World+War+II+Turning+Points


 * WWII Timeline**

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The Munich Agreement

The Munich Agreement is an agreement signed between Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy agreeing to the annexation of Czechoslovakia. Signed on September 29 1938, a part of Churchill's appeasement plan, the Munich Agreement granted Germany the land known as Sudetenland, a section of Czechoslovakia with German inhabitants. Germany threatened to invade Czechoslovakia and in order to appease Germany and avoid war and an invasion they gave Germany a small part of what they wanted in hopes that this would defer other unsettled business with Germany. Although this temporarily settled Germany and may have held off the inevitable war it also divided a country for the unsuccessful appeasement of Germany.

The four countries present in Munich for this agreement made a major decision on the fate of Czechoslovakia without there presence. After Britain's lack of determination to protect Czechoslovakia, Britain lost their support. In all of their efforts to avoid war this was an essentially failed attempt unnecessarily dividing and letting down a potential ally. Germany eventually took over the rest of Czechoslovakia dishonoring the Munich Agreement and losing the trust of Britain and the rest of the allied power. The Munich Agreement was a good but failed attempt to stop a war that was inevitably coming.



Primary Source: Diary entries, speeches, and quotes with reactions and opinions on the Munich agreement and its affects.


 * Operation Barbarossa

Operation Barbarossa is the Nazi code name for large scale invasion of Russia on June 22, 1941. This attack, the largest offensive attack effort in World War II and possibly ever, used three German army groups based on blitzkrieg and four defending Russian Army units. The death toles for both sides were incredible and the Germans went in with such great numbers and force in the beginning that the amount success for Germany in the beginning was a shock to the world. As Hitler's army progressed some of his more time consuming decisions slowed the army down leading them straight into the harsh Russian winter leaving them unprepared and ending with a German capture.

This was one of the first major attacks that Germany made on the current major European powers. Hitler was so sure that he would be successful he said, "We have only to kick in the front door and the whole rotten Russian edifice will come tumbling down." This was all a part of his greater plan of lebensraum. Lebensraum was Hitler's plan to expand the German empire for all of his true German people. This was a turning point for both countries involved. It showed a major weakness in the German army. it showed they are not used to conditions aside from their own. This helped Russia because even after major captures, deaths, and utter destroying the Russians were able to come back and regroup to reclaim their country.



Primary Source: Numerous quotes from Hitler and other people involved in the time of the attack stating their opinion on the situation.

Pearl Harbor**

December 7, 1941, "A date which will live in infamy," the day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The American ambassador to Japan sent a message warning that there was a possible attack threat that was ignored. Without a formal attack threat or declaration of war the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, one of America's largest and strongest military bases. Using a series of carriers, battleships, cruisers, aircrafts, and tanks caused 3,684 casualties as well as sinking and damaging a number of American battleships, destroyers, and ships.

This was a turning point for the relationship between America and Japan. Before this attack the Americans thought that they were on good terms and had a fairly neutral position in the war. After this attack America makes a clear stand with the Allies and it causes America as well as Britain to eventually declare an official war on Japan. This was the beginning of a string of Japanese attacks on islands declaring Japan a true enemy for many countries.

Primary Sources: The speech given by FDR to America after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.




 * Works Cited**

"Blitzkrieg." // History Learning Site //. Web. 25 Feb. 2010. . "FDR's Pearl Harbor Speech." // United States History //. Web. 25 Feb. 2010. . "The Munich Agreement, 1938." // Courses Pages //. Web. 25 Feb. 2010. . "Munich Agreement." // Spartacus Educational - Home Page //. Web. 25 Feb. 2010. . "Operation Barbarossa." // History Learning Site //. Web. 25 Feb. 2010. . "Pearl Harbor." // Pearl Harbor - December 7, 1941 - Pearl Harbor.com //. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. . //WWIIonline //. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. .