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1) Hitler threatens Jews during Reichstag speech
When he appeared in front of the Nazi Reichstag (Parliment) on the 6th anniversary of his coming to power Adolf Hitler made a speech in celebration of the anniversary. In this speech, Hitler threatens the Jews. He talks about how they didn't believe that he could rise to power and they laughed at him when he said that he would take leadership of the State. -
3) Hitler threatens jews in Reichstag speech
This was the first time Hitler called for the annihilation of the Jews publicly, which meant a lot to the overall war because as the war progressed more and more Jews (or people that weren't Jewish but were wrongly classified as Jews) were killed. -
2) Hitler threatens Jews in Reichstag speech
Hitler then said "Today I will once more be a prophet: if the international Jewish financiers in and outside Europe should succeed in plunging the nations once more into a world war, then the result will not be the Bolshevizing of the earth, and thus the victory of Jewry, but the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe!" -
1) The Allies declare war on Germany
The allied forces Great Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand declared war on Germany because on the 1st of September 1939, the Germans forces bombed Polish towns and cities, and this resulted in the injuries and death of thousands of people. The Germans did not meet a deadline set by The Allies to retreat from Poland, so the British Prime Minister announced on the radio that they were at war with Germany.
Neville Chamberlain's speech -
2) The Allies declare war on Germany
This is an extremely important event as this is what marked the start of World War 2. -
1) Poland surrenders
On the 1st of September Poland was invaded by Germany. Poland fought back, but could only hold of the Germans for 26 days. On the 27th of September 140,000 Polish troops got captured and taken prisoner by the Germans. Warsaw surrenders to Hitler's army as their forces are far more superior.
The Germans then began rounding up Poland's middle and upper classes (doctors, teachers, priests, landowners and businessmen) and killing them. The Nazi's called this “Extraordinary Pacification Action.” -
2) Poland surrenders
Hundreds of thousands more Poles were relocated East, and Germans then occupied the vacated areas. -
1) United Kingdom begins rationing
Almost all of the UK's food was imported. When the war started, this meant that one of the German's strategies was to attack shipping that was headed for Britain, therfore their enemies would not have enough food.
On the 8th of January Britain started rationing bacon, butter and sugar. This was follwed by the rationing of meat, tea, jam, biscuits, breakfast cereals, cheese, eggs, lard, milk and canned and dried fruit. -
2) United Kingdom begins rationing
By August 1942 all food were rationed, apart from bread and vegetables, but supplies of fresh vegetables and fruits were limited, and some store owners imposed their own rules, such as customers may only buy one apple each. -
3) United Kingdom begins rationing
People were given ration books that were filled with coupons and they had to register at a shop, then the shops were given enough food for the amount of people registered there. People were also encouraged to grow their own fruits and vegetables, therefore there would be more for everyone. -
1) Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister of Great Britain
On the 10th of May 1940 Winston Churchill became the Prime Minister of Great Britain, after Neville Chamberlain resigned.
People thought that Britain could not win the war and that they should just make peace with the Germans, but Churchill was determined that they could win, and promised to continue fighting.
He was friends with the President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who he persuaded to give Britain supplies and help them. -
2) Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister of Great Britain
If someone else had become Prime Minister, Britian may have given up and made peace with the Germans, therefor letting th Germans win. But Churchill didn't and Germany lost in the end. -
Auschwitz concentration camp established
Auschwitz was a group of concentration camps in the Polish town called "Oświęcim" that were run by the SS.
Auschwitz consisted of 3 large camps and 48 subcamps.
Auschwitz II (Birkenau) was the biggest death camp that was run by the Nazi soldiers during the Holocaust.
The other camps were forced labour camps, where the prisoners worked as slaves.
Historians estimate that around 1.1 million people were killed or died at Auschwitz, although no one actually knows. -
1) Hitler tours Paris
On the 23rd of June 1940 Adolf Hitler visted Paris, and visited notable sites. At this time France was German territory.
Hitler had summoned his favourite architect, Albert Speer, to join him at his headquaters, which at the time as located at a small village in France. He then informed Speer that he was going to take a tour of Paris and wanted Speer to join him.
They visited places such as Napoleon's tomb and the Eiffel tower. -
2) Hitler tours Paris
When they finished their tour, Hitler talked to Speer, saying, 'Draw up a decree in my name ordering full-scale resumption of work on the Berlin buildings. . . . Wasn't Paris beautiful? But Berlin must be made far more beautiful. In the past I often considered whether we would not have to destroy Paris, but when we are finished in Berlin, Paris will only be a shadow. So why should we destroy it?' -
1) The battle of Britain begins
The battle of Britain was an attack on Britain by the Luftwaffe (the German Air Force).
The German's first objective was to gain control of the air space that was above Britan from the British Air Force (Royal Air Force).
Coastal shipping convoys and shipping centres were targeted in the begining, and the Germans later moved onto targeting towns, cities and factories. -
2) The battle of Britain begins
The failure of Nazi Germany to achieve what they wanted to do, destroying Britain's air defences, or forcing Britain to negotiate an armistice or just outright surrender, is considered their first major defeat and one of the crucial turning points in the war.
Over 40,000 civilians were killed by the battle of Britain and The Blitz -
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