September 1, 1939
How World War II Began
Beginning in the early 1930s, the German Reich, under Adolf Hitler, engaged in several aggressive actions that alarmed the European community and eventually led to World War II. Among these actions were:
- 1933: Hitler came to power in Germany and began to rearm the country in violation of the Treaty of Versailles.
- 1935: Germany reintroduced conscription and announced the creation of the Luftwaffe, the German air force.
- 1936: German troops occupied the Rhineland, a demilitarized zone under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
- 1938: Germany annexed Austria in the Anschluss and demanded the cession of the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia.
- 1939: Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, prompting Britain and France to declare war on Germany two days later. This marked the official start of World War II.