the road to the second world war

  • The March into the Rhineland

    The March into the Rhineland
    Hitler sent troops to the Rhineland and they were ordered to retreat if they met with French resistance. Hitler refused to retreat and the Rhineland was invaded by the germans.
  • Hitler´s peace propose

    Hitler´s peace propose
    Hitler proposed a 25-year agreement between Germany, France and Belgium. Germany promised not to attack its western neighbours and hitler also suggested that there should be a demilitarised zone on the France-German borders.
  • Hitler´s meeting with Schuschnigg

    Hitler´s meeting with Schuschnigg
    The Austrian leader, Schuschnigg visited Hitler in February 1938. He was badly treated by Hitler who demanded that Nazis be allowed to join the Austrian goverment and be given more power in Austria.
  • The Plebiscite

    The Plebiscite
    Schuschnigg announced that there would be a plebiscite in Austria to decide whether Austrians wanted their country to remain independent. He fixed the lowest age of voting at twenty-four, so that young Nazis would not be able to vote.
  • Austria´s Invation

    Austria´s Invation
    Hitler heard about the plebiscite plan and ordered the army to invade before it as he feared that schuschnigg would win. On 11 March 1938 Gemany invaded Austria.
  • The Sudeten Germans

    The Sudeten Germans
    By this year there were about 3 million Germans in Czechoslovakia. They were known as Sudeten Germans. Nazis were active among them. The local nazi leader was Konrad Henlein. On 28 March 1938 he met Hitler who told him to keep making demands.
  • Hitler prepares to attack

    Hitler prepares to attack
    Hitler knew that Britain and France would not intervene if he attacked Czechoslovakia. He was told by Mussolini that Italy would support Germany. On 30 May Hitler let his generals know that he had decided to attack Czechoslovakia in the near future.
  • First attack on Czechoslovakia

    First attack on Czechoslovakia
    Hitler was ready to war against Czechoslovakia in the summer of 1938. Henlein ordered local Nazis to attack Czech and Jewish targets. As a result, negotiations between Sudeten Germans and Prague were broken off.
  • Chamberlain and Hitler meeting

    Chamberlain and Hitler meeting
    In this meeting Hitler complained to Chamberlain about the treatment of the Sudeten Germans. They agreed that if Hitler didn´t use force to take contol the Sudetenland would be annexedby Germany.
  • Chamberlain, Daladier and Bonnet meeting

    Chamberlain, Daladier and Bonnet meeting
    The French leaders agreed to support the partition of Czechoslokia in return for a British promise to defend what was left of the Czechoslovak state.
  • Hitler and Chamberlain second meeting

    Hitler and Chamberlain second meeting
    When Chamberlain told Hitler that Britain, France and Czechoslovakia had agreed the peaceful take-over he was annoyed. He wanted to smash and destroy Czechoslovakia by force so he refused the deal he had suggested a week earlier.
  • Horace Wilson meeting with Hitler

    Horace Wilson meeting with Hitler
    Chamberlain tried once again to get Hitler to find a peaceful solution so he sent Wilson to talk to Hitler. Hitler told Wilson several times that he was going to smash the Czechs.
  • orace Wilson meeting with Hitler

    orace Wilson meeting with Hitler
    British and French Prime Ministers agreed with Hitler on the terms of the annexation of the Sudetenland. Britain and France agreed to give Hitler what he wanted.
  • Germany take control of the Sudetenland

    Germany take control of the Sudetenland
    Germans troops marched unnoposed into the Sudetenland. The Czech President, Benes, was forced to go into exile.