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Period: to
Pre-War Years
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Hitler comes to power
Adolf Hitler and the Nazis become the ruling the party in Germany. Hitler is named as the German Chancellor. -
Germany invades the Rhineland
The German army marched in to the Rhineland, breaking the Treaty of Versailles. Britain allows this to happen as they are trying to avoid war. -
Germany takes over the Sudetenland
Neville Chamberlain agrees that Germany can keep the Sudetenland as there were many Germans living there. -
Germany invades Czechoslovakia
Chamberlain realises he cannot stop Hitler and starts to plan for war. -
Chamberlain promises Poland that Britain will defend them
Chamberlain promises that if Germany invade, Britain and France will help Poland. -
Germany invades Poland
Germany and their allies, Russia, invade Poland. -
Hitler ignores British warnings
Chamberlain demands that Germany withdraw from Poland, but Hitler ignores him. -
Britain and France declare war on Germany
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The Phoney War
There was no real fighting fo rthe first few months of the war and it was not until May 1940 that the first battles happened. -
Evacuation
All through the winter of 1939, the British government worked hard to evacuate children form the cities to safe places in the countryside.