Nazi-Soviet Non-aggression Pact: Russia gave raw material to Germany in exchange for $ and weapons. Both agreed to stay neutral if the other entered the war. Secretly agreed to invade and split Poland. Germany would get western half and USSR the eastern. Russia would get Finland, Estonia, and Latvia and Germany would get Lithuania.
September 1, 1939: Germany invades Poland.
Blitzkrieg: lightning war. Overwhelm enemy, achieve victory as quick as possible. Take out main roads, communication centers, airfields. At the same time infantry attacks on the entire frontline.
Sitzkrieg: the phony war. Winter of 39-40 when nothing much happened anywhere.
Tripartite Pact: signed, Japan became part of Axis Powers. Germany, Italy, and Japan. Plus Albania, Bulgaria, Finland, Romania, Thailand, Hungary.
May/June 1940: Hitler attacks France. Maginot Line. Miracle of Dunkirk. German army pushes towards Dunkirk, stops, wants tanks to arrive first, while waiting British/French flee to Britain.
Vichy Government: allowed gov't to keep control of southern France. Marchal Henri Petain.
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