-
The Rise of Nazi Germany
The Nazi's rose to power, after being formally known as DAP (German Workers Party). After Adolf Hitler renamed the party to the National German Workers Party, or NSDAP, or Nazi's. And Adolf soon was to become very famous. -
Book Burnings
Beginning on May 10, 1933, Nazi-dominated student groups carried out public burnings of books they claimed were “un-German.” The book burnings took place in 34 university towns and cities. Works of prominent Jewish, liberal, and leftist writers ended up in the bonfires. The book burnings stood as a powerful symbol of Nazi intolerance and censorship. -
Kristallnacht
On November 9–10, 1938, Nazi leaders unleashed a series of pogroms against the Jewish population in Germany and recently incorporated territories. This event came to be called Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass) because of the shattered glass that littered the streets after the vandalism and destruction of Jewish-owned businesses, synagogues, and homes. -
World War 2 Begins
The mass murder of Europe’s Jews took place in the context of WWII. As German troops invaded and occupied more and more territory in Europe, the Soviet Union, and North Africa, the regime’s racial and antisemitic policies became more radical, moving from persecution to genocide. -
Operation Chastise (Dam Buster)
On the night of 16-17 May 1943, Wing Commander Guy Gibson led 617 Squadron of the Royal Air Force on an audacious bombing raid to destroy three dams in the Ruhr valley, the industrial heartland of Germany. The mission was codenamed Operation 'Chastise'. The dams were fiercely protected. Torpedo nets in the water stopped underwater attacks and anti-aircraft guns defended them against enemy bombers. But 617 Squadron had a secret weapon: the 'bouncing bomb'. -
The Bombing of Munich
The Bombing of Munich took place mainly in the later stages of World War II. Munich was, and is, a significant German city, as much culturally as industrially. Augsburg, 37 miles (60 km) to the west, was a main center of diesel engine production (and still is today), and was also heavily bombed during the war. Munich was bombed by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). There were 74 air raids on Munich, with 6,632 people killed and 15,800 wounded.