Question

Summarize the Nazi takeover of Western Europe in 1939-1940 and why Hitler could focus his forces in the west without concern about an attack from the Soviet Union in the east.

Answer 1

The Nazi takeover of Western Europe in 1939-1940 was marked by swift and successful German military campaigns. Hitler could focus on the west without concern about an attack from the Soviet Union due to a non-aggression pact and his belief in German superiority.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Nazi takeover of Western Europe in 1939-1940 was marked by swift and successful German military campaigns. After the fall of Poland, Germany conquered Denmark and Norway to prevent a British naval blockade. In April 1940, Hitler launched a blitzkrieg into Western Europe through the Netherlands and Belgium, quickly defeating French defenses and capturing France.

Hitler could focus his forces in the west without concern about an attack from the Soviet Union in the east because of the non-aggression pact signed between Germany and the USSR before the war. This pact allowed Hitler to concentrate on subduing the rest of Europe before turning his attention to the Soviet Union. Furthermore, Hitler believed that the Slavic people, including the Russians, were inferior to the Aryan Germans, which gave him confidence in an all-out attack on the USSR.