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Period: to
World War 2
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Invasion of the Rhineland
In March 1936 Hitler ordered his army to enter the Rhineland. This before had been a demilitarised zone under the Treaty of Versailles. This was a huge gamble by Hitler because if the French had come his army would have had to retreat but instead he learnt that France was not going to do much about him and he could stretch his power in other ways. -
The Anschluss of Austria
Hitler had always wanted a union between Austria and Germany as an Austrian himself. In the 1930s there was a rise of a pro-nazi party in Austria that paved the way for Hitler to take control of Austria, later in 1938 with a meeting with the Austrian chancellor Hitler was able to get some Nazi’s in powerful places. On March 12th Hitlers army marched into Austria and Hitler voiced his ideas, an don April 10th a vote was held and the people voted to join Germany. -
The Munich conference
Hitler was now looking to Czechoslovakia after his success with Austria. Czechoslovakia was under British and French protection, but both countries did not want conflict with Germany. British prime minister Chamberlain offered Hitler areas of Czechoslovakia that had a German population of 50% or more. Hitler declined and said he wanted all of it. In the end Chamberlain agreed and so on October 10th the German army entered Czechoslovakia. -
Invasion of Poland
Hitler wanted Poland to be under his rule next, but the USSR was in the way. So when Hitler signed a treaty with USSR he was now able to go and invade Poland. The first attack was on September 1st 1939 when German Aircraft bombed the Polish town of Wielun. -
The Allied Declaration of War
After the Germans started the attack on Poland, Britain and France both declared war on Germany if it did not exit Poland. Hitler Refused and as such Germany was now officially at war with Britain and France. But neither country started to go on the offensive and as such the time came to be know as the Phoney War. -
Australia declares war
After Great Britain declared war on Germany, Australia was thrust into the war to help support Britain. Australia summoned up a volunteer force and sent the 2nd, 6th, 7th and 9th divisions of the AIF over along with the RAAF and RAN. -
Japan attacks Pearl Harbour
The attack on Pearl Harbour was one of the first major attacks by Japan in WW2 and saw the entry of the USA into the war. With an attack that lasted 2 hours it destroyed 20 ships, 200 planes and caused about 3,000 casualties. But the Japanese had still failed to complete their goal of crippling the pacific fleet with all of the aircraft careers away and so undamaged. -
First Bombing of Darwin
On this day Darwin suffered its worst bombing from the Japanese. The Japanese had decided that the Darwin base would interfere to such with their plans to take control of Timor and Java. The Japanese staged a two wave attack that sunk 8 ships damaging another 10, and killing 280 people. -
Sydney attacked by Japanese submarines
3 Japanese submarines launched 3 midget submarines in the attempt to sink the USS Chicago in the Sydney port. One of the vessels got caught in the submarine nets set up around the harbour and blew up their submarine when they realised. Another of the subs hit the HMAS Kuttabul when they missed the USS Chicago, this resulted in 21 dead. After this the submarine disappeared, and the last never made it to the harbour as it was destroyed before. The mother submarine departed on about the 8th to retu -
Battle of Kokoda
In July 1942 Japan was heading towards the town of Kokoda. An Australian and Papuan battalion tried to hold them back but was forced to retreat. Until September the Japanese kept advancing along the Kokoda track trying to take Port Morsby. The Japanese never made it running out of supplies and were forced all the way back past Kokoda by several Australian and American Battalions.
