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End of World War I
End of World War I -
Hitler joins the Nazi party
Hitler joins the Nazi party -
Fascist Party established under Mussolini in Italy
Fascist Party established under Mussolini in Italy -
Establishment of the USSR
Establishment of the USSR -
Mussolini takes over in Italy
Mussolini takes over in Italy -
Death of Vladimir Lenin; control of USSR to Joseph Stalin; deaths of 8-13 million Russians
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US and 61 other countries sign Kellog-Briand Pact
Pact of Paris, formal name: General Treaty for the Renunciation of War -
Japanese invasion of Manchuria
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Roosevelt takes office
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Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany, establishing the Third Reich
On the night of January 30, 1933, the Nazis organized a massive torchlight parade in Berlin to celebrate the appointment of Hitler as Chancellor of Germany -
US begins passing Neutrality Acts
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Hitler begins military buildup
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Italian troops conquer Ethiopia
Italian troops captured the Ethiopian capital of Addis Abeba in the spring of 1936, and, on May 9, 1936, Victor Emmanuel III was proclaimed Emperor of Ethiopia. This war was extremely popular in Italy, but it pointed out the weakness of the League of Nations, whose economic sanctions only irritated the Italians. -
Civil War begins in Spain under Francisco Franco
The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939. It began after a military rebellion by a group of conservative generals led by Francisco Franco against the established Government of the Second Spanish Republic -
German troops invade Rhineland
Under the Treaty of Versailles the land along the Rhine was to be demilitarized. January of 1936 Hitler decided to re occupy the Rhineland. -
Japan invades China
a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. -
Hitler announces secret plans for lebensraum
The people of Germany and many of the Reich's top leaders had no idea of the depth of their Führer's cynicism, but they would all find out sooner or later. For Germany's top Army leaders that revelation came on November 5th, 1937, when Hitler called a secret conference and bluntly outlined his plans to acquire Lebensraum at the expense of other nations. -
Hitler takes Austria
Hitler began his conquests by occupying Austria in March 1938 and annexing it to Germany. -
Munich Agreement; Sudetenland to Germany
an agreement permitting Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. -
Franco is successful in Spain
Franco emerged as the leader of the Nationalists against the Popular Front government. After winning the civil war with military aid from Italy and Nazi Germany -
Totalitarian government established in USSR
individuals had no right of free speech, free publications and free associations. The individuals had no right to form political parties. There was only one governmental party which imposed its dictatorial rule on the people. This one-party regime was concerned with the 'total' activities of its people - their work, their leisure, their religion, even their private lives. The basic concept of the totalitarian state was best expressed in Mussolini's well-known phrase, "all within the state, nothi -
Czechoslovakia falls to Hitler
On March 16, 1939, the German Wehrmacht moved into the remainder of Czechoslovakia -
Non-Aggression Pact; Germany and Russia; divide Poland
On August 20, 1939 Hitler offered a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union.. -
German invasion of Poland; blitzkrieg
On 1st September 1939, German forces invaded Poland. Blitzkrieg was now put into practice. -
Russian Army into Finland
Finland was another such nation in the Soviet scope. However, the Finns were not all too ready to bow down to the Communist herd and stood strong in the face of threats from the Soviets. Eventually, the threats were called off and two days later, the Soviet Army invaded Finland. World support from the US, UK, France and Sweden all proposed assistance but little of this actually materialized to help the Finns out. -
Plans for an invasion of Great Britain; beginning of the Battle of Britain
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Defeat of te Netherlands, Belgium and Luxemborg by Germany
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German invasion of Denmark and Norway
On 9 Apr 1940, German armor and men poured across the Danish border. The small Danish military had no chance defending the relatively flat country that was ideal for German operations, but they engaged the invaders nevertheless, suffering a few dozen dead. A few hours later, however, the government in Copenhagen realized a successful defense was impossible, and a prolonged campaign would only spell bombing of Danish cities, thus surrendered immediately. -
British and French defeat at Dunkirk
The Battle of Dunkirk was a battle in the Second World War between the Allies and Germany. A part of the Battle of France on the Western Front, the Battle of Dunkirk was the defence and evacuation of British and allied forces in Europe -
Italy enters the war on the side of Germany and invades France
The Italian invasion of France in June 1940 was a small scale invasion that started near the end of the Battle of France during World War II. -
France surrenders to Germany
The French government continues its flight southward to Bordeaux where it disintegrates. A new government is formed with World War I hero Marshall Petain at its head. On June 17 the aging warrior announces in a broadcast to the French people that “It is with a heavy heart that I tell you today that we must stop fighting.” This is the final straw that breaks the back of the French resistance to the German invasion. The French government calls on the Germans for an armistice that will end the fig
