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Hitler sets up a Secret Meeting
Hitler had set up a secret meeting with his top military advisers. He had made it clear that he wanted to grow and expand Germany in the land of it's neighbors. Hitlers plan was to conquer Austria and Czechoslovakia into the Third Reich. -
Union with Austria
Austria was Hitlers first target. The Paris Peace Conference following WW1 had created the small nation of Austria out of what was left of the Austrian empire. The majority of Austria was the 6 million Germans who were in favor of Germany. Hitler had finally sent his troops into Austria unopposed. The next day, Germany announced it's quest to conquer Austria had been successful. -
Bargaining for the Sudetenland
Hitler had then turned towards Czechoslovakia. There was about 3 million people in the western boarder of Sudetenland that spoke German. Hitler wanted to clear out this part of the region to create more living space for Germany. He accused the Czechs of abusing the Sudeten Germans, so he sent his troops in. -
Neville Chamberlain
Hiter had absolutely no issue with trying to invade the other countries he did, so he invited French premier Edouard Daladier and British premier Neville Chamberlain to meet with him in Munich. Hitler had claimed that this was his "last territorial demand." They decided to believe Hitler so the war could end. They signed the Munich agreement, which turned Sudetenland over to Germany without any shots being fired. What they didn't know, was that Hitler wasn't done with his territorial demands. -
Germany Invaded Poland
In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland. Within weeks the Poles surrendered. The Germans annexed the former free city of Danzig and all of western Poland, including the provinces of West Prussia, Poznan, Upper Silesia, and Lodz. Central and southern Poland were organized into the General government of Poland in October 1939. -
Germany invades Denmark and Norway
Between April and June 1940, Germany invaded Denmark and Norway. The Germans had permitted the Danish government to remain in place and govern, though elections were banned. Norway fell under the administration of a German Reich Commissar, who ruled with the assistance of German military and SS/police occupation authorities and a collaborationist Norwegian police and administration. -
Germany Invades Western Europe
The German soldiers invaded western Europe next. Luxembourg had surrendered and was ultimately annexed to Germany. Germany wasn't finished with the places they wanted to invade.
