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End of World War I
The final Allied push towards the German border began on October 17, 1918. As the British, French and American armies advanced, the alliance between the Central Powers began to collapse. Turkey signed an armistice at the end of October, Austria-Hungary followed on November 3. -
Hitler joins the Nazi Party
In 1919, Hitler joined a struggling group called the National Socialist German Workers' Party, better known as the Nazi Party. -
Fascist Party established under Mussolini in Italy
By 1921, Mussolini had established the Fascist Party. Fascism stressed nationalism and placed teh interests of the state above those of individuals. -
Establishment of the USSR
Today in History recognizes the anniversary of the establishment of the USSR. Russia expanded its borders by essentially absorbing neighboring republics. This not only increased the land mass controlled by Russia, but also increased the labor pool and the amount of natural resources available. -
Mussolini takes over in Italy
A powerful speaker, Mussolini knew how to appeal to Italy's wounded national pride. He played on the fears of economic collapse and communism. In this way, he won the support of many discontented Italians. -
Death of Vladimir Lenin; control of USSR to Joseph Stalin; deaths of 8-13 million Russians
Lenin was seriously wounded but survived the attack. The assassination attempt set off a wave of reprisals by the Bolsheviks against the Social Revolutionaries and other political opponents. Thousands were executed as Russia fell deeper into civil war. -
US and 61 other countries sign Kellogg-Briand Pact
The Kellogg-Briand Pact was developed to outlaw was. It started as a bilateral French-American accord, but 14 nations signed up immediately and 62 eventually signed. The treaty marked the high point of idealism in the pursuit of peace -
German invasion of Denmark and Norway
The government of Norway, unwilling to become involved in the war, protected German transports sailing in her waters in order to appease Adolf Hitler. Hitler, therefore, had no plans to invade Norway; in fact, many top German leaders later reported that Hitler much preferred Norway to remain neutral so that Germany did not need to extend her military to occupy that country. The Altmark incident on 16 Feb 1940, where Norwegian gunboats stood by and allowed a British destroyer to board a German tr -
Japanese invasion of Manchuria
Whilst the Disarmament conference was running, the Japanese invaded Manchuria. The Japanese invasion on 18th September 1931 of Manchuria signalled the end of the period of apparent internationals stability -
Roosevelt takes office
President Franklin D Roosevelt threw down the gauntlet to depression in the inaugural address he delivered immediately after he took the oath of office at the Capitol. Declaring that the "only thing we have to fear is fear itself," he promised an unflagging struggle against the difficulties in which the United States finds itself. -
Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany, establishing the Third Reich
The party's last leader, Adolf Hitler, was appointed Chancellor of Germany by president Paul von Hindenburg in 1933. Hitler rapidly established a totalitarian regime[6][7][8][9] known as the Third Reich. Nazi ideology stressed the failures of laissez-faire capitalism, communism, economic liberalism, and democracy; supported the "racial purity of the German people" and that of other Northwestern Europeans; and claimed itself as the protector of Germany from Jewish influence and corruption. -
HItler begins military buildup
The first steps toward Lebensraum occurred in 1935 when Hitler openly violated the Treaty of Versailles by reintroducing military conscription and began rapidly rebuilding the German Army. -
US begins passing Neutrality Acts
The Neutrality Acts were a series of acts created by the United States Congress that were geared toward keeping the United States out of another war. The acts passed between 1935 contained provisions limiting arms sales to nations that were not at war, gave the United States the power to keep citizens from traveling on belligerent ships or to belligerent nations, prohibited loans to belligerent nations and nations that were not repaying previous debts, and forbade American shipping to carry arms -
Civil War begins in Spain under Francisco Franco
In 1936, a group of Spanish army officers led by General Francisco Franco, rebelled against the Spanish republic. Revolts broke out all over Spain, and the Spanish Civil War began. -
German troops invade Rhineland
Although the French government had been aware of Hitler’s plan to reoccupy the demilitarized Rhineland during the Spring of 1935, it took the French government nearly a year to decide how they would respond once Hitler decided to move German troops into the Rhineland. France’s indecision regarding the imminent reoccupation of the Rhineland was due to the fear of French people in provoking a war with the Germans, and the French generals’ lack of confidence in fighting a war against Germany withou -
Italian troops conquer Ethiopia
Mussolini began building his new Roman Empire. His first target was Ethiopia, one of Africa's few remaining independent countries. By the faill of 1935, tens of thousands of Italian soldiers stood ready to advance on Ethiopia. -
Hitler announces secret plans for lebensraum
In a meeting with his leading generals and admirals on 3 February 1933 Hitler spoke of "conquest of Lebensraum in the East and its ruthless Germanisation" as his ultimate foreign policy objectives. In March 1933, the first major statement of German foreign policy aims appeared with the memo submitted to the German Cabinet -
Japan invades China
the Japanese Kwangtung Army attacked Chinese troops in Manchuria in an event commonly known as the Manchurian Incident. Essentially, this was an attempt by the Japanese Empire to gain control over the whole province, in order to eventually encompass all of East Asia. This proved to be one of the causes of World War IIs -
Czechoslovakia falls to Hitler
Munich Agreement sacrifices Czechoslovakia to Hitler -
Hitler takes Austria
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Munich Agreement; Sudentenland to Germany
In September 1938, Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister, met Adolf Hitler at his home in Berchtesgaden. Hitler threatened to invade Czechoslovakia unless Britain supported Germany's plans to takeover the Sudetenland. After discussing the issue with the Edouard Daladier (France) and Eduard Benes (Czechoslovakia), Chamberlain informed Hitler that his proposals were unacceptable. -
Franco is successful in Spain
After a loss of 500,000 lives, Franco's victory in 1939 established him as Spain's fascist dictator. -
Totalitarian government established in USSR
By 1939, Stalin had firmly establised a totalitarian government that tried to exert complete control over its citizens. In totalitarian state, individuals have no rights, and the government suppresses all oppositions. -
Russian army into Finland ( Finns surrendered in 3 months)
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Non-aggression Pact; Germany and Russia; divide Poland
As tensions rose over Poland, Stalin surprised everyone by signing a nonaggression pact with Hitler. Once bitter enemies, on August 23, 1939 fascist Germany and communist Russia now committed never to attack each other. German and the Soviet Union also signed a second, secret pact, agreeing to divide Poland between them. With the danger of two-front war eliminated, the fate of Poland was sealed. -
Germany invasion of Poland; blitzkrieg
As day broker on September 1, 1939, the German Luftwaffe, or German air force, roared over Poland, raining bombs on military bases, airfields, railroads, and cities. At the same time, German tanks races across the Polish countryside, spreading terror and confusion. This invasion was the first test of Germany's newest military strategy, the blitzkrieg-lightning war. Blitzkrieg made use of advance in military technology. -
Plans for an invasion of Great Britain; beginning of the Battle of Britain
In the summer of 1940, the Germans began to assemble an invasion fleet along the French Coast. Because its haval power could not compete with that of Britain, Germany also launched an air war at the same time. -
Brithish and French defeat at Dunkirk
Britain, whose forces evacuated France by sea from Dunkirk, continued to fight alongside other British dominions in the Battle of the Atlantic. After having his overtures for peace rejected by the British, now led by Winston Churchill, Hitler ordered bombing raids on the United Kingdom. The Battle of Britain was Hitler's prelude to a planned invasion. The attacks began by pounding Royal Air Force airbases and radar stations protecting South-East England. However, the Luftwaffe failed to defeat t -
Defeat of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemburg by Germany
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Italy enters the war on the side of Germany and invades France
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France surrenders to Germany
During this period, Hitler built up his forces on Germany's western frontier. In April 1940, German forces invaded Denmark and Norway. In May 1940, Hitler's forces attacked France, conquering the Luxembourg, Netherlands and Belgium in the process. France surrendered on 22 June 1940. These victories persuaded Benito Mussolini of Italy to join the war on Hitler's side on 10 June 1940.
