resident Hindenburg in 1934 secured his high standing, and he became dictator of Germany. Hitler held the titles of Head of State, Commander in Chief of German military forces, Chancellor, and Chief of the Nazi Party (Elliott 57). There was no question of his authority. With his empire established, Hitler took steps to rearm Germany, leading the nation down the road to war. In violation of the Treaty of Versailles and a naval treaty signed with Great Britain, Hitler rebuilt the nation's army and naval forces. By 1935 the ranks of the army had expanded to over 500,000 and production of arms and ammunition had continued (73). Also, military units reoccupied the Rhineland, a region in western Germany next to France. This region had been demilitarized after World War I, and the Treaty of Versailles forbade occupation of the area. In spite of the violations of treaty after treaty, little was done by the world powers to control the renewed German militarism.With his plans well organized, Hitler set his plans for conquest into motion. Beginning in 1938, Hitler used threats and political maneuvering to overthrow the government of nearby Austria. His next target was Czechoslovakia. In March of 1939, the nation was overtaken after Hitler threatened a bombing of Prague if his army met resistance on its invasion of the country (80). With the conquest of Europe well underway and his reich expanding rapidly, Hitler's power and influence was growing greater each day. He now planned to add Poland to his list of accomplishments and extend the German empire. The threat of Russia backing the Poles to defend against an attack was neutralized when Germany and Russia signed a nonaggression pact saying that the two nations would not go to war. Great Britain sternly warned Germany that an attack on Poland would be considered an act of war. Hitler fearlessly ignored the warnings, and his operation swung into action. In the early morning hours of September 1, 19...
