German Expansion Timeline

Hitler Plans

Nov 5, 1937

Hitler secretly meets with top military advisers. He plans to absorb Austria and Czechoslovakia into the third reich.

Germany Invades Austria

Mar 12, 1938

German troops march into Austria unopposed. A day later, Germany announces that the Anschluss (union) with Austria had been done. The rest of the world did nothing.

Munich Agreement

Sep 30, 1938

French premier Édouard Daladier and British prime minister Neville Chamberlain met with Hitler in Munich. Trying to avoid a war breaking out, they both signed the Munich agreement, which gave Germany the Sudetenland without any violence.

Germany invades Czechoslovakia

Mar 15, 1939

German troops take over what remains of Czechoslovakia, in an effort to expand the Third Reich.

Pacts between the Soviet Union and Germany

Aug 23, 1939

Russia and Germany signed a nonaggression pact. They also signed a second pact which split Poland among them.

Germany invades Poland

Sep 1, 1939

Germany invades Poland with the blitzkrieg (lightning war) strategy. This strategy allowed them to take Poland by surprise and destroy them quickly.

Attack Against Germany

Sep 3, 1939

Britain and France declare war on Germany, shortly after Germany invaded Poland.

Germany Invades Denmark and Norway

Apr 9, 1940

Hitler launched a surprise attack on Denmark and Norway to "protect their freedom and independence." The reality was that Hitler was truly trying to build bases along the coasts to strike at Great Britain.

Hitler Invades the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg

May 10, 1940

Hiter invades Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The Netherlands surrendered on the 15th of May, while Belgium surrendured on the 28th of May.

The Fall of France

Jun 22, 1940

Hitler handed French officers the terms of surrender. The Germans would occupy the Northern portion of France, while a Nazi-controlled puppet government would control the South.

Battle of Britain Begins

Jul 10, 1940

The Battle of Britain began. Germany wanted to defeat the British airforce and industry to win air superiority over the English Channel and Southern Britain.

Battle of Britain Ends

Oct 31, 1940

Hitler called off the invasion of Britain indefinetl, ending the Battle of Britain.