How Europe stumbled into war German troops invaded Poland in September 1939, triggering World War II. Since 1933 Hitler had been determined to recoup territory lost after World War I, to unite all German-speaking peoples into one Reich, and to expand eastwards, creating a vast new empire in Europe Nov 1918: New Weimar Republic established 1919, Treaty of Versailles: War reparations – equivalent to €350 billion today – imposed on Weimar Republic, to be paid in instalments until 1988. Thirty-year-old corporal Adolf Hitler joins newly formed German Workers’ Party (DAP) 1921: Hitler changes name of DAP to National Socialist German Workers’ Party or Nazi Party. Organises paramilitary Sturmabteilung (SA or stormtroopers) – thugs to protect Nazi meetings 1920-23, Hyperinflation: Weimar starts printing money to pay reparations. By November 1923 one loaf of bread costs 200 billion marks 1923-29, Roaring Twenties: Hitler jailed for organizing failed Munich Beer Hall Putsch. On release he reorganizes 100,000-strong Nazi Party as “shadow government”, attracting industrialists and socialites. American Dawes Plan helps stabilize economy, prosperity follows Oct 29, 1929, Black Tuesday: New York Stock Market crashes. Within months thousands of German companies go bankrupt 1930, Great Depression: Over three million German workers are jobless and on breadline. President Paul von Hindenburg calls elections. Pledging restoration of German glory, Nazis become second largest party in 577-seat Reichstag, with 107 seats 1932: Nazi Party wins 230 seats in July election. Coalition with German National People’s Party gives Hitler control of Reichstag. Unemployment soars to over six million, or 30% of workforce 1933: Backed by bankers and industrialists, Hitler is made Chancellor of coalition government Feb, Reichstag fire: Communists blamed for destruction of Reichstag. Emergency powers used to round up thousands of Communists and Jews. Dachau concentration camp opens Nov: Nazi Party wins 93% of vote in election in which all other ballots are counted as “invalid”. 1934, Death of Hindenburg: Hitler becomes Fuehrer und Reichskanzler. Labour unions abolished, strikes banned and ambitious public works projects started – unemployment plummets. Hitler begins secret rearmament for war 1935: Conscription introduced, Jews deprived of citizenship, Swastika adopted as national flag 1936, Berlin Olympic Games: Hitler seizes opportunity to demonstrate Nazi efficiency to world Mar 1938, Anschluss: Hitler takes over Austria, first step in creating Greater Germany Sep, Peace in our Time: Hitler demands German-speaking Sudetenland. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (right) and French PM Edouard Daladier agree to annexation in return for Fuehrer’s promise of peace Nov, Kristallnacht: Coordinated attack on Jewish property, 30,000 Jews arrested and sent to concentration camps Mar 1939: Hitler’s troops goose-step into Prague Aug 31: Gambling that Britain and France will continue policy of appeasement, Hitler orders invasion of Poland 1945: Downfall Nov 1945-Oct 1946: Twenty-two leading Nazis are tried at International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, Germany Judges representing Allied powers sentence 12 to death by hanging and seven to terms of imprisonment. Three are acquitted Adolf Hitler Fuehrer and Chancellor of Nazi Germany. Commits suicide April 30, 1945 Joseph Goebbels Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. Commits suicide May 1, 1945 Martin Bormann Hitler’s private secretary and deputy Fuehrer. Commits suicide May 1, 1945 Heinrich Himmler Minister of Interior. Coordinated killing of six million Jews. Commits suicide May 23, 1945 Hermann Goering President of Reichstag, master-mind of Gestapo. Commits suicide October 15, 1946 Joachim von Ribbentrop Reich Foreign Minister. Executed October 16, 1946 Alfred Rosenberg Chief racial theorist who justified Hitler’s genocidal policies. Executed October 16, 1946 Adolf Eichmann In charge of mass deportation of Jews. Captured 1960 by Israelis. Executed May 31, 1962 Rudolf Hess Attempted in 1941 to negotiate peace with British. Died in prison August 17, 1987 GERMAN TERRITORIES LOST FOLLOWING WORLD WAR I DENMARK Northern Schleswig: Votes to join Denmark Eupen-Malmedy: Cantons transferred to Belgium Cologne Saarland: Occupied by France and Britain. Returned to Germany in 1935 Alsace-Lorraine: Annexed by Germany in 1871 Franco-Prussian War. Occupied and incorporated into France in 1918 FRANCE SWITZERLAND Karlsruhe Stuttgart Rhineland: Demilitarised zone under Treaty of Versailles. Occupied by Allied troops until 1930 Weimar Munich ITALY AUSTRIA Vienna Mar 15, 1938: Hitler enters Vienna CZECHOSLOVAKIA Prague Mar 16, 1939: German troops enter Prague SUDETENLAND GERMANY Berlin Upper Silesia: Eastern area becomes part of Poland Germany’s border before 1918 POLAND Warsaw Polish Corridor: Handed to Poland to give access to sea EAST PRUSSIA Memel Memel Land: Occupied by Lithuania Danzig: “Free City” administered by League of Nations SWEDEN 160km 100 miles MP38/40 submachine gun (maschinenpistole) Calibre: 9mm Weight: 4.7kg Rate of fire: 500 rounds/minute Magazine capacity: 32 rounds Effective range: 100 metres Blitzkrieg: Weapons that changed warfare Junkers Ju-87 Stuka dive-bomber Two crew, 250kg bomb plus four 50kg bombs on wing racks. Wailing sirens on landing gear used to terrorize enemy troops Panzerkampfwagen II Over 1,000 take part in invasion of Poland. Three crew, max speed 55km/h. Armed with 20mm cannon and 7.92mm machine gun SdKfz 231/232 Most advanced armoured car of its time. Armed with 20mm cannon, 7.92mm machine gun Sep 1, 1939, 04:45am: Operation Weiss begins. German tanks cross Polish border supported by Stuka dive-bombers Sep 3: Chamberlain and Daladier announce that Britain and France are at war with Germany Sep 14: Guderian reaches Brest-Litovsk Sep 17: Soviet Red Army invades from east, as agreed under Molotov-Ribbentrop pact of August 1939 Sep 28: Warsaw falls Oct 6: Poland finally falls as last resistance is crushed at Hel and Kock Estimated 66,000 Polish troops and 150,000 civilians are killed in fighting. German killed in action (KIA) totals 16,340. Soviet KIA 1,475 Germans take 587,000 prisoners, Soviets take estimated 475,000 BALTIC SEA German battleship Schleswig-Holstein bombards Danzig Danzig Hel Pomerania ARMY GROUP NORTH Gen. Heinz Guderian Berlin GERMANY SUDETENLAND Prague CZECHOSLOVAKIA Breslau ARMY GROUP SOUTH Gen. Gerd von Rundstedt Poznan POLAND Vistula Lodz 14th ARMY Krakow Warsaw 10th ARMY Vistula 3rd ARMY 4th ARMY Bialystok Brest-Litovsk Kock Bug Lublin Sandomierz 8th ARMY Lwow EAST PRUSSIA LITHUANIA Wilno Baranowicze SOVIET UNION Sources: The Military History of World War II by Barrie Pitt, World War II by Ronald Heiferman, Berlin: The Downfall 1945 by Anthony Beevor Pictures: Associated Press, Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS