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Period: to
German Expansion
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Plan to Grow and Prosper Germany
Hitler met with top military advisors and made plans to absorb Austria and Czechoslovakia into the Third Reich. One of Hitler's advisors protested that annexing countries could provoke war but he responded with, "'The German Question' can be solved only by means of force, and this isnever without risk." -
Union with Austria
German troops marched into Austria unopposed and took over the country who's majority of 6 million people were Germsns who favored unification with Germany. -
Signing of the Munich Agreement
The fuhrer declared that the annextion of Sudetenland would be his "last territorial demand" and in hopes to avoid war, Daldier and Chamberlain believed him. They signed the Munich Agreement, which turned the Sudetenland over to Germany without a single shot being fired. -
Czechoslovakia Invaded
Hitler and his German troops poured into what was left of Czechoslovsakia and took over. Hitler said, "Czechoslavakia has ceased to exist." -
Nonaggression Pact Signed
Hitler began charging that Germans in Poland were mistreated by the Poles and needed his protection. Such an attack would possibly provoke a declaration of war from France and Britain which would result in a two-front war. As tensions rose over Poland, Stalin surprised everyone by signing a nonaggression pact with Hitler, meaning that Germany and Russia commited never to attack Germany and the Soviet Union. -
Germans Invade Poland
The German Luftwaffe roared over Poland and bombed military bases, airfields, railroads, and cities while German tanks raced across the countryside spreading both confusion and terror. This was the first testing of Germany's newest military tactic, blitzkrieg. -
Surprise Invasion of Denmark and Norway
Hitler launched a surprise invasion of Denmark and Norway in order to protect the country's freedom and independence. Although he said that he wanted to protect them, he was really planning to build bases along the coasts to strike at Great Britain. Shortly after, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg were overrun by the end of May. -
Germans Close in on Paris
Italy invaded France from the south while Germans closed in on Paris from the north. Hitler handed French officers his terms of surrender and would occupy the northen part of France and a Nazi-controlled government would be set up in southern France. -
RAF Shoots Down German Planes
The Luftwaffe's goal was to gain total control of the skies by destroying Britain's Royal Airforce. For two months straight, bombers pounded London. The RAF fought back, accurately plotting the flight paths of German planes. They shot down 185 planes, causing Hitler to call of the invasion of Britain indefinitely.
