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Hitler's "Saturday Suprises"
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Hitler's First and Second "Saturday Suprises"
In Hitler's First "Saturday Suprise" Hitler announced that he would be making a new air force and making his army stronger. Hitler claimed that these actions were only out of "defense". Hitler's second "Saturday Suprise" happened almost a year later. In this one Hitler violatede the agreement that German troops were not allowed to fortify in Rhineland but Hitler still sent troops there. -
Taking Austria
On this day Hitler had a secret meeting with the prime minister of Austria. In the meeting Hitler expressed insults and threats to the prime minister and said that Austria must join "Greater Germany". The prime minister refused and hitler gave him three days to make a decision. He used this time to organize a national Austrian election to make the decision. Later German troops entered Austria and called for a vote and almost all of the citizens gave their approval. -
Appeasing Hitler
During the summer of 1938 Hitler was earning for "a return to the Reich." This beared as a big threat to the Czechs som they turned to their allies for help. Britain needed to neutralize the situation by calling for concssions to prevent a war from breaking out. -
Death Threats and Broken Promises
Hitler Said that the other nations were hypocrites for complaining about the Germans mistreating of the Jews. Soon after Hitler took over Czechoslovakia. Many countries such as Britain, France and, U.S. stepped in and said that if he invaded Poland they would come to its aid. -
Targeting Poland
On this date Nazi soldiers took prisoners out of concentration camps, dressed them in Polish army uniforms, took them to a German twon boardering Poland and shot them. This made it seem as though the Polish were atacking Germany. The Germans did this intentionaly so that they would have a reason to invade Poland. -
Conquests in the East
During this time in early November 167 University professors were shipped off to a concentration camp. In that same week a thousand Polish people were also arrested. The following month Hitler nnounced that if someone was threatening to Germany they would "vanish without a trace into the night and fog." -
Conquests in the West
On this day France had fallen completley and Germany had taken power over almost all of western Europe. Great Britain, being one of the only European countries not part of Germany, changed their leader after numerous Nazi victories. This new leader vowed that Great Britain would fight very hard for victory. -
The Invasion of Russia
On this day German troops were ordered to invade th Soviet Union. Hitler wanted to get rid of th "Jewish-Bolshevik menace". The troops were ordered to kill anyone that appeared to be an "enemy of the state". -
The United States Enters the War
On this day the United States Joined the War after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. After this, Japan asked Germany for help in battleing the United States. Although Hitler's advisors said that it would be a bad idea, Germany still went to war with the United States.
