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1938
• On 12-14 March, Adolf Hitler annexes his native Austria to Germany in an Anschluss (political union). • On 30 September, the Munich Conference ends with Britain, France, Italy and Germany agreeing that Adolf Hitler can annex the Sudetenland, the parts of Czechoslovakia that are said to have a substantial German minority. British prime minister Neville Chamberlain returns to London declaring that he has brought back 'peace with honour ... peace in our time'. The German army completes its occupation of the Sudetenland on 10 October. • On 2 October, Japan withdraws from the League of Nations. • On 9/10 November, the Nazis carry out a pogram – later known as Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) – against the Jews in Germany. • By December, Japanese troops occupy most of China, including Beijing. • The Biro company patents the first ballpoint pen. • The Nestlé company develops instant coffee. • American bandleader and clarinettist Benny Goodman's concert at the Carnegie Hall in January proves that jazz is a serious art form. • On 30 October, Orson Welles's radio adaptation of HG Wells's War of the Worlds causes panic among American listeners because of its realistic reporting style. |
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