Nazis: The Group That Started WWII

Germany was weak and crushed at the end of World War 1 (1914-1918). But everything was about to change. Adolf Hitler and his Nazi (pronunciation: NAHT-zee) party became powerful because of Hitler's promise to restore Germany's power.

Hitler secretly began preparing for war. He built a new and powerful air force. On September 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland. Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. In 1940, Hitler made a "Blitzkrieg" attack on Belgium, Holland, and France, overwhelming them. A "Blitzkrieg" is a quick attack. This is why the war was called the "Lightning War".

After France was taken, everybody was certain the Britain would be the next target. And they were right. Hundreds of German bombers began attacking Britain, and it was up to the Royal Air Force (RAF) to fight back. Hitler's attempts to capture Britain became known as the Battle of Britain (see my other post, The Battle of Britain).

Many Jews were captured and put in concentration camps. Prisoners of war were also put in the prisons. There were many terrible punishments. One of them was to lock a group of prisoners in a room until they starved to death. Another was to be locked in a gas chamber. Many people died in the concentration camps.

On May 7, 1945, Russian troops reached Berlin, Germany. Hitler committed suicide, and Germany surrendered.

Adolf Hitler

Troops carrying the Nazi flag