-
The Austrian Anschluss
In Feburary of 1938 Hitler threatened to invade German- speaking Austrian. The only way he would not invade was if the Austrian Nazis were given important government posts. The chancellor of Austria gave in to Hitlers demand and then tried to put the matter of unification with Germany to a democratic vote. However in March of 1938, Hitler had sent troops into Austria. They had announced the Anschluss (unificiation) of Austria and Germany. -
The Munich Conference
A bunch of representatives of Britain, France, Italy and Germany had met in Munich to decide Czechoslovakia's fate. This became known as the Munich Conference. Britain and France had agreed to Hitlers policy called appeasement. That means that they mad concessions in exchange for peace. The people who agreed with Hitlers idea believed it would help avoid war. Czechoslovakia was told to give up the Sudetenland or fight with Germany on its own. -
Hitler Demands Danzing
About a month after the Munich Conference Hitler demanded that the city of Danzig was to be returned to Germans. Although 90% of the country was german, it had been apart of poland for since WWI. Hitler also requested a highway and a railroad across polsih corridor. In March Britain announced that if Poland went to war to defend its territory that Britain and France would come to their aid during war. Hitler ordered the german army to invade Poland. -
The Nazi- Soviet Pact
A nonaggression pact signed by Germany and the USSR really shocked everyone. Germany believed in Nazisim while the USSR believed in Communism. They were complete oppsoites yet they were coming together to make an agreement. The treaty contained a secret deal to divide Poland between Germany and the Soviet Union. This pact turned the capitalist nations against eachother as well. If the treaty worked then Germany would go to war with Britiain and France and the USSR would remain safe. -
The Invasion of Poland
Germany invaded Poland in September. Britain and France had declared war two days later on Germany. Now WWII had begun. Poland had resisted Germany but their army was outdated. They used army rode horses and caqrriedo lances while the Germans used tanks. Germans also used a new warefare called "blitzkrieg". It used large numbers of massed tanks to break through and quickly circle enemies positions. Unfortunately the polish army could not hold them back. -
The Fall of France
The british sent troops to France and both countries remained on the defensive. France built a line of concrete along the line between france and germany. Germany did nothing at first back to them. But, germany went around the concrete wall and entered through netherlands, belgium, and luxembourg and because it was moutainious the french tanks couldnt get through. -
The Evacution of Dunkirk
After trapping the allies in Belgium, Germany tried to push them to the English channel. Britian and France hadn o choice but to evacuate their surviving troops by sea. Germans had captured them at a port called Dunkirk near the belgium border. June 22 France surrendered and Germany is now occuipied with much of Northern France. -
Battle Of Britain
The German airforce, Luftwaffe, attacked british shipping in the English Channel. Mid August the Luftwaffe launched all out air battle of destroy the Royal Air Force. This battle lasted into the fall of 1940 and then became the Battle of Britain.
