Here's a more detailed account of the events leading up to the invasion:
1. Rise of Nazism in Germany:
- Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in Germany in 1933. Hitler pursued aggressive policies, including territorial expansion and the persecution of minorities, particularly Jews.
- The Nazi regime began violating the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, which had been imposed on Germany after World War 1. Germany started rearming and rebuilding its military.
2. Expansionist Policies:
- Germany annexed Austria in March 1938, known as the "Anschluss."
- In September 1938, Germany annexed the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia following the Munich Agreement with Britain, France, and Italy.
3. Non-Aggression Pact with the Soviet Union:
- In August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a non-aggression treaty that included secret protocols dividing Poland and other territories between the two countries.
4. Invasion of Poland:
- On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, using the alleged mistreatment of ethnic Germans in Poland as a pretext.
- Britain and France, who had pledged to support Poland, declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939, thus triggering the outbreak of World War 2.