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Reading 6.1: Hitler's Saturday Surprises
On March 7, 1936, Hitler attempted his second "Saturday Surprise." His mission was to invade the Rhineland, a thirty-one mile piece of German land that had been used as a cushion of protection between Germany, France, and Belgium. Under Hitler's orders, German troops marched into the Rhineland and seized it without any resistance from France. This is because France still remembered the effects of WWII and they did not want to start another war like that. -
Reading 6.2:Taking Austria
After allying with Italy and Mussolini in 1936, Hitler decided to make his move on Austria. He called the Austrian Prime Minister Kurt von Schuschnigg to come to a secret meeting to discuss Austria becoming a part of "The Greater Germany." When it seemed like there was no way Schuschnigg would budge, Hitler gave him three days to change his decision. Hitler and the Nazis then proceeded to invade Austria and make the people vote on the matter. 99.7% of the people approved the Nazis' request. -
Reading 6.4:Appeasing Hitler
Benito Mussolini invited leaders from Germany, France, and Britain to a meeting in Munich. At the meeting the countries gave in and eventually gave the Sudetenland to Hitler. However, there was a minor compromise with Hitler. He promised that it would be his last territorial demand. The Czechs were not happy with the outcome of the meeting, and neither were the other leaders. The other leaders could not stop Hitler, which disappointed them, and made them fearful of how Hitler could do them. -
Reading 6.14:Targeting Poland
On August 31, 1939, German Nazis went to a concentration camp, took a bunch of inmates and brought them to Gleiwitz. Here, the Nazis dressed up the inmates in Polish army uniforms and shot them on the spot. They claimed that these "Polish soldiers" were attacking them and they shot them out of defense and retaliation. However, we know these were actually inmates at a concentration camp, not Polish soldiers. Later that night, Hitler declared war on Poland. -
Reading 6.15: Conquests in the East
On November 23, 1939, the Nazis stated that all Jews that are older than ten years old must wear the Yellow Star on their right arm. Jews were also restricted to a curfew. They were to be out no later than 9:00 at night and no early than 5:00 in the morning. If you did not follow these rules you could be subject to up to ten years in prison. -
Reading 6.17: Conquests in the West
When Germany tried to exile hundreds of Jews, the Netherlands finally took a stand against the Nazis. A strike against Germany was called on February 25, 1941. The Dutch wanted to show that they cared about how the Jews were being treated. All different political groups joined to help one another and now they all had something in common, they were "anti- German." -
Reading 6.18: The Invasion of Russia
One June 22, 1941, Hitler ordered the Nazis to invade Russia and destroy them. Many units of the SS were sent and they were each assigned to a specific area of the Soviet Union. Group A was responsible for the north, B was responsible for the central Russian front, C was in charge of northern Ukraine, and D was in charge of Southern Ukraine, the Caucasus, and Crimea. Each Nazi was permitted to shoot and kill any one who they thought to be "an enemy of the state." -
Reading 6.19: The United States Enters the War
On December 8, 1941, the U.S. declared war on Japan. They were inclined to do this because Japan had bombed a U.S. naval base in Hawaii called Pearl Harbor. Since Germany is one of Japan's allies, the Japanese asked Hitler to help in the war against the U.S. Even though Japan brought this war upon themselves by bombing Pearl Harbor, Germany agreed to help fight the U.S. Later Hitler declared war on the U.S., provoking a new alliance between the U.S., the Soviet Union, and Britain.
