Nazi Aggression Leads to World War Two. The Weimar Republic ruled Germany from the end of WWI until Hitler rose to power.

Nazi Aggression Leads to World

War Two

The Weimar Republic ruled Germany from the end of WWI until Hitler rose to power

Nazi’s begin to rise to power in the early 1920s

In prison he writes about his political and social philosophies

1933- Nazis Gain Power

•One of Hitler’s first acts was to withdraw Germany from the League of Nations

1935•Hitler openly

declares that Germany will rebuild its military- in clear violation of the Versailles Treaty

•French and British take no action

Germany Economy Rises

March 1936: The Rhineland

•in Germany, on border with France

•Versailles Treaty had required it to be demilitarized to protect France

•Hitler announced it would be re-militarized.

•British and French took no action

October 1936: Rome-Berlin Axis

•Germany & Italy form a military alliance known as the Axis (Hitler said the world would revolve on an axis from Rome to Berlin)

•Japan joined the Axis soon after

March 1938: Union with Austria

•Nazi forced march into Austria to claim it as part of the German “Third Reich”

•Austrian government does not resist

September 1938: The Sudetenland

•Sudetenland territory in Czechoslovakia

•valuable territory: mining, good farmland, huge arms factories, heavily fortified to defend against possible German attack

•3 million residents there were German-speaking

•Hitler demanded it be given to Germany

September 1938: Munich Conference•British and French leaders

meet with Hitler over Sudetenland

• follow policy of appeasement: giving into demands in order to avoid war

•allow Hitler to take the Sudetenland if he promises not to take any more land

March 1939

•Nazis threaten the rest of Czechoslovakia and establish indirect control

August 1939: Nazi-Soviet Non-

Aggression Pact•Hitler & Stalin make secret agreement

• if either goes to war, the other will not attack

•when war happens will divide Poland between themselves

•Other countries shocked, start to prepare for war, but take no action

August 1939: Nazi-Soviet Non-

Aggression Pact

September 1, 1939

•Nazis invade Poland

• Blitzkrieg- lightning war- very swift, heavy invasion- planes, tanks, artillery, etc.

• Sept 3rd -Britain and France declare war on Germany

•World War Two has begun!