1. War Begins
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U.S. History

2. Germany Violates Treaty
1935: Hitler initiated 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.
March 1938: Hitler invaded Austria and announced Anschluss, or unification, of Austria and Germany.
September 1938: Representatives of Britain, France, Italy, and Germany met at the Munich Conference to resolve German claims to the Sudetenland, a region in Czechoslovakia. In exchange for peace, the Sudetenland was ceded to Germany.
March 1939: Despite promises, Hitler invaded and divided Czechoslovakia.

3. 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. Stalin believed conflict among Europe’s capitalist nations would benefit the USSR.

4. Blitzkrieg
September 1939: Germany invaded Poland in a powerful, swift attack known as blitzkrieg, meaning “lightning war.” Meanwhile, the USSR invaded from the east. Within weeks, the country was divided between Germany and the USSR.
May 1940: Hitler began a new blitzkrieg, invading the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium. British and French troops rallied to defend Belgium, but German forces swept through French lines
June 1940: The Allied forces of Britain and France became trapped in Belgium. The Nazis pressed the Allies toward the English Channel but stopped before they reached Dunkirk. Allied forces successfully evacuated from Dunkirk. Meanwhile, German forces overwhelmed France.
June 22, 1940: France surrendered. Hitler installed Marshal Philippe Pétain as leader of the new Vichy government.

5. British and French Defiance
Charles de Gaulle refused to acknowledge French surrender. He led the French resistance forces, where they continued to fight.
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 invasion of the island.

6. What did Hitler do to violate the Treaty of Versailles?
Why did European leaders try to negotiate with him?
How could this have encouraged Hitler’s expansion?
Do you think Hitler would have invaded Poland if he had not been able to negotiate a non-aggression treaty with the Soviet Union?
How was Britain able to keep Germany from invading?