CIE GCSE History Timeline

By pjl09

  • Russia falls to Communism

  • Kiel Mutiny

    • Sailors refused to board a hopeless offensive against the British Navy
    • Led to the abdication of the Kaiser and the end of the German Empire

  • '14 Points' Speech

    • Self-determination (e.g. Baltics, Turkey, Belgium)
    • France re-gain Alsace-Lorraine
    • Austria-Hungary

  • Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

    • Ended involvement in WW1
    • 34% lost population, 54% of industrial land

  • Kaiser Abdication

  • Armistice

  • Spartacist Uprising

    • In January 1919, left-wing Spartacists led by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht attempted to instill soviet governments
    • 100,000 striked, many stopped after lack of organisation
    • Luxemburg and Liebknecht were captured and killed by Freikorps forces

  • Paris Peace Conference

    • Palace of Versailles
    • Lasted 12 months
    • No defeated nations invited
    • Big three often ignored the advice of diplomats

  • Treaty of Versailles Signed

  • Treaty of St Germain

    • Austria lost territory to Italy, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and Yugoslavia
    • Army limited to 30,000 troops, no conscription, no navy
    • Anschluss banned

  • Treaty of Neuilly

    • Bulgaria lost territory to Greece, Romania, and Yugoslavia
    • Army limited to 20,000 troops, no conscription, no air force

  • Kapp Putsch

    • Led by Wolfgang Kapp
    • Seized Berlin, declared himself Chancellor for 4 days
    • Ebert called for general strike, paralyzing the coup

  • Vilna Dispute

    • Vilna, with its largely Polish speaking population, became a new seat in Lithuanian government
    • Two days later, the Polish army annexed Vilna and Lithuania appealed to the LoN
    • The League did nothing, Britain + France did not escalate the situation

  • End of Paris Peace Conference

  • *//* Anton Drexler resigns

    Places Hitler in charge of Nazi Party

  • Congress opposes LoN 2nd time (March)

    • American chair empty when League opened in Jan 1920

  • Treaty of Trianon

    • Hungary lost territory to Romania, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia
    • Army limited to 35,000 troops, no conscription

  • Treaty of Sèvres

    • Ottoman Empire lost territory to Greece, Italy, France, and Britain

  • League of Nations opens

  • German reparations set (£6.6bn)

  • Aaland Islands

    • The Aaland Islands were a Finnish territory with a largely Swedish population. The islanders wanted independence
    • The islands were given to Finland but demilitarized

  • Rapallo Treaty

    Between Germany and Soviet Russia, normalizing relations and promoting economic cooperation

  • Washington Conference

    • The Washington Conference (1921-1922) aimed to limit naval arms and reduce tensions in the Pacific.
    • Major powers, including the US, UK, Japan, and France, agreed to limit naval tonnage and respect territorial holdings in the Pacific.

  • Germany unable to meet reparations

  • Corfu

    • After Tellini was ambushed, Mussolini bombarded and occupied Corfu. Greece appealed to the League.
    • The League condemned Mussolini, but he demanded the issue go to the Conference of Ambassadors, threatening to leave.
    • Britain and France disagreed; Britain was not ready to act without France, focused on the Ruhr. Both argued Italy’s actions weren’t warlike.
    • Greece had to apologise and pay Mussolini. He withdrew on 27th September, claiming victory.

  • Invasion of Ruhr

    • In 1923, France and Belgium invaded the Ruhr region to seize coal and resources
    • Germany responded with passive resistance, leading to hyperinflation and economic crisis

  • Treaty of Lausanne

    • Replaced the Treaty of Sèvres, recognizing Turkey's borders
    • Turkey regained lost territories, including parts of eastern Anatolia and Istanbul

  • Beer Hall Putsch

    • Bürgerbräukeller beer hall
    • Failed as Ernst Rohm allowed Otto von Lossow to leave to his wife, when in reality, he called authorities. Hitler also thought he'd gain support as they marched, but was wrong

  • Dawes Plan agreed

    • The US provided a loan of 800 million marks to stabilize the German economy.
    • Germany’s economy grew, with industrial production increasing by 40% between 1924 and 1929

  • *//* Hitler released from prison

  • Incident at Petrich

    • In 1925, Greek forces accidentally bombed a Bulgarian village near Petrich, killing civilians
    • Bulgaria used the incident to provoke tensions, leading to military clashes between Greece and Bulgaria
    • They obeyed, but Greece complained that it seemed like they had one ruling for a small country but another for a big one (implied Italy)

  • Hindenburg elected

    Against democracy

  • Locarno Treaties signed

    • Signed in 1925, the Locarno Treaties aimed to secure peace in Europe by guaranteeing borders between Germany, France, and Belgium.
    • Germany agreed to demilitarize the Rhineland and promised not to resort to war to resolve disputes with its western neighbors.

  • Germany joins League of Nations

    Largely thanks to Locarno

  • Kellog-Briand Pact agreed

    • Signed in 1928, the Kellogg-Briand Pact condemned war as a means of resolving disputes and promoted peaceful conflict resolution.
    • 15 nations initially signed, later growing to 65, but it lacked enforcement mechanisms, making it largely symbolic.

  • Young Plan

    • The Young Plan (1929) reduced Germany's reparations to 112 billion gold marks and extended the payment period to 59 years.
    • The plan also led to the withdrawal of Allied occupation forces from the Ruhr region.

  • Mukden Incident

    • Chinese troops allegedly attacked South Manchurian Railway (controlled by Japan)
    • Japanese troops used this as an excuse to set up a provisional government called Manchukuo

  • Lytton Report

    • took over a year to present
    • judgement was clear - Japan acted unlawfully and must leave

  • Disarmament Conference

    • Attempted to get nations to disarm
    • Failure as there was distrust form nation to nation (especially between France and Germany)

  • Germany leaves LoN

  • Manchurian Crisis vote

    • 42-1 votes (only Japan voting against)
    • left the League a month later

  • Japan leaves the LoN

    A week later invades Jehol

  • 2nd Japanese invasion

    • Continued part of Operation Nekka
    • Invasion of the rest of Jehol a week after leaving the League of Nations

  • USSR joins LoN

  • Attempted Nazi coup in Austria

    Austrian Nazis attempted a coup in Austria, assassinating Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss, but the coup failed.

  • Hoarse-Laval Pact

    • The Hoare-Laval Pact (1935) was a secret proposal by Britain and France to give two-thirds of Abyssinia to Italy to stop its invasion.
    • The plan was leaked, causing public outrage, and it was abandoned, humiliating Britain and France.

  • Saar Plebiscite

    • In 1935, a plebiscite was held in the Saar, a League of Nations-administered region, to decide its future.
    • 90.8% voted to reunite with Germany, boosting Hitler’s confidence and legitimacy.

  • Stresa Front formed

    • In 1935, Italy, France, and Britain formed the Stresa Front to oppose Germany’s rearmament and violation of the Treaty of Versailles
    • The front quickly weakened as Britain signed the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, undermining unity.

  • Anglo-German Naval Agreement

    • The Anglo-German Naval Agreement (1935) allowed Germany to build a navy up to 35% of the size of Britain’s fleet

  • Remiliterisation of the Rhineland

    • approx 20,000 troops marched in with orders to retreat if there was any opposition

  • Spanish Civil War

    Continued to 1939

  • Rome-Berlin Axis formed

  • Anti-Comintern Pact between Germany and Japan

  • Japanese invasion of China

    • In July 1937, Japan launched a full-scale invasion of China after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident near Beijing
    • Despite early Japanese victories, China resisted with guerrilla warfare, and the war merged into WWII after 1941

  • Italy leaves LoN

  • Bombing of Guernica by the Luftwaffe

  • Chamberlain becomes PM

  • Anschluss

    Feb-March

  • Munich Conference

    • In 1938, Britain, France, Italy, and Germany met at the Munich Conference to address Germany’s demand for the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia
    • The conference resulted in the Munich Agreement, where Britain and France appeased Hitler by allowing the annexation of the Sudetenland without Czechoslovakian consent

  • Germany invades rest of Czechoslovakia

    March

  • British-French guarantee of Poland

    March

  • Pact of Steel

    May

  • Hitler demands Danzig

    March

  • Nazi-Soviet Pact

    August

  • Start of WW2

    Britain and France declare war on Germany

  • Estonian/Latvian/Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic

  • Yalta Conference

    • Agreements: Stalin joins fight against Japan / Germany divided into 4 zones / Big Three join UN / Soviet Sphere of Influence
    • Disagreement: Stalin wanted border to move West into Poland, which in turn could move into Germany. Churchill didn't approve, but knew little could be done. He persuaded Roosavelt to agree as long as USSR didn't intervene in crushing communism in Greece

  • Potsdam Conference

    • Churchill - Clement Atlee / Roosavel - Truman
    • Stalin wanted to completely incapacitate Germany. Truman didn't want to repeat ToV / 20mil Russians died, Stalin wanted compensation from Germany. Truman refused again / Truman against 'Soviet Sphere of Influence'

  • Churchill's 'Iron Curtain' Speech

  • People's Republic of Bulgaria

  • USSR forms Comecon

    • co-ordinate various communist governments in East Europe

  • Polish Soviet Socialist Republic

  • Truman Doctrine

    The Truman Doctrine aimed to contain the spread of communism, offering U.S. support to countries resisting Soviet influence

  • Marshall Plan

    • The Marshall Plan provided over $12 billion in economic aid to help rebuild Western European countries after WWII
    • Its goal was to prevent the spread of communism by stabilizing economies and fostering political stability

  • Czechoslovak/Hungarian Soviet Socialist Republic

  • Beginning of the Berlin Blockade

    • Stalin blockaded all supply lines in hope that the population would submit. Ramming into them would be an act of war
    • The Berlin Airlift continued for 10 months. Total of 2.3mn of supplies

  • USSR forms Comecon

    • co-ordinated industries and trade in the Eastern European countries
    • heavily favoured USSR (Poland forced to sell coal at 1/10 of price)

  • US, Britain, and France unite zones into the FDR

    • FDR = Federal Republic of Germany
    • In May

  • Stalin sets up the GDR

    • GDR = German Democratic Republic
    • October

  • NATO formed

  • June: N. Korea advance around Pusan

    July: US sends troops to support S. Korea -- arrive in September
    October: UN soldiers push communists to Yalu River (Chinese border). China pushes UN back
    1951 June: more UN troops arrive, push coms to 38th parallel
    1953 July: armistice signed at Punmunjom on 38th parallel

  • 1954 Mar: battle of Diem Bien Phu pushes French forces out of Vietnam

    Jul: Geneva agreement signed, splitting N and S Vietnam
    1955 Oct: Ngo Dinh Diem president of S Vietnam through rigged election. US sends military advisors to support him
    1957: Viet Minh start Guerrilla warfare in S Vietnam
    1960: Vietcong formed (National Liberation Front or NLF). US aid to Diem increases
    1963 Nov: Diem overthrown

  • Warsaw Pact formed

  • Hungarian Uprising

  • Construction of Berlin Wall

  • 1964 Aug: Gulf of Tonkin Incident resolution passed

    1965: Operation Rolling Thunder begins
    1968: VC launches Tet Offensive
    1968 16th Mar: My Lai Massacre. Made public '69
    1969: Ho Chi Minh dies, Nixon persues Vietnamisation
    1973: Paris Peace Accords -- all US troops leave by Mar 1973

  • Prague Spring

  • Brezhnev Doctrine

    • The Brezhnev Doctrine stated that the Soviet Union had the right to intervene in any socialist country to maintain communist rule and prevent counter-revolution
    • It was used to justify the invasion of Czechoslovakia during the Prague Spring to stop reforms that threatened Soviet control

  • Solidarity formed

  • PM General Jaruzelski declares martial law in Poland

    Lech Walesa and 10k other Solidarity leaders in prison

  • Ronald Reagan becomes President

  • Introduction of Glasnost and Perestroika

    Glasnost: open debate on government policies
    Perestroika: for first time in 60 years profit was legal

  • 1988 Jul: Gorbachev speech to Warsaw Pact

    Gorbachev spoke about planning to withdraw large numbers of troops, tanks, and aircraft from Easter Europe

  • Fall of Berlin Wall

  • USSR collapse

    Mar: Gorbachev visited Lithuania to negotiate its independence. Was uncompromising, but they did it later that month anyway
    May: Russian Republic elected Boris Yeltsin who made it clear he saw no future in a Soviet Union
    Jul: Ukraine declared independence
    1991 Apr: Georgia declares independence
    Aug: Gorbachev's PM, Valentin Pavlov and head of armed forces, Dimitry Yazov held him prisoner in holiday home. Sent tanks and troops in attempt to keep control. Yeltsin emerged as opposition leader

  • German reunification

    With the Berlin Wall down, Chancellor Helmut Kohl proposed German reunification. Gorbachev not enthusiastic, expecting it to be friendly to West (even having to accept it joining NATO, despite memories of WW2)

  • Gorbachev resigns

    After surviving the coup, he had no more position as Soviet leader. He announced his resignation and the end of the Soviet Union