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The First of Many Surprises
As his first of his so called "Saturday Surprises," Hitler persisted in his opposition to te Treaty of Versailles in an attempt to bring Germany back to what it was before The Great War. He acheived this by rebuilding Germany's air force, drafting German men, and producing arms for the military. Hitler ensured his people that even with these seemingly violent preparations, these new efforts were merely to defend Germany and maintain peace. -
Hitler Meets With Austrian Prime Minister
Two years after Hitler had created the alliance between Italy and Germany, he wanted Austria to become one with Germany. In hopes of accomplishing this goal, Hitler met with the Prime Minister of Austria, Kurt von Schuschnigg lasting 11 hours. When Hitler was told that the Prime Minister did not wish to have his country become a part of Germany, he granted von Schuschnigg three days to reconsider. In this time, he organized an election so his final decision would reflect the will of the people. -
The Munich Agreement is Signed
The Munich Agreement allowed the Nazis to take over Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland and was seen as a betrayal of the alliance between Britain and Czechoslovakia. The part of the agreement that favored the French and British allied powers was that the Nazis promised not to pursue more foreign territory again. This particular region of Czechoslovakia was of utmost importance to the defense of the country due to its position on the border of the country. -
Germans Take Czechoslovakia
Hitler broke the promise that he had made in the Munich Agreement to not pursue more foreign territory in a mere six months. Although people expected him to eventually violate the agreement, it was not expected such an act would occur so soon. This set the stage for more broken promises and put Germany in even more power. The Nazis taking Czechoslovakia and constant push for more territory also concerned many other nations, including Britain, France, and the United States. -
Germany Declares War on Poland
After staging a fake attack on a German border town named Gleiwitz the night before, Nazi Germany declared war on Poland. The German people were generally not enthusiastic about this occurence with few exeptions. Three days after this declaration came the allied declaration of war from Great Britain and France, making this particular event extremely influential. The fight against Poland had lasted 18 days with the Nazis prevailing over the Poles. -
The Polish General Government is Formed
Starting in September directly following all of Poland coming under German rule, the General Government of Poland was formed in Northern Poland. To this area, Nazis deported Poles, Jews, and Gypsies to purify and "Aryanize" Warthegau, the central and southern parts of Poland. This event also began a wave of persecution and isolation in Poland. -
The Nazis Dominate Europe
After numerous conquests in western Europe including countries such as Denmark, Belguim, and Norway, German powers eventually occupied France. This left Britain to be the only western European country not controlled by Hitler's forces. Directly after this Britian realized it needed a new leader and elected Winston Churchill to lead the country through the war. -
The Russian Invasion Begins
Exactly a year after he had gained control of mostly all of Western Europe, Hitler seeked to conquer Russia. This was both to anniahlate the Jewish population in Russia and also stop spreading Asian culture and influence to Europe. During these invasions, soldiers were ordered to systematically kill all those considered to be enemies of the state and the extent of such killings increased rapidly. -
America Enters The War
The day after the unprovoked bombing by the Japanese of Pearl Harbor, a place of strategic importance for the U.S., President Roosevelt declared war on Japan. In three days time, even with his advisors differing opinions, Hitler declared war against the U.S. on the 11th. This one event created the two alliances of the Axis and Allied powers.
