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The Anschluss
Hitler’s strategy
– Reunite German speaking peoples in Austria.
– Thought he should unify everyone under one empire
– Would also gain food supplies, defenses, and soldiers
– Create the “ Third Reich” German empire
• Threatened to invade Austria if Nazi party members
weren’t given important positions:
– Austrian chancellor quickly did so, in fear of Hitler
• Austrian chancellor:
– Tried to place the unification under democratic vote
– Hitler sent troops and announced the Anschluss
Austrain acpt -
The Munich Conference
Hitler’s next goal was part of Czechoslovakia
(Sudentenland)
– German-speaking peoples
• Czechs resisted Hitler’s goal:
– France and the Soviet Union backed them: in case Hitler
invaded
• To avoid another war, British prime minister Neville
Chamberlain granted Hitler appeasement:
– Concessions in exchange for peace
– Promised Hitler the Sudetenland if he promised not to take
the rest of Czechoslovakia.
• Hitler invaded and broke up Czechoslovakia soon after
Wanted to unite the perfect race -
The Nazi-Soviet Pact
Hitler was preparing to invade Poland,
negotiated with the Soviet Union in order to
keep the peace with them
• Germany and USSR signed the Nazi-Soviet
Pact:
– Kept USSR out of the war if Germany went to war
against Britain and France in exchange for Polish
lands
So he wanted to create and keep alliances while dominating and conquering -
Danzig and the Polish Corridor
After taking the Sudetenland, Hitler wanted
Danzig
– Part of Germany separated by Poland at the end of
World War I
• Hitler wanted to build a highway and railroad
across Poland to connect Germany, Danzig and
East Prussia.
• Britain and France knew appeasement failed:
– Said that they would back up Poland if Hitler invaded
– Encouraged Poland to refuse Hitler’s demands
(didnt happen on the 1st couldnt find date) -
The War Begins
September 1st, 1939, Germany invaded
Poland:
– Invasion from the Soviet Union from the east
– Two days later, Britain and France declared war on
Germany
• Germany blitzkrieg, or “lightening war” to take
Polandn trying to conquer hilter creates a war that could cost him allies and the "perfect race"
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