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German Jews are stripped of their rights
Nuremberg Race Laws instituted many racial theories of the Nazis. These laws excluded Jews from Reich citizenship, and prohibited them from marrying or having relations with German or related blood. It also deprived them of most political rights. Taking away these rights angered many people causing disagreenments between countries. -
Germany invades Rhineland
Hitler violated the Treaty of Versailles by sending German military forces into the Rhineland. Hitler took this aggressive path because of Mussolini's success. It took the French government by surprise, and took them almost a year to decide how they were going to react. -
Civil War erupts in Spain
The Spanish Civil War caused division between Fascists and Western democracies in Europe. The war broke out between the Popular Front Government and the Falangists Fascists and lasted three years. Germany and Italy were supporteds of the Falangists, while the Soviets supported the Republicans. The Fascists ended up winning. -
Rome-Berlin Axis Treaty
Nazi Germany & Facist Italy formed this treaty. An agreement formulated by Italy’s foreign minister Galeazzo Ciano linking the two fascist countries was reached on October 25, 1936. Japan joined the Axis powers in the Anti-Comintern Pact, seemingly directed against international communism, but really a new and powerful diplomatic alliance. -
Stalin begins a purge of Red Army generals
In order to protect his control of government and to subdue all of the criticism, Stalin began killing memebers of the Red Army (his own government). This shocked many people living in Russia, and overall made the point of Stalin's strict control of Soviet Russia. -
Hossbach Conference
The Hossbach Conference was held at the Reich Chancellery. During this conference, Hitler outlined his steps he wanted to take for Nazi Germany to achieve "Lebenraum" in Eastern Europe, and the steps required so that the conquered land was "Germanised". This is where many people believe Hitler first revealed his war plans , and those as the conference were sworn to secrecy. -
Hitler occupies Austria
With Hitler's newfound closeness to Mussolini, he was encouraged to attempt to takeover Austria. He went into Austria in order to forestall a vote on "Anschluss". The "Anschluss" was extremely important as Germany then surrounded Czechoslovakia. Hitler ended up declaring Austria as a province of the Third Reich. -
Mobilization of Czechoslovakian Army
The Czechs were told rumors that Germany had mobilized their army and were planning an attack. The Czechs had France, Britain, and Russia on their side and they warned of this. However, the Czechs were growing nervous as the pressure of the mobilization of the Germany army mounted. -
Kristallnacht - The Night of the Broken Glass
Kristallnacht refers to the new wave of very violent anit-Jewish acts. This was instiagted primarily by Nazi Party officials and members of the SA and Hitler Youth. It's name comes from the shards of glass that were broken from the windows of synagogues, homes, and Jewish-owned businesses that lined the Germany streets. It erupted by a spontaneous outburst of public sentiment in response to the assassination of Ernst vom Rath (German embassy official). -
Nazis takeover Czechoslovakia
On this day Hitler's forces invaded this area. Hitler made it very clear that he intended to force the central Czechoslovakian government to give Slovakia its independence, that would make Czechoslovakia more at Germany's mercy. Then on this day, Hitler met with Czech President Emil Hacha and threatened a bomb raid against the Czech capital unless he gave way for German troops to enter the Czech borders. -
Nazis and Soviet Union sign pact
Representatives from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union met and signed the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact. This pact guaranteed that the two countries would not attack each other. By signing this pact, Germany had protected itself from having to fight a two-front war in the soon-to-begin World War II. The Soviet Union was awarded land, including parts of Poland and the Baltic States. The pact was broken when Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union less than two years later, on June 22, 1941. -
Germany invades Poland
German forces invaded Poland from the north, south, and west. As the Germans advanced, Polish forces withdrew from their forward bases of operation close to the Polish–German border to more established lines of defence to the east. After the mid-September Polish defeat in the Battle of the Bzura, the Germans gained an undisputed advantage. Polish forces withdrew to the southeast where they prepared for a long defence of the Romanian Bridgehead and waited for the support of France and the UK. -
War declared on Germany
Britain and France had sworn to defend Poland. Honoring these obligations, the two countries sent ultimatums to Hitler demanding his withdrawal from Poland. Hitler declined to respond. On September 3, Prime Minister Chamberlain went to the airwaves to announce to the British people that a state of war existed between their country and Germany. World War II had begun. -
"Cash & Carry"
"Cash and Carry" was a policy requested by U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt at a special session of the United States Congress on September 21, 1939. It replaced the Neutrality Acts of 1936. The revision allowed the sale of material to belligerents, as long as the recipients arranged for the transport using their own ships and paid immediately in cash, assuming all risk in transportation. -
Hitler survives assassination attempt
During the 16th anniversary of Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch, a bomb exploded just after Hitler has finished giving a speech, however he was unharmed. Hitler had made an annual ritual on the anniversary of his infamous 1923 coup attempt, of regaling his followers with his vision of the Fatherland's future. He had been addressing the Old Guard party members, soldiers who had been loyal to Hitler, and his fascist party. Only 27 minutes later he and a few Nazi leaders left when the bomb exploded after.
