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Period: to
Events Leading up to World War 2
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Anschluss
The Anschluss was the 1938 annexation of Austria into Germany. Historically, the idea of creating a Greater Germany through such a union had been popular in Austria as well as Germany -
Hitler Pressures Czechoslovakia
Hitler puts pressure on Czechoslovakia. Britain and France finally
decide to get involved. A deal is made at Munich.Hitler agrees not to take over any more land. Britain & France agree that Germany may take over part of Czechoslovakia -
Germany takes over Sudentenland
Between October 1st and 10th Germany took over Sudetenland. Hitler asked permission to annex half of Czechoslovakia. -
German Occupation and Slovak Independence
In March 1939, breaking the Munich Agreement, German troops invaded Prague, and with the Slovaks declaring independence, the country of Czechoslovakia disappeared. The entire ordeal was the last show of the French and British policy of appeasement. -
Soviet-Japanese border war
In 1939, the Japanese attacked west from Manchuria into the Mongolian People's Republic, following the earlier Battle of Lake Khasan in 1938 -
Italian Invasion of Albania
After German occupation of Czechoslovakia, Italy saw itself becoming a second-rate member of the Axis. Rome delivered Tirana an ultimatum on March 25, 1939, demanding that it accede to Italy's occupation of Albania. -
Stalin and Hitler sign the non aggresion pact
Hitler and Stalin signed the non agression pact, agreeing that even though they didn't like each other, they would not attack each other. -
Germany Invades Poland
The invasion began after signing the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, it began on september 1939 and ended in october 1939 with Germany and the Soviet Union dividing and annexing the whole of Poland. -
Invasion of the Soviet Union
Germany attacked the Soviet Union in June 1941. Hitler believed that the Soviet Union could be defeated in a fast-paced and relentless assault that capitalized on the Soviet Union's ill-prepared state, and hoped that success there would bring Britain to the negotiation table, ending the war altogether. Hitler further wanted to preempt an attack by the Soviet Union, and in doing so catch the Soviets off-guard. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The Imperial Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, hoping to destroy the United States Pacific Fleet at anchor
