-
Hitler
Adolf Hitler a anti-communist and admirer of Mussolini belonged to the Nazi party ( National Socialist German Workers Party) and eventually without any violent overthrow took over the German government just in time for WW2. -
Anschluss
Unification of Austria and Germany. Hitler's plan to reunite all the German speaking countires into one big empire. -
Munich Conference
Britain and France agreed to Hitler's demand, a policy known as appeasement, making consessions in exhange for peace. Hitler had few demands they thought if they gave him what he wanted they could avoid war. Czechoslovakia was told to give up Sudetenland or fight Germany on its own. -
Chechoslovakia
Hiter announced German clainms to the Sudetenland, an area of Chechoslovakia with a large German-speaking population. France then treatened to fight if Germany attacked Chechoslovakia and the USSR also promised aid. Then Britian's support was added to France's. -
Danzig
A month after the Munich conference, Hitler demanded that Danzig (Poland) be returened to German control. Hitler's new demands convinced Britain and France that war was inevitable. On March 31st, 1939 Brtitan annonced that if Poland went to war Britian and France would come to its aid. -
Nazi-Soviet Pact
German officals proposed a nonaggression treaty towards the Soviets, Stalin agreed. If the treaty worked Germany would go to war against Britain and France and the USSR would be safe. -
Poland, Britain, France
Germany invaded Poland, 2 days later Britain and France declared war on Germany. -
Blitzkrieg
Germany's blitzkreig (lightning war". Used large numbersof massed tanks to break through rapidly encirle enemy positions. Aircrafts bomb emenies to cut off supplies. Polish army could not repel the attack. -
Phony War/Bore War
Western Europe was quiet to war. The Germans refered to it as sitzkrieg "sitting war". British called it the "bore war". American newspapers nicknamed it the "phony war" British and France waiting for the Germans to attack. -
Fall of Poland
The Germans defeat the Polish army. -
The Maginot Line
After WW1 the French had built a line of concrete bunkers and fortifications called the Maginot Line along the German border. Hitler, after beating Poland, went around the Maginot line which only protected France and Germany's border but not France and Belgium's/ -
Dunkirk
After the Germans trapped the Allies their only way out was by sea but the Germans had captured all but one of their ports, Dunkirk, Hitler's orders were to stop, while they halted it gave the Allies time to strengthen their lines and defences. -
French Surrender
Hitler accepted the French surrdenr the same railway cartthat ended WW1. -
Battle of Britain
Was strictly an air battle between Britain and Germany. Germans bombed London so the British fought back by bombing Berlin. What saved the British was the invention of the radar, so they could detect when the Germans were coming. On October 12, 1940 Hitler canceled the invasion of Britain.
