<P> Prime Minister Chamberlain felt betrayed by the Nazi seizure of Czechoslovakia, realising his policy of appeasement towards Hitler had failed, and immediately began to mobilize the British Empire's armed forces on a war footing . France did the same . Though no immediate action followed, Hitler's move on Poland in September started World War II in Europe . </P> <P> By late 1938, Lithuania had lost control over the situation in the Memel Territory . In the early hours of 23 March 1939, after a political ultimatum had made a Lithuanian delegation travel to Berlin, the Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Juozas Urbšys and his German counterpart Joachim von Ribbentrop signed the Treaty of the Cession of the Memel Territory to Germany in exchange for a Lithuanian Free Zone in the port of Memel, using the facilities erected in previous years . </P> <P> After invading Poland in 1939, Germany annexed the lands it was forced to give to a reformed Poland in 1919--1922 by the Treaty of Versailles, including the "Polish Corridor", West Prussia, the Province of Posen, and East Upper Silesia . The Volkstag of the Free City of Danzig voted to become a part of Germany again, although Poles and Jews were deprived of their voting rights and all non-Nazi political parties were banned . Parts of Poland that had not been part of Wilhelmine Germany were also incorporated into the Reich . </P> <P> Two decrees by Adolf Hitler (October 8 and October 12, 1939) provided for the division of the annexed areas of Poland into the following administrative units: </P>

Which country(s) did germany take prior to the onset of world war ii in 1939