Czechosolvakia

• Austria

• Poland

• France

Multiple Choice

"Blitzkrieg" was - 

• Germany's offensive strategy to quickly overwhelm their enemies

• Germany's plan to retreat following the Battle of the Bulge

• Japan's plans to quickly bomb Pearl harbor

• The USA's strategy of attacking land from the ocean

Multiple Choice

How long did it take from Germany to take control of Poland?

• 1 month

• 2 months

• 3 months

• 4 months

The “Phony War”?

▪ After Germany’s successful

invasion of Poland, both
sides stop their offensives

▪ “Sitzkrieg” – sitting war
▪ French and British

line=Maginot

▪ German line=Siegfried