How+It+All+Started

After Germany suffered an embarrasing defeat after World War I, they were forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles. This treaty restricted Germany's military's strength, disbanded it's airforce (the Luftwaffe) and took away a significant quantity of land Germany originally owned. Germany was also forced to pay a large some of money to the Allies for war costs. Then, during the late 1920's early 1930's, the world plummeted into a great economic depression. Jobs were lost, the poverty rate was through the roof and these effects and more slammed the already broken German economy. Next, after failing to capture Germany's government by force, Austrian-born Adolf Hitler was thrown in jail. He was released early and in 1933, Hitler and his National Socialists Party (the Nazis) took power in Germany. Shortly after, Hitler was declared Chancellor and took supreme control over Germany. He convinced his fellow Germans that he would restore Germany to its former glory and that all Germans would have the right to a better Germany. Hitler instilled his ideas into the minds of the young and old and using his incredible leadership skills, rallied Germany into his Nazi Germany. Hitler started to build up his army and reinstate the Luftwaffe. Against the Treaty of Versailles he placed troops in the Rhineland. Finally, Hitler continued his scheme and convinced Austria's new leader to let German troops enter Austria unopposed. Thus, Hitler obtained Austria and yet Britain and France, who were supposed to reinforce punishment if the Treaty of Versailles was broken, did nothing. This was a huge mistake on the Allies part. Hitler and his Nazi Germany went on to annex a portion of Czechoslovakia and for the grand finale, on September 1, 1939, the Nazis invaded Poland. World War II had begun.

media type="youtube" key="-KgJQUXr2Ws&hl=en" height="344" width="425" media type="youtube" key="HAnOtWm5OrM" width="425" height="350"