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Austria and Czechoslovakia Fall
Hitler met secretly with top military advisers. his plan was to absorb Austria and Czechoslovakia into the Third Reich. When told that annexing those other countries could provoke a war, Hitler said, " 'The German Question' can be solved only by means of force, and this is never without risk." -
Union with Austria
Hitler's first target was Austria. On March 12, German troops marched into Austria. On March 13, Germany announced that its union with Austria was complete. The United states and the rest of the world didn't do anything. -
Munich Agreement
France and Great Britain both promised to protect Czechoslovakia. Then Hitler invited French premier Edouard Daladier and British prime minister Neville Chamberlain to meet him in Munich. When they arrived, fuhrer declared that the annexation of the Sudetenland would be his "last territorial demand." To avoid war, they believed him. They then signed the Munich agreement which turned Sudetenland over to Germany. -
German Offensive Begins
German troops stormed into what was left of Czechoslovakia. At midnight Hitler said “Czechoslovakia has ceased to exist.” -
Nonagression
A treaty between two or more countries where the signatories promise not to engage in military action against each other. -
Soviet Union Decalres Neutrality
According to Hitler, Germans in Poland were mistreated by the Poles and they needed his protection. This time, however, people believed Hitler was lying. As tensions rose, Stalin signed the nonaggression pact with Hitler. Germany and Russia now committed never to attack each other. They also signed another pact agreeing to divide Poland between them. -
Blitzkrieg in Poland
German Air Force went to Poland and dropped bombs on military bases, airfields, railroads, and cities. This invasion was the first of Germany’s military strategy called the blitzkrieg. This advanced military technology. Two days after the attacks, Britain and France declared war on Germany. -
France and Britain Fight
Frances Maginot Line provided ineffective, the Germany Army threatened to bypass the line during its invasion of Belgium. -
Vocab
Winston Churchill- Chamberlain's political rivals in Great Britain, also signed the Munich Agreement.
Appeasement- Giving up principles to pacify an aggressor. -
Battle of Britain
Germans began to assemble an invasion fleet along the French Coast. Launched air war at the same time. Germany pounded the British airfields. -
The Fall of France
Germans caught almost 400,000 British and French Soldiers as they tried to run away from danger to the beaches of Dunkirk on the French side of the English channel. Next, week went by and 800 vessels in all fired and 330,000 British and French troops fled to safety a crossed the channel. -
The Phony War
Hitler launched a surprise invasion of Denmark and Norway in order “to protect freedom and independence” of those countries. In reality, Hitler planned to build bases across those coasts to attack Great Britain. Then he turned against the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Phony war is then ended. -
RAF
RAF shot down over 185 German planes and only lost 26 aircrafts. 6 weeks later Hitler called off the invasions.
