Re-arming the Rhineland  As soon as the Nazis came to power, Hitler began to increase the nation’s army and its armaments  1935—Hitler announces the expansion of Germany’s army from 100,000 to 550,000 and the creation of a new Air Force  1936—Hitler sends German troops into the Rhineland

The Anschluss  One of Hitler’s early goals was to unite all German-speaking people under his “Third Reich”—including his native country of Austria  In 1938, the Austrian Nazi Party gained control of that country’s government  The Austrian Nazis invited Hitler to send German troops to help maintain law and order in Austria  March 13—German troops enter Austria; the next day, Hitler announces the formal annexation of Austria to Germany  This is known as the Anschluss—the “union,” or “marriage”—of these two German-speaking nations

The Sudetenland and Appeasement  Hitler’s next demand was that the Sudetenland—a largely German area of Czechoslovakia—be given to Germany  The Munich Conference was called in November 1938 to discuss Hitler’s demand  At Munich, Britain and France agreed to allow Hitler to take the Sudetenland, in exchange for a promise that he would not take any additional territories  British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain declared that the Conference had ensured “peace in our time”  Five months later, Germany invaded and captured the western half of Czechoslovakia

German Acquisitions, March 1939

The Non-Aggression Pact  Hitler’s next target was Poland—on the doorstep of the Soviet Union  In order to avoid getting in to a two-front war, Hitler negotiated the Non-Aggression Pact with Joseph Stalin  In this pact, Germany and the USSR agreed to not attack each other, and to split Poland between them after the German invasion

Invasion of Poland  September 1, 1939—Germany invades Poland  The German troops used Blitzkrieg tactics: Blitzkrieg is German for “lightning war” Bliztkried tactics involve concentrating massive force at a single point of attack, using infantry, artillery, tanks, and air power  September 3, 1939—Great Britain and France declare war on Germany

The German Onslaught  Between 1939 and 1941, Germany invaded and conquered: Poland, Denmark, Norway, Holland, Belgium, Luxemburg, France, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece

The Battle of Britain  Before invading Great Britain, Hitler sought to weaken the country’s defenses with a major air assault  Beginning in August 1940, the German Luftwaffe began daily bombing attacks against military targets in Britain  In September, Hitler changed tactics and began bombing British cities instead  The RAF (British Air Force) fought off the German assault, inflicting heavy losses  By the end of September, Hitler was forced to postpone the invasion of Britain indefinitely

Invasion of the Soviet Union  Frustrated with his failure to defeat Great Britain, Hitler turned his attention eastwards  In June 1941, the Germans invaded the Soviet Union  German troops advanced quickly into Soviet territory, but faced stiff Russian resistance  By winter, the German advance had been stopped, and German troops were trapped in Russia with insufficient winter gear

America Enters the War  After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941), the United States declared war on Japan  The next day, Germany declared war on the U.S.  President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill quickly settled on a “Europe First” strategy, reasoning that the Germans were much closer to total victory in Europe than the Japanese were in Asia  The Allies also agreed that the war could only end with the “unconditional surrender” of the Axis powers

The North African Campaign  In 1941 and 1942, the German Afrika Korps (led by Erwin Rommel, the “Desert Fox”) stormed across North Africa and threatened to capture the Suez Canal  July 1942—British tank divisions defeat the Afrika Corps at the Battle of El Alamein, stopping the German advance into Egypt  October 1942—the British launch a counter-offensive against Rommel and the Afrika Corps  November 1942—American tank division land in Morocco; Rommel is now trapped between the British and Americans (the Afrika Corps surrenders in May 1943)

The Battle of Stalingrad  During the spring and summer of 1942, the German campaign against the Soviet Union continued  The Germans captured the Crimea and lay siege to the cities of Leningrad and Stalingrad  November 1942—the Soviets launch a counter-attack in Stalingrad This battle was the most brutal urban combat of the war The Germans were pushed back, then encircled, all in the depth of the Russian winter  February 1943—the elite German 6 th Army surrenders to the Soviets at Stalingrad

Invasion of Italy  From their base in North Africa, American and British troops launched an invasion of Italy— the “soft underbelly of Europe”  July 1943—the Allies land on the island of Sicily; from there they launch an invasion of the Italian mainland  September 1943—Italy surrenders to the Allies However—German troops continued to fight the Allies in Italy, slowing their advance up the peninsula

D-Day  June —the Allies launch the largest amphibious invasion in history; attacking the German fortifications on the coast of Normandy in northern France  Despite heavy casualties, the Allies secure a “beachhead”  From there, they begin to push into German-occupied territory  (Also in June 1944—American troops liberate Rome)  August 1944—the Allies liberate Paris

Battle of the Bulge  December 1944—the Germans launch a last, desperate counter-attack against the Allied forces in France  In what becomes known as the “Battle of the Bulge,” the Allied lines bend but do not break  January 1945—the Germans are defeated at the Battle of the Bulge; the Allied advance continues

The German Surrender  April 1945—At some point during the Soviet bombardment of Berlin, Adolf Hitler commits suicide  May 7, 1945—Germany surrenders