ABSTRACT
Second World War had its beginnings in Hitler’s ideology. By the end of 1936, Hitler had to be pleased with Germany’s progress. Truly, a “diplomatic revolution” had occurred in Europe. Germany began to strut on the world stage in a posture of near invincibility. The year 1937 seemed tame after the events of 1936 but it would soon prove to be the lull before the next storm. After annexing Austria, Hitler made a triumphal entry into Vienna on March 13, 1938. An alliance with the Soviet Union, undoubtedly only temporary in Hitler’s mind, freed him from the danger of a two-front war if the West took up arms over his planned attack on Poland. Hitler’s attack on Poland was Europe’s introduction to Blitzkrieg, or lightning war. Although Germany’s victory had not been easy—the pocket battleship Lutzow and a number of cruisers and destroyers had been lost or damaged—its northern flank was now secure, ensuring a supply of Scandinavian iron ore.
