-
Germany Seizes Austria
German troops invaded Austria. Hitler was received with great enthusiasm by the Austrian people, and he immediately announced that Austria had become part of the German Reich. The laws of Germany, including its anti-Semitic acts, were swiftly applied in Austria. -
The Czech Crisis
The Czech Crisis began in March 1938, when Hitler promised protection for German minorities living outside the Reich. Czechoslovakian Premier Hodza responded that Czechoslovakia would defend itself. -
DC-4 Flown First Time
Douglas Aircraft unveiled their new plane– the DC-4. This aircraft, powered by four Pratt and Whitney engines, seats 52 passengers. -
Britain and France urged the Czech government
Britain and France urged the Czech government to accept, and on September 21st, under the imminent threat of losing French and German support, the Czech government agreed. Hitler, however, made additional demands. Chamberlain met with Hitler at Godesberg, but Hitler was adamant and the world girded for war -
Munich Agreement
In a desperate attempt to avoid war, the leaders of Great Britain and France met with Hitler in Munich at the end of September. During the meeting, they acceded to Hitler's demands to cede the Sudetenland to Germany, as well as to most of his additional demands . In return, Hitler pledged that he had no territorial claims on the rest of Czechoslovakia. War had been temporarily avoided at the cost of losing a major ally in the form of a 400,000-man Czech army. -
Germans Enter Prague
In March 1939, the remaining parts of Czechoslovakia were dismembered by the Germans. The excuse used was the firing of the Premier of Slovakia. Prague was occupied and Czechoslovakian independence ended. The occupation of Czechoslovakia dashed the hopes of those who believed Hitler's ambitions were limited to merely uniting Germanic lands. -
Passenger Service Across Atlantic Ocean
On May 20th, Pan Am began regularly scheduled air service across the Atlantic. The flight took three days, and included stops at the Azores, Lisbon and Marseilles; terminating in Southampton. -
The Pact
Italy and Germany entered into a Pact of Steel. The alliance, which was signed by Hitler and Mussolini, pledged each party to support the other in case of war. -
Soviet-German Non-Aggression Treaty
the Nazis and the Soviet Union signed a Non-Aggression Pact. The pact called for the dividing up of lands between Germany and the Soviet Union. Germany was to receive Western Poland and Lithuania, while the Soviet Union would get Eastern Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Finland. -
Germany Invades Poland
The German-Polish Crisis began in March, when the German government demanded that Danzig be turned over to Germany. In addition, the Germans demanded the right to construct an extra-territorial railroad across the corridor. The Poles refused, and the French and British pledged to aid the Poles. After the signing of the Non-Aggression Pact, all attempts at negotiations failed and the Germans and Poles mobilized for war. The British and the French did the same, reasserting that they would come to -
declared war
Britain and France declare war on Germany.
