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Illegal Re-armament of Germany
Germany began illegally re-arming its military and developing war technology after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, which directly influenced its preparation for invading neighboring countries. The program was heavily expanded when the Nazis rose to power in 1933, where new weapons and vehicles were illegally designed and produced. -
Benito Mussolini becomes the Prime Minister of Fascist Italy
Benito Mussolini rose to ultimate control of Italy, where he ultimately employed ideas of expansionism and friendship with Nazi Germany to invade European nations, adding to the chaos that would engulf Europe in the war. -
Japan Invades Manchuria
Japanese forces invade and annex Manchuria, a large section of Chinese land. This leads to the Japanese withdrawal from the League of Nations, which prompts Germany and Italy to follow, leaving the League powerless and major world powers isolated. -
Adolf Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
Adolf Hitler takes total control of Germany, where he employs his aggressive foreign-policy against Europe to ultimately invade neighboring countries. -
Italian Invasion of Ethiopia
Benito Mussolini tried to expand the Italian Empire by invading the Ethiopian Empire, prompting the League of Nations to impose sanctions on Italy. The Ethiopian Empire soon denounced Italy before the League of Nations, causing Italy to withdraw from the League, leaving it free to invade other countries without official penalties. -
German Annexation of Germany
German troops annexed Austria, a German-speaking nation, in violation of one of the key terms of the Treaty of Versailles. The annexation received no military response from the Allied powers, which allowed Hitler to further expand upon his idea of recapturing German speaking territories, making Germany more powerful and influential in Europe. -
Munich Conference
Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Neville Chamberlain, Edouard Daladier, and Galeazzo Ciano met at the Munich Conference to discuss options for Hitler's annexation of Czechoslovakia. In violation of the pact, Poland and Hungary seized what Germany hadn't taken, which garnered zero response from the Allies. -
Night of Broken Glass
Across Germany, coordinated attacks on Jewish businesses, hospitals, schools, homes, synagogues, and cemeteries happened which resulted in dozens of Jewish people killed. -
German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact
Days before the invasion of Poland, Germany and the Soviet Union signed a pact which ensured peace and nonaggression between the two nations. Hitler used the pact to make sure that he can take over Poland unopposed, which lead to the most direct cause of WWII. -
Germany Invades Poland
Germany begins a full-scale invasion of Poland, which leads to Britain and France declaring war on Germany.
