Origins of World War II

By bevelyn

  • World War I begins

    Following the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the great powers of Europe entered into War. On one side - Germany, Austria-Hungary and Turkey. One the other - the United Kingdom and its Commonwealth, France and Russia.
  • Period: to

    World War I

  • Russian Revolution

    Communists in Russia overthrow Tsar Nicolas II.

  • End of World War II

    World War I ends. Estimated 10 million dead.

  • Treaty of Versailles 1919

    Peace treaty signed between WWI victors and Germany. Germany made to take the blame for the war, pay reparations, reduce its military and give up its empire.

  • Treaty of Saint-Germain 1919

    Treaty signed between WWI victors and the newly created nation of Austria. Austria is also forbidden from uniting with Germany.

  • Treaty of Neuilly 1919

    Treaty signed between WWI victors and Bulgaria.

  • League of Nations

    League of Nations has its first meeting in Geneva. The League was the brain child of US President Woodrow Wilson. The group was created to find peaceful methods of stopping war. Though a US idea, the US refused to join the League.

  • Treaty of Trianon 1920

    Treaty signed between WWI victors and the newly created nation of Hungary.

  • Treaty of Sevres 1920

    Treaty between WWI victors and the Ottoman Empire. The Turks are made to give up their crumbling empire.

  • German Reparations

    Germany was ordered to pay reparations for damages caused during World War I. In 1921, these reparations were fixed at 6.6 billion pounds a year.

  • Joseph Stalin

    Following the death of Lenin and the power struggle with Trotsky, Joseph Stalin comes to power in the Soviet Union.

  • March of Rome 1922

    Benito Mussolini and his Italian Fascists take control of Italy following a two day rally known as the "March on Rome".

  • France occupies the Ruhr

    With Germany in a major economic crisis, it was unable to pay its reparations. To get the money, French troops occupy the Ruhr region. Te occupation lasts until 1925.

  • Beer Hall Putsch

    Inspired by the March on Rome, Adolf Hitler and his National Socialists attempt to overthrow the government in Bavaria. The attempt is unsuccessful and Hitler is sent to prison.
    While in jail, he writes his book "Mein Kampf".

  • Dawes Plan

    The Dawes Plan was created so that Germany could pay its reparations to the UK and France. Essentially, the UK and France gave that money back to the USA in the form of War Debt. By this stage, all the major markets were connected to Wall Street.

  • Locarno Treaty

    First attempt at normal relations with Germany. It was an attempt to secure the borders of Germany, France and Belgium. It the treaty was broken, the UK and Italy was to step in against the agressor.

  • Germany joins the League of Nations

    Following the success of the Locarno Treaty in 1925, Germany was finally allowed to join the League of Nations.

  • Kellogg-Briand Pact

    The brainchild of the USA and France, the Kellogg-Briand Pact was supposed to denounce war as an instrument of national policy.

  • Young Plan

    Was a replacement of theDawes Plan of 1924. The Young Plan reduced Germany's reparations bill down to 2 billion pounds a year.

  • Wall Street Crash

    Following a world wide boom, stock markets came crashing down in 1929 following an economic collapse on Wall Street in New York. Due to the Dawes Plan, most markets around the world were connected to Wall Street, thus a domino effect occured, which led to the Great Depression.

  • Japanese Forces Occupy Manchuria

    Using a faked attack on a railway, Japanese troops crossed in Manchuria in northern China. Though appeals to the League of Nations were heared, they did nothing in response to Japanese agression.

  • World Disarmament Conference Opens

    Following the progress made under the Kellogg-Briand Pact, the League of Nations organised a conference to limit the amount of arms in the world. Successful at first, the talks broke down following Germany's withdrawal in 1933. Germany then begins to re-arm itself.

  • Nazi Party becomes the biggest party in the Riechstag

    Following months of political turmoil, the Nazi Party finally became the biggest party in the Riechstag with 230 seats. However, Hitler is not made chancellor.
    Another election was held in November 1932, and though the Nazis lost some seats, they remained the biggest party in the Riechstag.

  • Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany

    After much debate, President Hindenberg finally agreed to make Hitler German Chancellor. Though limitations were put in place, Hitler made himself dictator of Germany.

  • Roosevelt becomes President

    Promising reform and help to the economy, Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the 32nd President of the United States. He would go on to be the longest serving President winning 4 elections. He died in office in 1945.

  • Japan withdraws from the League of Nations

  • Japan withdraws from the League of Nations

    Japan offically withdrew from the LON following the Lytton Report about their aggression in Manchuria.

  • Germany withdraws from the League of Nations

  • Germany's first attempt at Anschluss with Austria

    Hitler called for an Anschluss with Austria in 1934 saying that the situation there was bad. The plan was blocked by Mussolini.

  • Saarland returns to Germany

    A plebisite in 1935 asked whether people wished to return to Germany, join France or remain under League control. 90% of the population of the Saarland voted to return to Germany.

  • Second Italo-Abyssinian War

    Mussolini had always dreamed of recreating the Roman Empire and avenging past Italian defeats. One defeat was in Abyssinia. The invasion occured and resulted in an Abyssinian defeat. The nation was incorperated into the slowly expanding colonial empire of Italy.

    The war also caused the break-down of the Stresa Front. A deal was attempted between Britain, France and Italy that Abyssinia would be divided; one half indepenent. A public back-lash saw the deal thrown out.

  • Stresa Front

    Fearing Germany, an alliance was formed between Britain, France and Italy. This was the Stresa Front. Its goal was to surround Germany thus pushing it east, but also to protect each other from Germany hostility.

  • Remilitarization of the Rhineland

    In breach of Versaillies, Hitler orders troops to occupy and rearm the Rhineland, the buffer zone between Germany and France. Though they had the military capability to prevent the occupation, France did nothing.

  • Spanish Civil War

    Civil war broke out in Spain between the Nationalists and the Republicans. Though an internal war, each side was aided by outsiders. The Nationalists by Germany and Italy, and the Republicans by the USSR. Each used the war as a testing ground for their armed forces.

  • Anti-Comintern Pact

    The first alliance that would make up the Axis was signed between Germany and Japan. The alliance was aimed at communism in general, but is often said to concern mainly the USSR.

  • US Neutrality Act

    Roosevelt had been calling for aid to Europe for some time in the hope of preventing a full-scale war. The US Congress however, was unwilling to join in a foreign conflict. From 1935 until 1939, several Neutrality Acts were passed, the most important being the 1937 Act, which was the result of the Spanish Civil War and the war in China.

  • Neville Chamberlain becomes Prime Minister

  • Second Sino-Japanese War

    Having occupied Manchuria in 1931, Japan launched a full scale invasion of China in 1937.

  • Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis

    Italy joined the Anti-Comintern Pact in 1937, thus creating a three way Axis alliance. Italy decided to join following the collapse of the Stresa Front in 1936.

  • Anschluss

    Having already been blocked from taking Austria, Hitler made another attempt in 1938. This time he was successful. Hitler's occupation of Austria went ahead without conflict.

  • Munich Pact

    Hitler had been demanding the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia for some time now. To prevent a conflict, Chamberlain called a conference in Munich in 1938. This was appeasement in action. Chamberlain hoped that Hitler would be satisfied with his new land and agree to not invade anymore countries.

  • Invasion of Czechoslovakia

    Having gotten the Sudetenland, Hitler made plans to invade the remaining area of Czechoslovakia in 1939. This was carried out in March and the nation was divided. One half was incorperated in Greater Germany, the other half was made into a new nation called Slovakia. This was ruled by a Nazi Puppet Government.

  • Protection Plege to Poland

    Having seen Hitler go against the Munich Pact, Britain and France knew that Poland was next. Together, they pledged to assist Poland if Hitler invaded.

  • Spanish Civil War Ends

    Thanks to aid from Germany and Italy, the Nationalists gained a victory in the Spanish Civil War. But instead of forming an alliance with Hitler, they opted for neutrality.

  • Nazi-Soviet Non-Agression Pact

    Fearing a war on two fronts, Hitler decided to form an alliance with his greatest enemy, Stalin. The pact they signed was a non-agression pact, which meant they would not attack each other. Secretly, they made an agreement to divide Poland between them.

  • Invasion of Poland

    Having secured the Soviet Union, Hitler invaded Poland. Within 3 weeks the battle was other and Poland was no more. Soon after, the USSR upheld its end of the deal and invaded the eastern side of Poland.
  • Period: to

    World War II

  • Declaration of War

    Two days after the German invasion of Poland a declaration of war was issued. Britain, France, India, Australia and New Zealand were the first to declare war. By the end of September South Africa and Canada had entered the war on the side of the Allies.

  • Norway and Denmark

    Following an invasion by Germany, Norway and Denmark entered the war on the side of the Allies. Though being occupied, both set up governments-in-exile in London.

  • Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister

    Having lost confidence and support, the King asked Chamberlain to step aside as Prime Minister. The position was offered to Winston Churchill who led a coaltion government into the war.

  • Germany invades the West

    With Norway and Denmark occupied, Germany begins to send troops West. France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands all fall to Germany.

  • UK invasion of Iceland

    Seeing that Germany could invade Britain from the north, Britain invades Iceland.

  • Battle of Britain Begins

    Now alone, Britain begins to prepare for an invasion. Before an invasion can begin Hitler must control the air-space over England. Thus the largest air war begins in the sky of Britain.

  • More nations enter the war

    Egypt enters the war on the 9 September 1940.
    Greece enters the war on the 28 October 1940.
    Yugoslavia enters the war on the 6 April 1941.

  • Battle of Britain Ends

    Unable to defeat the RAF, Hitler feels that Britain cannot continue the fight. The Battle of Britain ends in German defeat.

  • German Invasion of the Soviet Union

    After helping out Italy in the Balkans and Africa, Hitler was ready for his invasion of the Soviet Union. However, it was several months late meaning his troops would be caught in the harsh Russian winter.

  • Pearl Harbour

    Japan had reached a crossroad. Moving south would bring into conflict with the United States, thus a decision was made to bomb Pearl Harbour which housed the Pacific Fleet. Doing this would give Japan the ability to continue south without fear of an attack from the USA.

  • USA enters the War

    The day after the attack, the USA declared war on Japan. This was followed by a declaration of war by the other Allies still left in the war, namely Britain and the Commonwealth.

  • A true World War

    Due to its obligations to Japan, Germany and Italy declared war on the USA.
    Thus, this war had truely became a World War with fighting in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific.