1.- Explain and describe the German invasion to Poland.

Hitler moved to Poland with 1.5 million troops from two fronts, supported by
airplanes to break quickly through Polish lines and encircle the outnumbered and
poorly equipped Polish armies. Soon afterward, Soviet military forces attacked
eastern Poland. Within four weeks, Poland had surrendered.

2.- Why was France ineffective in stopping in stopping the German invasion
The main assault through Luxembourg and the Ardennes forest was completely
unexpected by the French and British forces. German panzer divisions broke
through the weak French defensive positions there and raced across northern
France, splitting the Allied armies and trapping French troops and the entire British
army on the beaches of Dunkirk. Only by heroic efforts did the British succeed in a
gigantic evacuation of 330,000 Allied (mostly British) troops. The French capitulated
on June 22

3.- Why was control of the skies key to the Battle of Britain,?
The coordinated air and ground assaults included the use of Stuka dive bombers; as
they descended from the skies, their sirens emitted a bloodcurdling shriek, adding a
frighteningly destructive element to the German attack. Regular infantry units, still on
foot with their supplies drawn by horses, then marched in to hold the newly
conquered territory.

4.- Why did Hitler decide to bomb cities rather than military targets?
Hitler ordered a shift from military targets to massive bombing of British cities to
break British morale.

5.- Was Hitler’s change in strategy towards attacking Britain successful?

No it was not because the British rebuilt their air strength quickly and were soon
inflicting major losses on Luftwaffe bombers. By the end of September, Germany had
lost the Battle of Britain, and the invasion of Britain had to be postponed.

6.- What assumptions did Hitler make about invading the Soviet Union?
Hitler became convinced that Britain was remaining in the war only because it
expected Soviet support. If the Soviet Union were smashed, Britain's last hope would
be eliminated

7.- Why was the invasion of the Soviet Union Hitler´s major blunder?
Hitler had badly miscalculated the potential power of the Soviets. An early winter and
unexpected Soviet resistance, however, brought the German advance to a halt.
Armor and transport vehicles stalled in temperatures of 30 degrees below zero.
Hitler's commanders wished to withdraw and regroup for the following spring, but
Hitler refused.

8.- What brought the United States into the war?

The attack on Pearl Harbor galvanized American public opinion and won broad
support for Roosevelt's war policy. The United States now joined with European
nations and Nationalist China in a combined effort to defeat Japan and bring an end
to its hegemony in the Pacific. Believing that American involvement in the Pacific
would render the United States ineffective in the European theater of war, Hitler
declared war on the United States four days after Pearl Harbor.

9.- How did the involvement of the United States change the war?
The entry of the United States into the war created a coalition (the Grand Alliance)
that ultimately defeated the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan).