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End of WWI
World War I as a declared state of war lasted from July 28, 1914 to November 11, 1918.
After a decade of unstable alliances and military buildups, World War I was triggered in 1914 by the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand. It ended in 1918 with the Treaty of Versailles. -
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. Despite its name, this party had no ties to socialism. -
Fascist Party established under Mussolini in Italy
Mussolini established a totalitarian regime in Italy, where unemployment and inflation produced bitter strikes, some communist-led. He was a powerful speaker and knew how to appeal to Italy's wounded national pride. by 1921, Mussolini had established the Fascist Party. Fascism stressed nationalism. -
Mussolini takes over Italy
He gained support from the King of Italy and many landowners/factory owners & upper class people by using his blackshirt militias to put an end to socialist strikes.
This, combined with other factors, resulted in the King appointing Mussolini as Prime Minister. It was after this that his supporters marched on Rome as a victory parade/show of force. Over time, he gradually transferred more powers to himself, until he could oust non fascists from the cabinet and could eventually name himself Duce -
Establishment of the USSR
Stalin took control of the USSR. Stalin focused on creating a model communist state. He transformed the Soviet Union from a rural nation into a great industrial power. -
The death of Vladimir Lenin
He was a communist politcian. He headed the Soviet during its initial years. He died January 21st, 1924. -
US and 61 other countries sign Kellogg-Briand Pact
In 1928, the United States had signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact. The treaty was signed by 62 countries and declared that war would not be used "as an instrument of national policy." Yet it did not include a plan to deal with countries that broke their pledge. The Pact was, therefore, only a small step toward peace. -
Japanese invasion of Manchuria
Commonly known as the Manchurian Incident. This was an attempt by the Japanese Empire to gain contrl of the whole province. -
Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germnay.
Establishing the Third Reich. Once in power, Hitler quickly dismantled Germany's democratic Weimer Republic. According to Hitler, the Third Reich would be a "Thousand-Year Reich"-it would last for a thousand years. -
Roosevelt takes office
Citizens did not want to change president during a war in fear of change, so Roosevelt was elected once again. -
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. Roosevelt found it impossible to remain neutral. He found a way around the acts. The US continued to send arms and supplies to China. -
Italian troops conquer Ethiopia
Ethopia was one of Africa's few remaining independent countries. By the fall of 1935, tens of thousands of Italian soldiers stood ready to advance on Ethiopia. The League of Nations reacted with brave talk of "collective resistance to all acts of unprovoke aggression." -
Civil War begins in Spain under Francisco Franco
In 1936, a group of Spanish army officers led by General Fransisco Franco, rebelled aganist the Spanish republic. Revolts broke out all over Spain, and The Spanish Civil War began. Americans went to Spain to fight aganist Franco. Franco had victory in 1939 and then of which he established a dictatorship. Once agani a totalitarian government ruled in Europe. -
German troops invade Rhineland
Hitler attacked the Rhineland without them knowing that there was an attack coming their way. -
Japan invades China
Japan invaded China in 1937 because of their Imperialist goals to gain more land and resources so they could become more powerful. -
Hitler announces secret plans for lebensraum
Lebensraum means living space. He want to get rid of the one's he did not see as the superior race and make room for Aryan race. -
Hitler takes Austria
Austria was Hitler's first target. The Paris Peace Conferece following WWI had created the small nation of Austria out of what was left of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. On March 12, 1938, German troops marched into Austria. The world did nothing. -
Munich Agreement: Sudetenland to Germany
Hitler said that Sudetenland was abusing the Germans and he began massing troops on the Czech border. -
Totalitarian government established in USSR
The totalitarian government in the USSR was established by Joseph Stalin. -
Russian army into Finland
(Finns surrender in three months) -
Franco is successful in Spain
Until his death, Franco ruled Spain. He ruled for 30 years. He took over as a dictator. When Civil War broke out in his country, he won and had a victory in 1939. -
Czechoslovakia falls to Hitler
Hitler charged the Czechs because he said they were abusing the Germans. -
Non-aggression pact; Germany and Russia divide Poland
Hitler was planning against the possibility of a two front war. Since fighting a two front war in World War I had split Germany's forces, it had weakened and undermined their offensive; thus, played a large role in Germany losing the First World War. Hitler was determined not to repeat the same mistakes. So, he planned ahead and made a pact with the Soviets - the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact. -
German invasion of Poland; blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg means lightning war. It was Germany's new military strategy. Blitzkrieg made use of advances in military technology like fast tanks and more powerful aircraft to surprise the enemy. The attack began on Sept. 1, 1939. The tactics worked perfectly. -
British and French defeat at Dunkirk
Germanss trapped almost 400,000 British and French soldiers as they fled to the beaches of Dunkirk on the French side of the English Channel. -
Italy enters the war on the side of Germany and invades France
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German invasion of Denmark and Norway
the Allies landed on June 6, 1944 at five beaches in the Normandy area with the code names of: Utah Beach, Omaha Beach, Gold Beach, Juno Beach and Sword Beach. The German failure to successfully defend the Normandy area from the Allied liberation forces in essence doomed Hitler's dream of a Nazi controlled "Fortress Europe" and marked the beginning of the end for Germany. -
Defeat of the Netherlands, Belguim and Luxembourg by Germany
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France surrenders to Germany
German advances threatned France's army. The French government calls on the Germans for an armistice that will end the fighting. -
Plans for an invasion of Great Britian
It marked the beginning of the Battle of Britian
