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Hossbach Memorandum
Hitler secretly met with top military leaders with plans to expand the Third Reich by taking Austria and Czechoslovakia under German control in an effort to "unite all German speaking regions into one empire." -
Period: to
Expansion of the Third Reich
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Germans Enter Austria
Germans marched into Austria unopposed. One day later, the union of the two countries was complete. No other country interviened with these affairs. -
Munich Agreement
Daladier and Chamberlain sign the Munich Agreement with Hitler, turning the Sudetenland over to Germany without a single shot being fired. -
"Czechoslovakia has ceased to exist."
German troops pour into what remained of Czechoslovakia. The dictator of Germany then set his sights on Poland; expansion of the Third Reich was not over.
As said by Hitler, "Czechoslovakia has ceased to exist." -
Hitler-Stalin Pact
Fascist Germany and communist Russia agree to a nonagression pact. They also created a secret pact to divide Poland in half between the two countries. -
Blitzkreig
German Luftwaffe, or German Air Force, flew over Poland, dropping bombs on military bases, airfields, railroads, and cities. Tanks roared across the countryside. This marked the beginning of Blitzkreig. By the end of that same month, Poland ceased to exist by Blitzkreig tactics. -
Allies Declare War
Britain and France declare war on Germany following the terror in Poland. -
Denmark and Norway
Hitler launched a surprise invasion of Denmark and Norway in order to "protect [those countries'] freedom and independence, but actually built up bases against Britain. Next he would turn to the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, overrun by the end of May. -
France Surrenders
At Compiegne, Hitler handed French officers his terms of surrender. Germans would occupy Northern France and a Nazi-controlled puppet government would be set up in Southern France at Vicny. This was the fall of France. -
Rpyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force shot down 185 German planes, but lost only 26 aircrafts, themselves. Six weeks later, Hitler called off the invasion of Britain. Although, civilians in both countries unrelentingly carried on.
