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The beginning of The Third Reich
Hitler declared to take over Austria and Czechoslovakia to create the Third Reich. -
The takeover of Austria
German troops marched into Austria unopposed, and a day later, Hitler announced the unification between Germany & Austria was complete. The entire world did nothing. -
The Munich Agreement
French premier Edouard Daladier and British prime minister Neville Chamberlain met with Hitler in Munich, and signed the Munich Agreement. This agreement stated Sudetenland was to be turned over to German power. He claimed that the Czechs were abusing Sudeten Germans. They signed this agreement because Hitler had claimed the annexation of Sudetenland would be his “last territorial demand”. -
Czechoslovakia ceases to exist
German troops took over the remaining part of Czechoslovakia. Hitler bragged that “Czechoslovakia has ceased to exist”. But, as Winston Churchill had warned, he wasn’t finished expanding the Third Reich. -
Poland signs nonaggression pact with Hitler
Hitler bluffed again and claimed that Germans living in Poland were being mistreated by the Poles, and were in need of German protection. An attack on Poland would bring war from France, Britain, and the Soviet Union - France and Britain which agreed to aid Poland, and the Soviets were their eastern neighbor. Hitler was smart enough to avoid a two-front war again, and on August 23rd, 1939, Polish leader Stalin signed a nonaggression pact with Hitler. -
Blitzkrieg strategy successful on Poland
The German Luftwaffe (air force) bombed military bases, airfields, cities, and railroads in Poland. This invasion was the first test of the new German battle strategy called Blitzkrieg - or lightning war. The strategy was to take the opponent by surprise with fast tanks and strong aircrafts. -
World War II Officially begins
Britain and France declare war on Germany. The Soviet Union attacked Poland from the east, and seized some of its land. A month later, WWII had begun. -
End of the Phony War - Hitler seizes more land
After months of French and British troops waiting outside of Germany staring at each other waiting for someone to attack first, the phony war was over. Germany invaded Denmark and Norway in order to “protect their freedom and independence”. In reality, he took over these countries so he could attack Great Britain from the borders of these countries. Shortly after, Hitler took over the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg; he had taken over them by the end of May. -
Italy joins Germany
German soldiers trapped nearly 400,000 British and French soldiers and made them flee across the channel in tugboats, river barges, and fishing trawlers. A couple days later, Italy joined the war on the side of Germany and invaded France from the south as Germany took over Paris from the north side. -
Nazis control southern France
Hitler handed French officers his terms of surrender. Germans occupied the northern part of France, and a Nazi-controlled government was set up in Vichy, southern France. -
Germany invades Britain
Germany launched an air war and assembled an invasion fleet along the French coast in attempt to seize Britain. Hitler’s plan was to gain control over the sky by eliminating the Royal Air Force. -
German planes begin to take over British skies
Approximately 2,000 German planes ranged over Britain. -
Britain comes back and strikes hard
RAF fought back with the use of radars and were able to see where the German planes were. They shot down over 185 German planes and only lost 26 of their own. Six weeks after, Hitler called off the invasion on Britain.
