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The Evacuation of Dunkirk
after trapping the allied forces in Belgium, the Germans pushed them towards the English Channel. Germany had captured all of the ports but one near Belgium. Hitler cancelled the attack on Dunkirk because he thought that if he didn't do it that the British would be more opened to the peace treaty. He was also nervous about losing his tanks. He gave them three days to get ready and evacuate the port. -
The Austrian Anschluss
In February of 1938 Hitler threatened to invade Austria unless Austrian Nazi's were given important government roles. The chancellor agreed to Hitler's demand but put it up to a democratic vote. Hitler feared the results, so he sent troops into Austria in March. That is when Anschluss (unification) of Austria and Germany. -
The Munich Conference
Hitler claimed Sudetenland. Due to that, Representatives of Britain, France, Italy, and Germany agreed to meet in Munich to decide the fate of Czechoslovakia. Britain and France agreed to Germany's policy, appeasement. They agreed because they assumed that if they give Hitler what he wants they could avoid war. Czech was told to give up Sudetenland or fight Germany on their own. The Appeasement failed to preserve peace. Hitler sent troops which divided the country and was under German control. -
Hitler Demands Danzig
A month later, Hitler demanded Danzig to go under German control again. It was apart of Poland since WWI. He also demanded a highway and railroad across the Polish Corridor. It separated Western and Eastern Germany. This convinced Britain and France that war was inevitable. Britain announced that them and France would come to aid Poland if war was claimed. This encouraged Poland to deny Hitlers request. Hitler prepared troops to invade and got the USSR to help. -
The Fall of France
France was remaining quiet during the war in Poland. They became prepared for Germany to invade after Poland. France's army waited behind the Maginot Line. That decision was horrible because while it protected the French from the German Borders, it didn't block Belgium. German soldiers attacked by entering France from the Belgium border. They had to invade other countries before entering France. Troops rushed to Belgium to fight. Germany sent tanks from the north. -
The Nazi Soviet Pact
German officials proposed a nonagression treaty with the Soviet Union. Stalin agreed. If the treaty worked, Germany would go to war with Britain and France and the USSR would be safe. The signing of the nonagression treaty shocked the world. Britain and France understood. Hitler made the agreement to free himself from war. They didn't know that the treaty also agreed to split Poland between Germany and the Soviet Union. -
The Invasion of Poland
Hitler invaded Poland on September 1st. Britain and France declared war which was the beginning of WWII. Poland's army was outdated and didn't stand a chance against Germany's army. Germany used a new type of warfare that used tanks to break through enemy barriers. -
The Battle of Britain
realizing Britain was not going to surrender Hitler ordered commanders to prepare to invade. German soldiers bombed London which lead to Britain bombing Berlin. The German airforce started to bomb the English Channel. This lead to a full on air battle to destroy the Royal Air Force.
