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War in Europe
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Union With Austria
Hitler declared that if Germany was to prosper, they needed the land of their neighbors. Austria was where Hitler wanted to expand towards first. The Paris Peace Conference following WWI left a small nation of Austria after they divided up the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Many of Austria’s 6 million people were German and wanted to unify with Germany. German Troops marched into Austria unopposed. It only took one day to union with Austria. The rest of the world stood by and did nothing. -
Barganing for the Sudetenland
Many German speaking people lived in Sudetenland which is the western border regions of Czechoslovakia.
Mountains helped the Czechs defend against the Germans. Hitler wanted Czechoslovakia to get more living space and capitalize on its resources. Hitler accused the Czechs of abusing the Sudeten Germans, and started moving troops to attack their border. Both France and Great Britain promised to help protect Czechoslovakia, but Hitler said it would be his “last territorial demand.” -
The Soviet Union Declares Neutrality
Hitler accused the Poles that they were mistreating the Germans that lived there. Since it was Hitler’s second time for doing this people did not believe him. If Germany attacked Poland it was assumed that Russia, England and France would then declare war on Germany. Fighting a two front war in WWI defeated Germany, Stalin signed a nonaggression pact with Hitler. They signed a secret pact saying that they were going to divide Poland. There was no threat of a two-front war, Poland was invaded. -
Blitzkrieg in Poland
Germany had developed a new war strategy called blitzkrieg, or lightning war. The goal of blitzkrieg was to quickly crush the enemy using the most advanced technology of the time. Germany tested their new strategy on Poland on September 1, 1939. The air force littered Polish skies with bombs and powerful tanks ransacked the countryside. Germany conquered Poland before Polish allies could intervene. Blitzkrieg was a success. WWII had begun. -
The Phony War
After the fall of Poland, French and British troops engaged in a “sitting war” with Germany. Stationed along France’s eastern border, they awaited Germany’s next move. It was not until Stalin conquered Finland that Germany made their move. Hitler launched a surprise invasion on Denmark and Norway and later invaded Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. The phony war was over. Once these lands were won, Hitler would be in the perfect position to attack Britain. -
The Fall of France
In the year 1940, Germany invaded France from the north. Italy invaded from the south shortly afterwards. The French did not stand a chance. Hundreds of thousands of British, French, and Belgium troops escaped in makeshift boats across the English Channel. On June 22, 1940, France surrendered to Germany. A makeshift Nazi-controlled government headed by Marshal Philippe Petain was established in Southern France. Charles de Gaulle fled to England and set up a “government-in-exile." -
The Battle of Britain
In the summer of 1940, Germany assembled a naval force and launched an aerial attack on Great Britain. British towns were bombed mercilessly by German aircrafts. Germany was determined to destroy Britain’s Royal Air Force and thus win control of the skies. The Germans were ultimately unsuccessful in this endeavor. Using radar, the RAF was able to locate and shoot down German fighter planes. In a single day, the RAF destroyed over 185 German planes. Hitler called off the invasion indefinitely.
