War in Europe and Pacific by Haylin Arnold

The Munich Agreement

15181_39 — 2025-04-30 14:15:24 UTC

In 1938, German troops marched into neighboring Austria. Hitler announced the "Anschluss" of Germany and Austria, adding 6 million German speakers to greater Germany.

Appeasement Peace!

15181_39 — 2025-04-30 14:21:17 UTC

Great Britain and France took an approach known as appeasement to avoid conflict with Hitler. Neither country had forgotten the horrors of WWl, and they sought to maintain peace at any price. Many British politicians believed that Germany had genuine grievances, as the Treaty of Versailles had left hundreds of thousands of German-speaking people under control of other countries in Europe.

Nonaggression pact and first planned attack

15181_39 — 2025-04-30 14:32:34 UTC

In August 1939, 2 sworn enemies shocked the world by meeting up, fascist Nazi Germany and the communist Soviet Union, had signed a nonaggression pact. Under this pact, they agreed to take no military action against each other for 10 years. The agreement also contained a secret section that detailed how the Soviets and Germans planned to divide up Eastern Europe. The first country targeted under their plan: Poland.

The Union of Germany

15181_39 — 2025-06-03 15:07:09 UTC

Hitler aimed to unite all German-speaking people, which included Austria and parts of Czechoslovakia. His aggressive expansion violated the Treaty of Versailles and set the stage for war

France Falls to the Nazis

15181_39 — 2025-06-03 15:09:25 UTC

In 1940, German forces invaded France through Belgium and quickly captured Paris. France's quick defeat shocked the world and left Britain to face Germany alone.

Betrayal in the East

15181_39 — 2025-06-03 15:11:11 UTC

Despite a nonaggression pact, Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. This turned the USSR into a key Allied power against Hitler.

Attack on Pearl Harbor

15181_39 — 2025-06-03 15:12:51 UTC

Japan's surprise attack on December 7, 1941, led the U.S. to join World War II. It expanded the conflict from Europe to the Pacific

China

15181_39 — 2025-06-03 15:14:12 UTC

In 1904, its forces had soundly defeated Russia in a war over several disputed territories in Asia. Ambitious military leaders such as Tojo Hideki urged the young Japanese emperor Hirohito to seek out and conquer new land and build an empire. To achieve this goal, the Japanese turned their attention to China, their large neighbor to the west.