German Violations of the Treaty and Expansion 1935: Hitler initiated a draft to expand Germany's army and build a new air force. 1936: Hitler ordered the German military to occupy the Rhineland, a stretch of German territory that had been demilitarized under the treaty. 1937: Hitler called for the reunification of German-speaking peoples.
German Violations of the Treaty and Expansion March 1938: Hitler invaded Austria and announced Anschluss, or unification, of Austria and Germany. September 1938: In exchange for peace, the Sudetenland was ceded to Germany. This policy became known as appeasement. March 1939: Despite promises, Hitler invaded and divided Czechoslovakia.
Movement Toward War March 1939: Hitler demanded the return of Danzig, Poland, to German control. With British and French support, Poland refused. Summer 1939: Hitler prepared to invade Poland and entered negotiations with the USSR to prevent doing battle on two fronts. August 23, 1939: Stalin agreed to a nonaggression treaty with Hitler. Germany and the USSR signed the Nazi-Soviet Pact.
Blitzkrieg September 1939: Germany invaded Poland in a powerful, swift attack known as blitzkrieg, meaning “lightning war.” May 1940: Hitler began a new blitzkrieg, invading the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium.
Blitzkrieg June 1940: The Allied forces of Britain and France became trapped in Belgium. Meanwhile, German forces overwhelmed France. June 22, 1940: France surrendered. Hitler installed Marshal Philippe Pétain as leader of the new Vichy government.
French and British Defiance Charles de Gaulle refused to acknowledge French surrender. Winston Churchill declared that Britain would not surrender to German aggression. The Luftwaffe began a bombing campaign against Britain and fought the British Royal Air Force. Following the Battle of Britain, Hitler abandoned the planned i