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Mein Kampf
Written by Hitler (during his time in prison) and published between 1925 and 1926, this book displayed Hitler's vicious Anti-Semitism outlooks and his political psychology which involved the manipulation of large masses. -
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The Great Depression
Partially caused by the U.S. Stock Market Crash in 1929, the depression caused widespread unemployment in most of Europe and the United States. Farmers and agriculture suffered. On a societal level, industry continued to develop and prices were low, but unemployment counteracted these benefits. Gender roles were upset and social ties were weakened as women were increasingly more able to find work than men. Birthrate declined and anti-Semitism rose, just as Nazism and Fascism became more popular. -
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Hitler comes to power
Hitler took advantage of the weakness of the people during the Great Depression and provided a seemingly powerful ruler and a convenient scapegoat (the Jews). People were attracted to the idea of Hitler confronting those responsible for their troubles (the Wiemar Republic & Jews), so Hitler rose to power fairly easily through politics and modern mass propaganda. -
Stock Market Crash
In the U.S.A., people used credit to buy shares in a seemingly endlessly profitable market, but were blind-sided by the Federal Reserve Bank when they tried to slow speculation by tightening credit. Immediately, people began to sell their stocks in order to pay back the money that they borrowed, causing the stock market to collapse. This event marked the beginning of a personal and economic catastrophe and essentially began the worldwide period of history that is know as the Great Depression. -
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Japanese Expansion
Japan, who had a weak monarchy under Hirohito, was persuaded by nationalists and military groups to wage war in the name of expansion, which they viewed as the antidote to the Depression. Beginning in Manchuria with a sneaky train bomb plot, the Japanese attacked China viciously, angering the U.S.A. However, Western powers did not effectively resist, allowing Japan to continue to expand into Asia and the Pacific (as part of their "divine mission"). -
Japanese Invasion of Manchuria
To justify their attack on Manchuria, Japan strategically blew up one of their own railroad trains in the province of Manchuria (which had seen heavy Japanese business investments previously), making it look like a Chinese plot against Japan. This excuse allowed them to take over the territory, which was only a starting point in their rapid expansion into Asia and the Pacific. -
Enabling Act
German delegates in the Reichstag were intimidated by the SA (Hitler's soldiers) to pass the Enabling Act in 1933. Essentially, the act allowed Nazis to take control of the government, suspending constitutional government for four years to "meet the crisis" in the German economy. Under this act, Nazis did not have to pass laws through a parliament. This act recieved support from the middle class who thought it was a way to enhance the volksgemeinschaft. -
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The Ethiopian War
After Hitler's annunciation of Germany's disinvolvement with the League of Nations in 1933 and began re-arming, causing Italy to take up arms as well. Mussolini chose to invade Ethiopia, one of the only countries in Africa not under western control. Though it had defeated Italy once, this time it was less fortunate, and its capital fell in 1936. Sanctions were imposed on Italy by the League of Nations, but Britain and France would not approve a sanction on oil, so they were not affective. -
Nuremberg Laws
As part of Hitler's campaign for a uniform Aryan race, the Nazis passed the Nuremberg Act in 1935, depriving Jews of their citizenship and prohibiting marraige between Jews and "normal" Germans. In addition, it also imposed many other hardships, paving the way for the T4 project (the mass extermination of the handicapped and elderly by carbon monoxide) in the late 1930's. -
Remilitarization of the Rhineland
While the rest of the world was focused on Mussolini's campaign in Italy, Hitler saw the opportunity to profit from this distraction and decided to re-milaitarize the Rhineland, which bordered France. Any type of militarization in this area had been forbidden by the Treaty of Paris (Versailles). When France complained to the League of Nations about the obvious and threatening breach of treaty, no action was taken, solidifying the Rome-Berlin Axis. -
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Spanish Civil War
Led by Francisco Franco against the republicans of Spain, drawing the help of other fascist parties in Europe, such as Hitler's Nazis and the support of Mussolini. These "helpers" used Spain as target practice and training excercises for their soldiers as World War II approached, destroying many cities like Guernica and causing widespread suffering. Refused aid by the British and French (and hurt after the Stalin pulled out), the republican party eventually fell. -
"Rape of Nanjing"
In yet another brutal step to liberate the Chinese from Western imperialism, Japan attacked Nanjing in 1937, killing hundreds of thousands. This attack earned its name due to its brutality towards women and girls, as well as other acts of torture employed by the Japanese. As a result of this brutality, Japan lost trade with the U.S., but other European powers failed to react. -
Anschluss
The union of Germany and Austria in a merger that had long been wished for and anticipated by the Austrians. Though it appeared to apply to the Wilsonian idea of self-determination, Germany soon took advantage of Austria's resources (like gold) and flooded its streets with Nazi thugs. Though they did provide some unemployment relief, the main evil of the anschluss is the fact that it too directly refuted the Peace of Paris (Versailles Treaty). -
Appeasement
When Hitler declared that he wished to invade Sudetenland, British Prime Minister Chamberlain, French premier Daladier, and Mussolini met with him at Munich. Eventually, they decided not to oppose Hitler's claim, hoping that the minor gain would appease Hitler and stop his world conquests. This act exemplifies the strategy of preventing war by making concessions for grievances (the Peace of Paris "insulted" Germans). Hitler waited until March before invading the rest of Czechoslovakia. -
Munich Conference
The meeting of Chamberlain (British), Daladier (French), Mussolini, and Hitler in Munich to discuss the October deadline of Hitler's warning of a German invasion in Sudetenland (a portion of Czechoslovakia). While there, the delegates decided on an appeasement, giving Sudetenland to Germany without consulting Czechoslovakia themselves. In March of the same year, Hitler invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia. Afterwards, Hitler and Mussolini entered into the Pact of Steel.
