German Expansion

Hitler's Secret Meeting

Nov 5, 1937

• November 5, 1937
• Wanted to grow Germany by capturing Austria and Czechoslovakia
• Advised that this could cause war but Hitler didn't care

German Troops Invade Austria

Mar 12, 1938

• March 12 1938
• No opposition
• Most people from Austria approved of the merge
• Merge called the anschluss or union

Munich Agreement

Sep 30, 1938

• Septemeber 30, 1938
• British PM Neville Chamberlain and French Premier Edouard Daladier turned Sudetenland (western Czechoslovakia where most people spoke German) over to Hitler without a fight

Hilter Marches into Czechoslovakia

Mar 15, 1939

• March 15, 1939
• At the break of day, Hitler marched his troops into the small part of Czechoslovakia left
• Country was defeated by nightfall

Stalin Signs Non-Aggression Pact

Aug 23, 1939

• August 23, 1939
• Commitment between Germany and Russia to never attack each other
• Also signed a secret pact to divide Poland when it was captured
• ¨Sealed the fate¨ of Poland

Germans Invade Poland

Sep 1, 1939

• September 1, 1939
• German air force dropped bombs over cities, railroads, and military bases
• German troops and tanks invaded Poland's borders
• Strategy called blitzkrieg, a lightning war
• France and Great Britain declare war 2 days later

Finland Invaded and Finnish Surrender

Nov 30, 1939

• Finland invaded and annexed by Soviet Union

Surprise Invasion of Norway and Denmark

Apr 9, 1940

• Claimed he wanted to protect these countries but actually wanted to create military bases to strike at Britain

Luxembourg Invaded

May 10, 1940

• Invaded on May 10th and surrendered on the same day

Netherlands Invaded

May 14, 1940

• Netherlands invaded on May 10th, surrendered on May 14th
• Very small and unprepared army but they put up a decent fight against the Germans despite their size, training, and weapons

Belgium Invaded and Surrendered

May 28, 1940

• Invaded on May 10th and surrendered on May 28th

Dunkirk Evacuation

Jun 4, 1940

• 400,000 soldiers from France and Great Britain were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk in France by Germans on May 26th 1940
• Small boats and river barges evacuated 330,000 of the soldiers across the English Channel in just one week (June 4th 1940)

Germany Attacks Britain

Period: Jul 10, 1940 to Oct 31, 1940

• Germany built up a line of defense against Britain
• Over the summer of 1940, German planes bombed London and the surrounding areas nightly for two months straight
• The Royal Air Force started to fight back with the new technology of radar
• The officially recognized end date is October 31st when the attacks seemed to let up and Hitler "surrendered"
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