1. Steps leading to WWII

2. Hitler ignores Treaty Germany withdraws from the League of Nations
Hitler begins to implement plans to take over the world
Introduced conscription to build up the army
This was in violation of the Treaty of Versailles 2

3. Hitler’s Vital Space Territory needed to restore Germany’s pride.
Hitler wanted to repair the mistakes of the Treaty of Versailles
Four territories were targeted for expansion
Rhineland
Austria
Czechoslovakia
Poland 3

4. Occupied the Rhineland4

5. Rhineland Formally known as Alsace-Lorraine
Disputed land between Germany and France
Germany occupied it in March of 1936 in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles 5

6. Austria Formally Austria-Hungary, German speaking country
Hitler promised not to attack it
Forced takeover was called “anschluss”
Not strong enough to oppose Germany
German troops took it over in March 1938 6

7. Czechoslovakia Formerly part of Austria-Hungary
Important for Hitler’s expansion to the East
Non-aryan people
German troops occupied it in March of 1939 7

8. Sudentenland
The Sudetenland was part of Germany until 1806 and of the German Confederation between 1815 and 1866.
After the First World War the Sudetenland (some 11,000 square miles) became part of Czechoslovakia
Hitler wanted this area for his empire
Rich in resources/easy to defend
France and Russia agreed to protect Czech from Germany 8

9. Munich Conference
Benito Mussolini suggested to Hitler that one way of solving this issue was to hold a four-power conference of Germany, Britain, France and Italy.
This would exclude both Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union, and therefore increasing the possibility of reaching an agreement and undermine the solidarity that was developing against Germany. 9

10. Munich Conference
On 29th September, 1938, Adolf Hitler, Neville Chamberlain, Edouard Daladier and Benito Mussolini signed the Munich Agreement which transferred the Sudetenland to Germany.
In return, Hitler promised not to make any further territorial demands in Europe.
This is known as ‘appeasement’ (to buy off (an aggressor) by concessions usually at the sacrifice of principles ) 10

11. The German Army marched into the Sudetenland on 1st October, 1938
The German Army marched into the Sudetenland on 1st October, As this area contained nearly all Czechoslovakia's mountain fortifications, she was no longer able to defend herself against further aggression 11

12. Anschluss German: “connection, or political union”
also known as the Anschluss Österreichs, was the 1938 "inclusion" of Austria into "Greater Germany" by the Nazi regime.

13. Germany Invades Austria
On the morning of 12 March, the 8th Army of the German Wehrmacht crossed the German-Austrian border.
They did not face resistance by the Austrian Army — on the contrary, the German troops were greeted by cheering Austrians.

14. German Troops Occupy Austria

15. Germany Invades Poland15

16. World War II Begins
Britain and France declared war on Germany on 3 September but otherwise dishonored their treaties with Poland by failing to provide Poland with military assistance.

17. The Germans slashed through the Polish defenses, reaching Warsaw on 9 September

18. In accordance with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Soviet Red Army invaded Poland on 17 September, surrounding the Polish Army by the combined German and Soviet forces

19. Germany and Soviet Union Partition Poland19

20. The last operational unit of the Polish Army capitulated on 6 October.
The Polish government never surrendered, and together with many of its remaining land and air forces evacuated to neighbouring Romania and Hungary.

21. The majority of these troops later joined new Polish units in France and the United Kingdom where they went on to fight the Axis powers throughout the war.

22. World War II Begins
Canada officially entered the Second World War on September 10, 1939, and continued at war for nearly six years.
The struggle involved virtually the whole country and made enormous demands on the Canadian people, whether they were involved in the actual fighting or remained on the home front to work in industry or farming to support the war effort. 22

23. September 3, 1939: the passenger liner Athenia is torpedoed, killing the first Canadian of the war, stewardess Hannah Baird of Quebec.
This attack is interpreted by the United Kingdom as the start of unrestricted submarine warfare. However, in Germany it leads to stricter controls being issued by the Kriegsmarine. 23

24. September 10, 1939: Canada declares war on Germany - the first and only time Canada has declared war on another country on its own.

25. September 14, 1939: The Prime Minister, William Lyon MacKenzie King, declares that Canada should be the arsenal of the Allies and pledges not to institute conscription.

26. September 16, 1939: the first Canadian convoy of merchant ships sails for Britain.

27. Battle of Britain

28. Battle of the Atlantic

29. Battle of the Atlantic
The Second Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous military campaign of World War II, running from 1939 right through to the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945. 29

30. Corvette in the Atlantic

31. Nuremberg Trials
After the war, many prominent Nazis were convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg Trials, where 21 were executed. 31

32. Famous Nazi’s
A few scattered people, mostly not from Germany, converted to Nazism during or after World War II and contributed to further development of the ideology, especially in a spiritual or esoteric direction: Sean Russell, Savitri Devi of India, Miguel Serrano of Chile, George Lincoln Rockwell of the United States. 32