Wehrmacht
Franz Halder, the Chief of Staff of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW), the German Army High Command, presents the first plan for Fall Gelb ("Case Yellow")
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1939 in Germany — Page 8
Explore 416 historical events and records for Germany in 1939.
Historical records for Germany in 1939
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 416 unique records.
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October
Wehrmacht
Franz Halder, the Chief of Staff of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW), the German Army High Command, presents the first plan for Fall Gelb ("Case Yellow")
Invasion of Czech
Gives the armed forces orders for the liquidation of Czech
Invasion of Memel
Gives the armed forces orders for the invasion of Memel
Mobilization
Gives the armed forces orders for the defence of Germany
Commander in Chief
Commands the army of occupation in Poland with his HQ in Spala
Commander in Chief
Commands the army of occupation in Poland with his HQ in Spala
Trevanion Destroyed during South Atlantic Raid
Graf Spee sinks the British merchant Trevanion after the ship attempts to transmit a distress report.
Governor
Appointed Governor General of Poland, of the annexed Polish territories
Governor General of Poland
Appointed Governor General of Poland, of the annexed Polish territories
Governor General of Poland
Appointed Governor General of Poland, of the annexed Polish territories
Rule of Poland
Appointed Governor General of Poland, of the annexed Polish territories
Neutrality
Belgium declares its neutrality
Altmark Refuelling near Tristan da Cunha
Graf Spee meets Altmark near Tristan da Cunha for another refuelling before turning toward the Indian Ocean.
Indian Ocean Diversion Begins
Langsdorff turns Graf Spee toward the Indian Ocean to widen the search for merchant targets and complicate British tracking.
Invasion of Netherlands, The
Halder presens Aufmarschanweisung N°2, Fall Gelb, a secondary attack on The Netherlands
Operation Fall Gelb
Halder presens Aufmarschanweisung N°2, Fall Gelb, a secondary attack on The Netherlands
Treaty Negotiations
Treaty with Latvia for the evacuation of Germans from the Baltic
Treaty of Latvia
Treaty with Latvia for the evacuation of Germans from the Baltic
Western Offensive Planning Begins
Jodl participates in planning for a German offensive through the Low Countries and France.
November
Invasion of Netherlands, The
Oster warns the Dutch military attache about an invasion
Plot
Halder & Beck plot to arrest Hitler if he launches a western offensive
Plot
Halder & Beck plot to arrest Hitler if he launches a western offensive
Deportation
Commencement of deportation Jews from western Poland
Invasion of West
The German attack of the West is postponed because of bad weather
Deportation
Hans Frank makes plans to deport 600,000 Jews & 400,000 Poles from Poland
Deportation
Hans Frank makes plans to deport 600,000 Jews & 400,000 Poles from Poland
Plot
A bomb explodes in the Burgerbraukeller killing 8 but Hitler left 20 mins prior
Rule of Poland
Takes up post as Governor of General
Africa Shell Sunk in Mozambique Channel
Graf Spee sinks the small British tanker Africa Shell in the Mozambique Channel after removing the crew.
Neutral Mapia Stopped and Released
Langsdorff stops the Dutch merchant Mapia but releases the neutral vessel after establishing that it cannot lawfully be taken.
Mobilization
The armed forces are ordered to be ready for the occupation of Danzig
Rule of Danzig
The armed forces are ordered to be ready for the occupation of Danzig
Arrest of Georg Elser
Arrested for trying to blow up Hitler, imprisoned in Dachau
Netherlands Invasion Question Reviewed
Jodl works on plans as Hitler considers whether the western offensive should include the Netherlands.
Plot
Geor Elser plants a bomb which nearly kills Hitler
Plot
Geor Elser plants a bomb which nearly kills Hitler
December
Doric Star Sunk after Distress Signal
Graf Spee sinks Doric Star after the British refrigerated cargo ship transmits a distress report that helps reveal the raider's operating area.
Tairoa Sunk during South Atlantic Return
Graf Spee sinks the British merchant Tairoa one day after Doric Star while moving back toward South American trade routes.
Final Altmark Refuelling Completed
Graf Spee completes its final wartime rendezvous with Altmark before proceeding toward the River Plate shipping lanes.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.