Answer:
- Czechoslovakia
- Austria
- Poland
- Italy
Step-by-step explanation:
1. Czechoslovakia
The occupation of the Sudetenland, the border regions in the north and west of Czechoslovakia, was the first time Hitler flexed his military muscles in Europe. The region was conceded to Germany by the Czech government in an attempt to avoid war after the Germans made demands for it to be handed over.
For Hitler, this fulfilled two aims. One was to unite the German speaking people of this region with Germany, supporting his goal of a larger, united German nation. The other was that it let him test how far he could push other European powers, who backed down rather than defend Czechoslovakia from German threats.
2. Austria
Like the occupation of the Sudetenland, that of Austria was part of a drive towards a great Germany. Austria had been part of the German Confederation until Prussia pushed it out in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, ensuring that Prussia led German unification five years later. There had been an attempt to include Austria in a larger Germany in 1918 though other countries blocked this. To Hitler, taking over Austria – a move known as Anschluss – was simply the expansion of Germany to its natural borders.
3. Poland
Having brought most Germans together, Hitler wanted more space for them to live in. ‘Lebensraum’, meaning ‘living space’, was his idea that the German people had a right to a greater territory to support them and ensure their growth. This was to come at the expense of other people, who he saw as inferior. Poland, a large country with a lot of agricultural lands, provided both an easy target and plenty of space.
4.Italy
At the start of the war, Italy was Germany’s strongest ally. But this did not last. By 1943, losses on every front made Italians unhappy about the war. The Allies invaded in July of that year, and on the 25th of July Mussolini was ousted by a government that sought peace.
The Germans could not let Italy surrender. They rescued Mussolini and used him as head of a puppet government in the north. Italy was now effectively occupied by two opposing armies – that of the Germans in the north and the Allies in the south.