Benito Mussolini had Italian soldiers adopt the
goose step, or as he christened it, the "passo romano", or "Roman step". King
Victor Emmanuel III had opposed the decision, but Mussolini could not be swayed, calling the
goose a "Roman animal".[1][2]
The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht was established in Nazi Germany by decree, putting Hitler himself in complete control of the military with
Wilhelm Keitel as nominal commander-in-chief. The new command structure abolished the position of War Minister, and twelve senior generals were sent into retirement. The German public was still unaware of the
Blomberg–Fritsch Affair and wondered if the changes were the result of some kind of failed internal coup attempt.[6]
Jews were banned from working as auctioneers in Nazi Germany.[8]
A Soviet plane crashed into a mountain in
Kandalaksha on a trial flight preparing to rescue Russian scientists on an
ice floe in
Greenland. 13 of the 19 aboard were killed.[9]
Black Sunday: Hundreds of swimmers were dragged out to sea by freak waves at
Bondi Beach in
Sydney, Australia.
Lifesavers were able to rescue all but five.[10]
Austrian Chancellor
Kurt Schuschnigg went to see Hitler in
Berchtesgaden. Schuschnigg tried to open the meeting with light conversation about the beauty of the view, but Hitler brushed such talk aside and began a tirade of shouting, threatening to invade unless his demands compromising Austria's sovereignty were met.[6]
The British Empire Games closed in Sydney. Australia won the final medal count with 25 gold medals and 66 overall.
16 women drowned when a ferry boat capsized in
Sydney Harbour. The passengers, mostly women, had crowded on one side of the ferry hoping to get the attention of sailors aboard the Louisville.[15]
Italy gave its first indication of passing
antisemitic laws in the future when an official policy statement was released announcing that Jews were not to "play a more important part in the national life than their individual abilities merit" or engage in activities "out of proportion to their numerical representation in the community."[18]
Hitler gave a three-hour internationally broadcast speech in the
Reichstag vowing to protect German minorities outside of the Reich and reiterating demands for restoration of German colonies.[14][21]
Died:Ciro Terranova, 49, Sicilian-born American gangster
Anthony Eden resigned as Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, telling Prime Minister
Neville Chamberlain: "I have become increasingly conscious of differences between us."[2]Lord Halifax became the new Foreign Secretary.
The
Labour Party issued a manifesto demanding that Prime Minister
Neville Chamberlain call a new general election to assess whether the public supported his appeasement policy. "This is not the time for concessions to dictators", the manifesto read. "The government holds no mandate from electors for the vital change it has made in foreign policy. We demand that a stand shall be taken with other peace loving nations against the violence and threats of Fascist powers."[23]
Kurt Schuschnigg made a defiant speech to the Austrian Diet appealing to the country to fight to maintain its independence, declaring "Rotweissrot bis in den Tod" ("
Red-white-red until we are dead.")[6]
A
constitutional referendum was held in
Romania. 99.87% of voters approved the amendments, but the integrity of the voting process was highly questionable.
The first
nylon-based products went on sale in the United States:
toothbrushes.[2]
The
French Chamber of Deputies by a vote of 439-2 endorsed the government's policy of joining Britain in entering negotiations with Germany and Italy.[25]
The Nazi prosecutor in
Martin Niemöller's trial demanded that the pastor be sentenced to 20 months in prison.[26]
Died:Ilyas Zhansugurov, 43, Kazakh poet and writer (killed in the Great Purge)
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht chief
Wilhelm Keitel ordered all retired military officers to be placed "at the disposal" of the military regardless of age. Officers discharged under dishonorable circumstances as well as Jews and those married to Jews were excluded.[28]
References
^Corvaja, Santi (2008). Hitler & Mussolini: The Secret Meetings. Enigma Books. p. 58.
ISBN978-0-9824911-6-4.
^
abcdeMercer, Derrik, ed. (1989). Chronicle of the 20th Century. London: Chronicle Communications Ltd. p. 493.
ISBN978-0-582-03919-3.
^Small, Alex (February 3, 1938). "Egypt's Boy King Shuts Chamber; Calls Elections". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 6.
^MacDonogh, Giles (2009). 1938: Hitler's Gamble. Basic Books. p. 17.
ISBN978-0-465-02205-2.
Benito Mussolini had Italian soldiers adopt the
goose step, or as he christened it, the "passo romano", or "Roman step". King
Victor Emmanuel III had opposed the decision, but Mussolini could not be swayed, calling the
goose a "Roman animal".[1][2]
The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht was established in Nazi Germany by decree, putting Hitler himself in complete control of the military with
Wilhelm Keitel as nominal commander-in-chief. The new command structure abolished the position of War Minister, and twelve senior generals were sent into retirement. The German public was still unaware of the
Blomberg–Fritsch Affair and wondered if the changes were the result of some kind of failed internal coup attempt.[6]
Jews were banned from working as auctioneers in Nazi Germany.[8]
A Soviet plane crashed into a mountain in
Kandalaksha on a trial flight preparing to rescue Russian scientists on an
ice floe in
Greenland. 13 of the 19 aboard were killed.[9]
Black Sunday: Hundreds of swimmers were dragged out to sea by freak waves at
Bondi Beach in
Sydney, Australia.
Lifesavers were able to rescue all but five.[10]
Austrian Chancellor
Kurt Schuschnigg went to see Hitler in
Berchtesgaden. Schuschnigg tried to open the meeting with light conversation about the beauty of the view, but Hitler brushed such talk aside and began a tirade of shouting, threatening to invade unless his demands compromising Austria's sovereignty were met.[6]
The British Empire Games closed in Sydney. Australia won the final medal count with 25 gold medals and 66 overall.
16 women drowned when a ferry boat capsized in
Sydney Harbour. The passengers, mostly women, had crowded on one side of the ferry hoping to get the attention of sailors aboard the Louisville.[15]
Italy gave its first indication of passing
antisemitic laws in the future when an official policy statement was released announcing that Jews were not to "play a more important part in the national life than their individual abilities merit" or engage in activities "out of proportion to their numerical representation in the community."[18]
Hitler gave a three-hour internationally broadcast speech in the
Reichstag vowing to protect German minorities outside of the Reich and reiterating demands for restoration of German colonies.[14][21]
Died:Ciro Terranova, 49, Sicilian-born American gangster
Anthony Eden resigned as Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, telling Prime Minister
Neville Chamberlain: "I have become increasingly conscious of differences between us."[2]Lord Halifax became the new Foreign Secretary.
The
Labour Party issued a manifesto demanding that Prime Minister
Neville Chamberlain call a new general election to assess whether the public supported his appeasement policy. "This is not the time for concessions to dictators", the manifesto read. "The government holds no mandate from electors for the vital change it has made in foreign policy. We demand that a stand shall be taken with other peace loving nations against the violence and threats of Fascist powers."[23]
Kurt Schuschnigg made a defiant speech to the Austrian Diet appealing to the country to fight to maintain its independence, declaring "Rotweissrot bis in den Tod" ("
Red-white-red until we are dead.")[6]
A
constitutional referendum was held in
Romania. 99.87% of voters approved the amendments, but the integrity of the voting process was highly questionable.
The first
nylon-based products went on sale in the United States:
toothbrushes.[2]
The
French Chamber of Deputies by a vote of 439-2 endorsed the government's policy of joining Britain in entering negotiations with Germany and Italy.[25]
The Nazi prosecutor in
Martin Niemöller's trial demanded that the pastor be sentenced to 20 months in prison.[26]
Died:Ilyas Zhansugurov, 43, Kazakh poet and writer (killed in the Great Purge)
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht chief
Wilhelm Keitel ordered all retired military officers to be placed "at the disposal" of the military regardless of age. Officers discharged under dishonorable circumstances as well as Jews and those married to Jews were excluded.[28]
References
^Corvaja, Santi (2008). Hitler & Mussolini: The Secret Meetings. Enigma Books. p. 58.
ISBN978-0-9824911-6-4.
^
abcdeMercer, Derrik, ed. (1989). Chronicle of the 20th Century. London: Chronicle Communications Ltd. p. 493.
ISBN978-0-582-03919-3.
^Small, Alex (February 3, 1938). "Egypt's Boy King Shuts Chamber; Calls Elections". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. 6.
^MacDonogh, Giles (2009). 1938: Hitler's Gamble. Basic Books. p. 17.
ISBN978-0-465-02205-2.