8 life during second world war

1936

germany had remilitarised rhineland, defying treaty without internal opposition

1938

germany united with Austria, defying treaty without internal opposition

1938

germany make agreement to take over sudetenland, an area from taken germany in treaty of versailles

this land was given to new country czechoslovakia

1939 spring

germany take over the rest of czechoslovakia

france and britain threaten to go to war with germany if they attack poland

september 1939

germany make agreement with USSR to divide up poland

britain and france declare war on Germany since they refuse to withdraw from poland

1940

german army capture denmark and norway in the east

they also capture netherlands, belgium and france in the west with ease

new tactic used by german army

blitzkrieg

1941

germany invade soviet union

what caused the setbacks in north africa

british army was being reinforced by newly arrived troops from usa

d day opens up

1944

soviet army enter germany from east

early 1945

who entered germany from west

other allied forces

hitler kills himself

30 april 1945

surrender of german armed forces signed

7 may 1945

what was priority for beginning of war

war production since a long war seemed likely

what percent of german workers involved in war production

50 %

albert speer did what

streamlined war production through the use of employed slave labour from POWs

how many non germans working in germany at end of war

7 million

thousand bomber attacks

1942

british RAF carry out heavy bimb raids on cologne, essen and bremen

who severely bombed Ruhr

RAF and US to effect german war production

who toured the destroyed german cities

joseph goebbels to try boost morale

idea of total war

germans devote everything to achieving victory

raid in 1945

dresden

how many german civilians killed by bombing

500,000