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Aggressors on the March
1931 – Japan Invades Manchuria
March 9, 1935
Hitler announces the creation of a new Air
Force and begins a military draft
 Army is expanded from 100,000 to
500,000
 European nations grumble, but are
distracted by own problems

March 7, 1935
German troops occupy the Rhineland
“demilitarized zone”
 Great Britain and France respond with a
policy of “Appeasement” – satisfy Hitler’s
demand and he will be content = stability
& peace will be maintained

Invasion of Rhineland
Appeasement
Britain & France allow Hitler to speed up
military & territorial expansion
 France & Belgium
open to attack
 Strengthens Hitler’s
power and prestige

October 1935

With Hitler’s support, Fascist Italian
dictator invades Ethiopia
1936 – The Spanish Civil War

Hitler and Mussolini assist Francisco
Franco in becoming dictator of Spain
Pablo Picasso’s Guernica -1937
October 1936: Rome Berlin Axis

Hitler and Mussolini form a political and
economic pact
November 1936
Anti-Comintern Pact

Germany & Japan agree to a common
front against communism
Green 1933
Orange 1941
1938 – Germany & Austria
denounce the Treaty of Versailles

Britain and France do nothing…
March 13, 1938

Hitler annexes Austria –
“Anchluss” = Union
September 13, 1938

Hitler demands the Sudetenland (German
speaking NW Czechoslovakia)
The Munich Conference –
September 1938
Britain, France, Italy, & Germany meet in
Munich. Britain’s Neville Chamberlain
caves to Hitler’s demands allowing Hitler’s
troops of occupy area – peak of
“Appeasement”
 Hitler promises no more demands

March 1939 - Czechoslovakia
Hitler invades the rest of Czechoslovakia
 Demands the Port of Danzig in Poland

Hitler Demands Port of Danzig
August 23,1939 Nazi-Soviet
Nonaggression Pact
Hitler wants to invade Poland so offers
Stalin control of eastern Poland and the
Baltic states in exchange to not to attack
each other –
 September 1, 1939 Hitler invades Poland
 Two days later Britain & France declare
war on Germany

Blitzkrieg
Invasion of Poland
Western Democracies
Fail to stop aggression
 U.S. – Policy of ISOLATIONISM: avoid
political ties in Europe!
 1935 – U.S. Congress passes Neutrality
Acts banning loans & arms sales to
nations at war
