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Hitler bullying Schuschingg
March 11, 1938; the ultimatum demanded that Dr. Schuschnigg step down as Chancellor and that President Wilhelm Miklas appoint Dr. Artur Seyss-Inquart as the new Chancellor of Austria. Dr. Schuschnigg wrote that he had agreed on March 10th to another ultimatum in which Hitler had demanded that he cancel the plebiscite which he (Schuschnigg) had ordered on March 9th. The plebiscite had been scheduled to be held on March 13th. -
Germany and Austria
March 12, 1938 Hitler announces an Anschluss (union) with Austria. Even though Hitler didn't have full approval from the Austrian Social Democrats, the rise of a pro-Nazi right-wing party within Austria in the mid-1930s paved the way for Hitler to make his move. Hitler met with Chancellor Kurt von Schuchingg, and Chancellor had to agree to having a greater Nazi presence in Austria. Chancellor was hoping that with their agreement, it would avoid a German invasion. -
Man of the year
Adolf Hitler was named "Man of the year" for time's magazine in 1938. He was awarded because he had the most effects on world affairs of the year. Time selected Adolf Hitler for Man of the Year for the Munich Agreement which shattered the diplomatic alliances between France and Britain and the newly created Eastern European countries to keep Germany in check. -
Sudetenland and Hitler
Sudetenland was a region bordering the Czech republic and was largely populated by Germans. Because of its German majority, the Sudetenland later became a major source of contention between Germany and Czechoslovakia, and in 1938 participants at the Munich Conference, yielding to Adolf Hitler, transferred it to Germany. September 30, 1938, leaders of Nazi Germany,Great Britain, Italy, and France that allowed the Nazis to annex Sudetenland. -
Munich Pact
September 30, 1938 British and French prime ministers Neville Chamberlain and Edouard Daladier sign the Munich Pact with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. This agreement was to not start a war, but to give Czechoslovakia away to German conquest. The Munich Pact was all apart of Hitler's plan to make Germany greater. -
Nonaggression Pact
August 23, 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union, who were enemies, shockingly signed a Nonaggression Pact. The pact was an agreement that they would not use military action on each other for the next ten years. With the war happening, Stalin was trying to be on peaceful terms with Germany, while building up his army. The pact also contained a secret agreement in which the Soviets and Germans agreeing to divide up Eastern Europe. June, 1941, the pact fell apart when Nazis invaded the Soviet Union. -
Poland invaded
Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. Hitler claimed that it was a defensive action but Britain and France were not convinced. Just two days later, they declared war on Germany, thus starting WW II. Hitler didn't see the invasion as an issue, he thought of it as "creating more space for Germans." -
Blitzkrieg!
A German term for “lightning war,” blitzkrieg is a military tactic designed to create disorganization among enemy forces through the use of mobile forces and locally concentrated firepower. The purpose of Blitzkrieg was to surprise the opponent, so they have no time to react or attack. Germany tried "blitzkrieg" in Poland, Belgium, Netherlands, and France. -
Denmark and Norway
German warships entered major Norwegian ports, from Narvik to Oslo, deploying thousands of German troops and occupying Norway. At the same time, German forces occupy Copenhagen, among other Danish cities. Hours after the invasion, the minister of Oslo demanded surrender for Norway. In Denmark, King Christian X, convinced his army could not fight off a German invasion, surrendered almost immediately. -
Russia invaded
When Germany invaded Russia, in June 1941, Stalin was informed that Hitler was about to attack. Stalin was furious because Hitler betrayed their agreement. Russia lost about 2.5 million people in the attack. Hitler was fighting dirty, he was creating unions and then betraying them.
