Timeline: Nazi Germany

Period: Jan 1, 1914 to Dec 31, 1961

Nazi Germany

Jun 28, 1914

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife were assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina provoking World War I.

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

Aug 1, 1914

Germany declares war on Russia and France. The United Kingdom declares war on Germany

Origins of WWI Part 1
Origins of WWI Part 2

Nov 9, 1918

Germany is declared a republic.

Nov 11, 1918

The Treaty of Versailles ends World War I and the Rhineland is placed under Allied occupation for 15 years.

Treaty of Versaille

Jan 19, 1919

A national assembly meets in Weimar to write a new German Constitution. Weimar Republic established.

Weimar Republic

Jul 29, 1921

Adolf Hitler becomes leader of National Socialist (Nazi) Party.

Nov 8, 1923

"Beer Hall Putsch": Hitler’s failed coup d'état takes place in Munich. Afterwards Hitler flees, is arrested and spends about a year in prison during 1924-25.

Beer Hall Putsch

Sep 8, 1926

Germany is admitted to the League of Nations.

Oct 29, 1929

The Wall Street crash, symbolic start of the Great Depression, finds the German economy already in decline, and leads to the withdrawal of American short-term loans.

Impact of the Wall Street Crash

Apr 10, 1932

Hindenburg is reelected President by a small margin over Hitler.

Jan 1, 1933

Rally of Victory

This rally was a celebration of the seizure of power. "Rally of Victory" was designed to celebrate the end of the unpopular, weak Weimar Germany and to further the propaganda victory for the NSDAP. From this year on, all Nuremberg Rallies would portray the Nazis as Germany, and vice-versa.

Jan 30, 1933

Hindenburg appoints Adolf Hitler as the chancellor

Hitler as Chancellor

Feb 27, 1933

Fire partly destroys the Reichstag building. The government takes the occasion to step up persecution of the opposition parties.

Reichstag Fire

Mar 12, 1933

First concentration camp opened at Oranienburg outside Berlin.

Mar 23, 1933

Enabling Act

Following the passage of the Reichstag Fire Decree & establishing a single-party government, Hitler & the Nazis used the controversy to force President Hindenburg and the Weimar Parliament to pass the Enabling Act, which effectively ended democracy in Germany. It gave power to the government to rule without consulting the Parliament (Reichstag) or the President (Hindenburg).

Mar 23, 1933

Enabling Act gives Hitler dictatorial power.

http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/enabling.htm

Jun 1, 1933

Nazis open Dachau concentration camp.

Mar 16, 1934

Increase in Size of German Army

Defying the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, Hitler announces that the German Army will be increased from 100,000 to 600,000.

Jun 29, 1934

Night of the Long Knives: Hitler uses the SS to assassinate the leaders of the SA, representing the radical wing of the Nazi party, who had come to seem a threat to his plans.

Night of the Long Knives

Aug 2, 1934

Adolf Hitler declared himself der Fuhrer. The Nazi German government is called the Third Reich.

Aug 19, 1934

Adolf Hitler becomes Führer of Germany.

Jan 1, 1935

Saar Plebiscite

In a plebiscite on its long-term place in relation to other countries, over 90% of the residents of the Saarland voted in favour of returning to Germany. This was an immense propaganda coup for Hitler, as it showed there was some legitimacy to his exapnsionist policies & demands.

Mar 1, 1935

Hitler introduces Military Conscription

In response to the fact that the other major powers had not disarmed, Hitler introduced a two-year period of military conscription. He claimed that he was merely defending Germany and rightfully protecting her from countries surrounding it. He also declared that he would create a new airforce (Luftwaffe) and greatly expand and upgrade the Naval Fleet (including submarines)

Sep 15, 1935

The Nuremberg Laws deprive Jews of citizenship rights

This Day in History: Nuremberg Laws A look at the Nuremberg documents

Mar 7, 1936

German troops march into the demilitarized Rhineland.

Sep 1, 1936

Berlin Olympics

Beginning on the 1st of August 1936, the 11th Olympic Games were held in Berlin. The now synonymous Olympic Flame was one of Nazi Germany's lasting contributions to the Olympic Games. The Games themselves saw Germany emerge as the victorious nation, winning more medals than any other nation competing. Anti-Semitism was suppressed and down-played during the games, with Goebbels keeping a firm control of all press releases and commentary, especially regarding the African-American athletes.

Mar 12, 1938

Anschluss

The annexation (takeover) of Austria by German forces had been in progress since the mid-1930's. The pressure applied by the Austrian National Socialist Party (Austrian Nazi Party) had fuelled calls both in Germany & Austria for a combined German Reich of German-speaking peoples. With the help of Austrian Nazis, Hitler was able to force the Austrian Chancellor, Schuschnigg, to accept Nazis in powerful positions in Vienna. Following an ultimatum by Hitler on 11th March, Hitler annexed Austria.

Oct 15, 1938

German troops occupy the Sudetenland; Czech government resigns.

Nov 9, 1938

Kristallnacht

The 'Night of the Broken Glass' became synonymous with the ever-increasing demonisation and targeting of Jewish people, their businesses and way of life.

Mar 16, 1939

Germany occupies Czechoslovakia

Sep 1, 1939

Germany invades Poland starting World War II

Warsaw Radio Germany Invades Poland

Oct 1, 1939

Nazis begin euthanasia on sick and disabled in Germany.

Apr 5, 1940

Germany captures Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Luxembourg.

Germany defeats France

May 10, 1940

Nazis invade France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands; Winston Churchill becomes British Prime Minister.

Sep 7, 1940

German Blitz against Britain begins.

Jun 7, 1941

Operation Barbarosa

When the Germans invaded the Soviet Union.

Jun 22, 1941

Germany attacks Soviet Union as Operation Barbarossa begins.

Dec 1, 1941

Chelmo Was Established

Dec 7, 1941

Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor; Hitler issues the Night and Fog decree.

Dec 8, 1941

United States and Britain declare war on Japan.

Dec 11, 1941

Hitler declares war on the United States.

Jan 1, 1942

The Wannsee Conference

When the Nazis decided how to implement the Final Solution.

May 1, 1942

Belzec Was Established

Jul 22, 1942

Treblinka Was Established

Dec 17, 1942

British Foreign Secretary Eden tells the British House of Commons of mass executions of Jews by Nazis; U.S. declares those crimes will be avenged.

Feb 2, 1943

Germans surrender at Stalingrad in the first big defeat of Hitler's armies.

Apr 19, 1943

Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Waffen-SS attacks Jewish resistance in the Warsaw ghetto.

May 16, 1943

Jewish resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto ends.

Jun 11, 1943

Himmler orders the liquidation of all Jewish ghettos in Poland.

Jul 1, 1943

Auschwitz was Opened

Nov 28, 1943

Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin meet at Teheran.

Jun 6, 1944

D-Day

The Invasion of Normandy was the invasion and establishment of Allied forces in Normandy, France, during Operation Overlord in 1944 during World War II. At the time it was the largest amphibious invasion to ever take place