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German Expansion Timeline
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Hiter Proposed Invasions of Nearby Countries
Hitler met secretly with his top military advisers and declared that to make Germany prosper, they would have to absorb neighboring countries into the Third Reich. -
Germany Unifies With Austria
The country of Austria housed a majority of Germans who favored unification with Germany. German troops then marched into Austria unopposed by the Austrians and "unified" with the country. The rest of the world watched and did nothing in response. -
Bargaining For The Sudetenland
On this day, Germany bargained for the country of Czechoslovakia without a single shot being fired. Hitler had massed his troops on the border between Germany and Czechoslovakia and through propaganda, Hitler fueled the Sudeten Germans. Hitler also bargained with France and Britain by promising that Czechoslovakia was his last territorial demand. In an effort to prevent war, both France and Britain allowed him to take Sudentenland. -
Hitler Aims For Poland Next
In the spring of 1939, Hitler began his familiar routine as he had done with Czechoslovakia. Hitler fueled Germans in Poland and created propaganda that defamed the Poles. -
Stalin Begins His Conquest
Late into 1939, Stalin begins his totalitarian approach and annexes Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Stalin also invades Finland and took over. -
Beginning of The German Offensive
Hitler was not finished with his expansion of the Third Reich. On this day, German troops poured into Czechoslovakia's remaining regions and forced them under his control. -
Blitzkrieg In Poland
On this day, Germany begins their assault on Poland by bombing military bases, airfields, railroads, and cities. Whilst this is happening, German tanks were racing across the Poland countryside. Using advanced technology, Germany swiftly took over land from Poland. -
Declaration of War
Two days after Germany's invasion of Poland, France and Germany declare war on Germany. 3 weeks after this date, Poland had fallen to the Germans and the Soviet Union who grabbed up small pieces of land. -
Soviet Union Declares Neutrality
On this day, the Soviet Union declares a nonaggression pact with Hitler in which if war would be declared on Poland, Russia would not interfere. The Soviet Union also made a secret pact with Germany that if Germany did conquer Poland, both countries would split the country. -
Invasion of Great Britain
Late in the summer of 1940, Germany amasses its fleet and air force on the French coast to ready their invasion of Britain. The main goal for Hitler was to destroy the British Royal Air Force and with his 2,600 planes, he rained fire on Britain's cities and infrastructure. -
Surprise!
Germany launches a surprise invasion of Denmark and Norway in an effect to build bases along the coast to strike at Great Britain. Hitler than turned his attention to the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg which had fallen to his army. -
France Surrenders to Germany
Italy enters the World War alongside Germany. On this day, Hitler handed the French his terms of surrender. France had now fallen under German control along with Italy.
