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The Austrian Anschluss
In March 1937, Hitler had announced his plan to unite all German-speaking countries. Hitler believe, to expand territory, it can only happen by "resort[ing] to force with its attendant risks." In Feb. 1938, Hitler threatened invasion to Austria unless Nazi Austrians were given important government jobs. Austria tried to democratically vote for Austrian annexation, but HItler sent troops and announced an Anschluss, or unification. -
The Munich Conference
Hitler made claims of Sudetenland, a heavily-populated German-speaking area, but Czechoslovakia resisted these demands. Other countries like Britain, France, and Russia would come to their aid. To avoid war, the representatives of Britain, France, Italy, and Germany had met in Munich to discuss the country's fate. Britain and France made appeasement, giving in to Hitler's demands for Sudetenland. Appeasement failed and in March 1939, Hitler's troops entered and split the nation. -
Hitler's Demand for Danzig
A month after the Conference, Hitler demanded Danzig, located in Poland, with 90% of the population being German. Though, Danzig has been with Poland since WWI. With the demands a highway and a railroad across the Polish Corridor. These demands had Britain and France become involved as Britain announced that Britain and France would defend Poland if they refused Hitler's demands. That was enough incentive to resist Hitler, to which Hitler order the Polish Invasion on May 1939. -
The Nazi-Soviet Pact.
Though, fate holds that the USSR and Germany were supposed to oppose each other, a nonaggression pact was signed between the two countries with opposite government ideology. Hitler had wanted one front to be safe and focus the war efforts on France and Germany while Stalin agreed, believing the best way to protect his nation was to have the capitalist countries turn against each other. Secretly, this pact also split Poland in half, for Nazi Germany and USSR. -
The Invasion of Poland
On this day, the German invasion of Poland had begun, with Britain and Germany later declaring war. Though, Poland's army was primitive compared to Germany's technology and the army's use of a new type of warfare, the Blitzkrieg, which involved massive amounts of armor, the Luftwaffe, and paratroopers while using the radio to communicate their attacks, breaking Poland's line with high mobility. By October 5, 1939, Poland fell to Germany. -
The Fall of France
By the Germans, "Sitzkrieg" or "Sitting War", by the British, the "Bore War" and by Americans, the "Phony War", The French had built the Maginot Line which bordered Germany with fortifications. British and French forces stayed defensive on the Maginot Line. On May 10, German commenced a blitzkrieg in Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg, forcing Allied forces to go north, but that was a decoy. The main forces were in the direct east breaking the French lines with ease. -
The Dunkirk Evacuation
In Dunkirk, France, BEF troops were ordered to evacuate to Britain by sea. Though, the evacuation of not only soldiers, but civilians was a slow and difficult process and this was happening as German ground forces were advancing. Hitler suddenly ordered the ground forces to discontinue the advancement, thinking the Luftwaffe was all it needed and he thought Britain was willing to negotiate peace terms. The delay gave more time to evacuate and with success. -
The Battle of Britain
A decisive victory for Britain, it was the first all-air battle involving the RAF (Royal Air Force) and Luftwaffe, and numerous bombing campaigns on British land, mostly in London. During this time, after France had fallen, Winston Churchill assured the population that they would never give up. After London was bombed by Germany, thinking it lowered the people's morale, had enraged the British civilians and so led to the dogfights and bombing runs.
