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1932 elections
The Nazi party gained 37.4% of the vote in the Reichstag elections to become the largest party. -
30th January 1932
Hitler appointed Chancellor of Germany by President Hindenburg. -
3rd February 1933
Hitler defined the Nazi party foreign policy. The prime goal was to secure lebensraum (living space) for the German master race. -
Reichstag fire
The Reichstag Fire. A fire which broke out at the Reichstag building was blamed on the Communist Party (KPD). As a result the KPD, which was the second largest party in Germany, was banned. The banning of the Communist party gave the Nazis a clear majority in government. -
23rd March 1933
Enabling Act gave Hitler power to make laws without consulting the Reichstag for a period of four years. -
26th april 1933
The Nazis took over local government. -
2nd May 1933
Trade Unions were banned. -
14th July 1933
All political parties except the Nazis were banned. -
October 1933
Germany withdrew from the League of Nations. -
30th June 1934
The Night of the Long Knives – 150 leaders of the Stormtroopers SA were executed. Many members of the SA were committed socialists and demanded that Nazi policy embrace socialist aims. This was not a direction the Nazis wished to follow so the SA were eliminated. -
2nd August 1934
President Hindenburg died. Hitler combined the post of President and Chancellor and called himself Fuhrer. -
26th February 1935
Hitler ordered Hermann Goering to establish the Luftwaffe, German airforce, in defiance of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. -
15th September 1935
Nuremburg Laws defined German citizenship. Relationships between Jews and Aryans were banned. -
7th March 1936
Re-occupation of the Rhineland. In contravention of the terms of the Versailles Treaty, Hitler sent German troops to re-occupy the Rhineland. -
25th October 1936
Axis alliance concluded between Germany and Italy. -
25th November 1936
Anti-Comintern pact concluded between Germany and Japan. -
30th September 1938
Munich Agreement – Allies agreed that Germany could have the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia in return for peace. -
15th March 1939
Hitler invaded and occupied Czechoslovakia in contravention of the Munich Agreement. -
31st March 1939
Britain issued a statement guaranteeing Poland’s independence. The issuing of this statement meant that if Germany invaded Poland then Britain would come to the aid of the Poles. -
Nazi-Soviet Pact
Nazi-Soviet Pact – Alliance between Hitler and Stalin which agreed to divide Poland between the two countries. -
Beginning of IIWW
Hitler invaded Poland using Blitzkrieg (lightning war) tactics. Although the Poles fought back they were quickly defeated and Poland was occupied.
