World War II
Before World War II Hitler wants land Reoccupied the Rhineland in 1936 Annexes Austria in March 1938 The Munich Conference takes place September 1938 Hitler annexes the Sudetenland October 1938 (takes all in March) Europe adopts an appeasement policy (give Hitler what he wants)
Germany and the Soviets signed the Non-Aggression pact (1939) Agree to split up land between them This includes Poland
Invasion of Poland Germany invades Sept. 1st 1939 Germany wages “Blitzkreig”, which is lightning war Warsaw continues to resist but finally surrenders Sept. 27th
During the invasion, the Totenkopf (SS) enter’s Poland This stands for “Death’s Head” They kill civilians and many Jews Others were sent to ghettos, where many would starve
Invasion of France After Poland is defeated there is a “Sitzkrieg”, or sitting war (phony war) However on May 10th 1940, Germany invades Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands and France Germany sidesteps the Maginot Line (defensive line)
France is overwhelmed and surrenders June 22nd 1940 Hitler had the surrender signed in the same railway car the Germans surrendered at in during WW I All this despite the fact that France’s army was superior
Dunkirk The British army was getting trapped by the Germans in France England began Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of its troops from France Within a week, 300,000 are brought safely back to England