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Hitler's first "Saturday surprise"
This was his first surprise on the world. This surprise was that Hitler was rebuilding the German air force, reinstating the draft, and rearming the nation. He assured the world that this was just a defensive measure. -
Hitler's second "Saturday Surprise"
This was the day that German soldiers marched into the Rhineland to take back this part of land lost in the Treaty of Versailles. The Rhineland was a strip of land thirty-one miles wide and was a buffer between Germany, France, and Belgium. As Hitler expected the French were taken off guard by this invasion and didn't stop Germany from taking back this land. -
Hitler takes Austria
On this day Hitler summoned the prime minister of Austria to try and overtake Austria. The prime minister refused and then on March 11 German troops invaded Austria. When the Nazi's called for a vote a few weeks after the invasion, 99.7 percent of Austria's voters approved Germany overtaking Austria. After taking Austria, Hitler assured the world this was his invasion for land. -
Hitler turns attention to Czechoslovakia
Hitler now starts making demands on how Czechoslovakia should surrendrer an area known as Sudetenland to Hitler. While tension rose between Hitler and Czechoslovakia, Benitio Mussolini of Italy invited Germany, France, and Britain to a meeting in Munich, Germany to solve the issues. An agreement came from this known as the Munich Agreement which gave Sudetenland to Hitler. -
Hitler lied
Hitler now invaded all of Czechoslovakia and put the whole country under German control. After Hitler takes Czechoslovakia he assures the world, especially American president Roosevelt, that he would end his demand for land if he would be returned the city of Danzig and part of Poland. -
Hitler targets Poland
On the morning of September 1st the German army and SS soldiers marched into Poland. Since Britain and France were allies with Poland they declared war on Germany. Even with this new help Germany defeated Poland in only 18 days. -
The fall of Poland
After the fall of Poland in 1939, Germany called western, southern, and central Poland Warthegau. The rest of Poland was the General Government of Poland. With Poland invaded Heinrich HImmler planned the future of the Polish children. The boys with aryan features were sent to be trained soldiers and the girls were prepared for motherhood. -
Attention to the West
By this point the Nazi's controlled Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, and now France had fallen. The only countries now left neutral were Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, and Sweden. -
Russia's invaded
Hitler ordered the invasion of Russia to destroy once and for all the "Jewish-Bolshevik menace". Although Hitler expected Russia to be defeated easily many of Russia's soldiers and citizens fought strongly to defend their homeland. This caught Hitler by surprise. -
America enters WWII
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor Japan and the US declare war. Since Japan and Germany are allies they unite and Germany declares war on the US. Although by declaring war on America Hitler now united three powerful nations- Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States. The three may disagree on certain topics but all were determined to win the war.
