German Expansion

Hossbach Conference

Nov 5, 1937

Adolf Hitler held a secret conference in the Reich Chancellery where he revealed his plans for the German people at the expense of other Europeans. He mentions "a tightly packed racial core" and a "greater living space than in the case of other peoples...". Hitler explaining his plans for the rest of Europe was one of the first movements of expansion and plans of taking over others.

Anschluss with Austria

Mar 12, 1938

Hitler includes Austria in the Anschluss, basically a union connected with Germany. Immediately after the Anschluss, Nazis began cracking down on Austrian Jews, arresting them and humiliating them in public.

Mobilization of the German Military

Aug 12, 1938

Munich Pact

Sep 30, 1938

Germany, Italy, Great Britain, and France sign the Munich agreement, by which Czechoslovakia must surrender its border regions and defenses to Nazi Germany.

German troops occupy the Sudetenland

Oct 15, 1938

Germany's forces entered Sudetenland and under the terms of the Munich Pact, Germany annexed the largely German-speaking region from Czechoslovakia.

Kristallnacht

Nov 10, 1938

Jewish shops and synagogues were destroyed and the Jewish population was fined for the destruction

Nazi-Soviet Pact

Aug 25, 1939

An alliance between Hitler and Stalin which agreed to divide Poland between the two countries when taken over

Anglo-Polish Common Defence Pact

Aug 25, 1939

This agreement offered mutual military assistance in the event that one country was attacked by another European country. A clause was added specifying that the assistance would only be offered if the invaded country’s army fought against the aggressor

Hitler invades Poland

Sep 1, 1939

Poland, the catalyst to WW2, is invaded using Blitzkrieg (lightning war) tactics. Poland tried to fight back, but were quickly defeated and occupied.

Germany gained enemies

Sep 3, 1939

Britain and France declared war on Germany

Germany takes over

Apr 9, 1940

Denmark and Norway are invaded and occupied

German expansion continued

May 10, 1940

Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France invaded and occupied

Battle of Britain

Jul 10, 1940

German Luftwaffe attempted to gain control of Britain airspace through defeat of the Royal Airforce

The Blitz

Sep 7, 1940

German fighter planes are sent to Britain in attempts at air raids

German Air raids

Dec 29, 1940

Germany sends massive air raid onto London