Major political and military events of 1938-1941

By michael.timm@pndhs.org

  • Germany's Anschluss with Austria

    Germany's Anschluss with Austria
    • This was Germany's annexation of Austria
    • There was little complaint among the people of Austria and in fact many citezens were in support of the annexation

  • Germany's Annexation of the Sudetenland

    Germany's Annexation of the Sudetenland
    • The sudetenland was an area of German land that had been turned over to Czechoslovakia by the treaty of Versaille
    • Hitler said that German speaking people in this area were being abused in order to justify the annexation.

  • The Munich Pact

    The Munich Pact
    • The Munich Pact was an agreement signed by Hitler and leading european nations saying that Hitler would not try to take any more land.
    • At the time some thought that the pact would keep the peace in Europe, however this was not the case.

  • Hitler's Annexation of Czechoslovakia

    Hitler's Annexation of Czechoslovakia
    • After the Annexation of Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia was week
    • HItler annexed the southern portion into Hungary, and gained controll of the northern regions by claiming to be the protectorate of these region.

  • The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact was signed

    The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact was signed
    • In order to avoid war on two fronts Germany signed this "peace treaty" with the Soveit leader Joseph Stalin.
    • There was also a secret aspect to the pact as well which stated that Russia would gain controll of the Baltic States if they did not attack Germany. This would give Russia a buffer if they were to be attacked by western nations.
    • They also agree that they would jointly attack poland and divide the land between them

  • Germany's Invasion of Poland

    Germany's Invasion of Poland
    • This is known as the begining of WWII
    • While there was some militaristic Polish opposition, the Polish army was not able to compete with the advanced German army and therefore Poland was under German controll in under two weeks.

  • The Phony War

    The Phony War
    • This phrase pertains to the span of time between the invasion of Poland, and France and England's decaration of war on Germany
    • It is known as phoney for the lack of military action during this time

  • The Miracle at Dunkirk

    The Miracle at Dunkirk
    • This term reffers to the evacuation of Allied Soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk in France by the British.
    • The troops had been cut off by the German army and were in danger of being massacred.

  • The Battle of Britain

    The Battle of Britain
    • This battle was an air campaign launched against Britain by Hitler
    • The purpose of the campaign was to gain superiority over the British air force.

  • The Fall of France

    The Fall of France
    • The German invasion of France was not only successfull but marked the end of the Phony War.
    • This was a tremendous victory for the axis powers and forced France to ask for an armistice.
    • The armistice was signed on June 22nd and went into effect on the 25th.