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The Austrian Aunschluss
Hitler had long called for the unification of German-speaking people, and in February 1938, he threatened to invade German-speaking Austria unless the government appointed Austrian Nazis important leadership position. The Austrian Chancellor agreed to his demands, but left the matter of unification of Germany to a democratic vote. Before the results could ruin Hitler's chance of annexation, he sent troops there and declared Anschluss, or unification, of Germany and Austria. -
The Munich Conference
The Munich Conference was a meeting between France, Britain, Germany, and Italy to discuss Hitler's demand of annexing the Sudetenland, an area of Czechoslovakia with a large German-speaking population. Russia and France threatened to war with Germany should they invade, but at the conclusion of the conference, Hitler's demands were met to avoid war. This appeasement failed to uphold the peace and Hitler would later send troops to divide the country and take control of Czech and Slovakia. -
Hitler Demands Danzig
Not long after the Munich Conference, Hitler demanded that the city of Danzig be returned to German control. The city was 90% German, but it had been part of Poland since WWI. He also requested East Prussia and Germany to be allowed to build infrastructure in Poland to connect eachother. France and Britain saw this as a point of no return and said they would come to Poland's aid should they be invaded by Germany. Poland refused Hitler's demand, and Hitler prepared for the invasion of Poland. -
The Nazi-Soviet Pact
Hitler didn't want to fight both Britain and France on the western front and the Soviets on the eastern front. Russia wasn't difficult to persuade, as Stalin hoped to turn the capitalist nations against each other to come up on top. According to the pact, should Germany go to war with Britain and France, Russia must remain out of the conflict but will also stay safe from any hostility from Germany. The deal also had a secret agreement to split Poland between Germany and the USSR. -
The Invasion of Poland
Germany invaded Poland which prompted France and Britain to declare war two days after. The Polish army did not stand a chance, pitting their horribly outdated army against the roaring German blitzkrieg. Tanks swept through their lines, and forces were decimated by airplane bombings. The capital of Poland, Warsaw, fell on October 5, 1939. The Germans won their decisive victory over the Polish military on October 5, 1939. -
The Evacuation of Dunkirk
After trapping the Allied forces in Belgium, the Nazis pushed them towards the English channel where Britain hoped to evacuate the troops by sea. German troops had already seized all but one port, Dunkirk. The German military closed in on Dunkirk, but suddenly pulled out on orders from Hitler. French, Dutch, and Belgian ships came together to gather some 850 boats which were used to evacuate an estimated 338,000 troops. The British army was forced to leave almost all of its equipment in France. -
The Fall of France
Britain and France had decided to go on the defensive, waiting for a German attack, strengthening their forces. This allowed the Germans to finish Poland. The Germans went around the Maginot Line by invading Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Anticipating the attack, Allied forces quickly rushed into Belgium only to find out that the main German force was moving through the Ardennes Mountains. With the Allied forces stuck in Belgium, the Germans easily smashed through French lines. -
The Battle of Britain
Hitler decided to invade Britain when he realized they wouldn't surrender, so he launched an airborne campaign to strategically destroy the greatly outnumbered British Royal Air Force with the German Luftwaffe. After German bombers had accidentally bombed London, the the two countries traded blows with all out strikes on their capitals. With the help of the radar and the charisma of Winston Churchill, the British air force successfully halted Hitler's aerial campaign, canceled on October 12.
