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The Austrian Anschluss
Hitler wanted unification for all of the German speaking people, even those that lived in Austria and Czechoslovakia. The way Hitler believed he could expand the territory was to "resort to force with its attendant risks." On March 12, 1938 Hitler and his troops marched into Austria. That is when Hitler announced his Anschluss and a constitution was then held on April 10. There was 99.7% approval for the union of Germany and Austria. -
The Munich Conference.
The agreement permitting Germany's annexation of the Sudetenland was signed on September 29, 1938. After he annexed Austria he then wanted to expand even more. Hitlers next target was Sudetenland which was in Czechoslovakia, a territory in which was mostly a German population. Some of his impressions were that he did not want a general war at this point. -
Hitler Demands Danzig
On October 24, 1939 is when Hitler wanted to Invade Danzig, Poland. He wanted to invade Danzig because he was determined to overturn the military and territorial provisions of the Treaty of Versailles and include ethnic Germans in the Reich. He also wanted demanded the Free City of Danzig to Germany and railroad access for Germany to cross "Polish Corridor". -
The Nazi- Soviet Pact
A nonaggression pact signed by Germany and the USSR really shocked everyone. Germany believed in Nazisim while the USSR believed in Communism. They were complete oppsoites yet they were coming together to make an agreement. The treaty contained a secret deal to divide Poland between Germany and the Soviet Union. This pact turned the capitalist nations against eachother as well. If the treaty worked then Germany would go to war with Britiain and France and the USSR would remain safe. -
The Invasion of Poland
Germany invaded Poland in September. Britain and France had declared war two days later on Germany. Now WWII had begun. Poland had resisted Germany but their army was outdated. They used army rode horses and caqrriedo lances while the Germans used tanks. Germans also used a new warefare called "blitzkrieg". It used large numbers of massed tanks to break through and quickly circle enemies positions. Unfortunately the polish army could not hold them back. -
The Fall of France
The british sent troops to France and both countries remained on the defensive. France built a line of concrete along the line between france and germany. Germany did nothing at first back to them. But, germany went around the concrete wall and entered through netherlands, belgium, and luxembourg and because it was moutainious the french tanks couldnt get through. -
The Evacuation of Dunkirk
After trapping the allies in Belgium, Germany tried to push them to the English channel. Britian and France hadn o choice but to evacuate their surviving troops by sea. Germans had captured them at a port called Dunkirk near the belgium border. June 22 France surrendered and Germany is now occuipied with much of Northern France. -
Battle of Britian
The German airforce, Luftwaffe, attacked british shipping in the English Channel. Mid August the Luftwaffe launched all out air battle of destroy the Royal Air Force. This battle lasted into the fall of 1940 and then became the Battle of Britain.
