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Mussolini’s March on Rome -outcome
Between the end of October and the beginning of November 1922, Mussolini's so-called march on Rome took place in Italy. This moment was of global importance. It marked the first fascist takeover of power in the world, set in place a regime which would govern for 20 years, and inspired other far-right movements. The outcome was that Mussolini formed a new government. -
Stalin becomes dictator of USSR
In 1922 Stalin became secretary general of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, a role that enabled him to appoint his allies to government jobs and grow a base of political support. After Lenin died in 1924, Stalin eventually outmaneuvered his rivals and won the power struggle for control of the Communist Party. -
Hitler writes Mein Kampf
On July 18, 1925, Volume One of Adolf Hitler’s philosophical autobiography, Mein Kampf, is published. It was a blueprint of his agenda for a Third Reich and a clear exposition of the nightmare that will envelope Europe from 1939 to 1945. The book sold a total of 9,473 copies in its first year. -
1st “five year plan” in USSR– purpose
The five year plan was created in order to initiate rapid and large-scale industrialization across the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). -
Japan invades Manchuria – why?
Seeking raw materials to fuel its growing industries, Japan invaded the Chinese province of Manchuria in 1931. -
Holodomor begins- why?
Feeling threatened by Ukraine's strengthening cultural autonomy, Stalin took measures to destroy the Ukrainian peasantry and the Ukrainian intellectual and cultural elites to prevent them from seeking independence for Ukraine. -
Hitler appointed chancellor of Germany
On January 30, 1933, President Paul von Hindenburg names Adolf Hitler, leader or führer of the National Socialist German Workers Party (or Nazi Party), as chancellor of Germany. -
“Night of the Long Knives” in Germany - purpose
On 30 June 1934, Hitler led a purge against his fellow Nazi leaders. Hitler believed that the SA (Brownshirts) were becoming too powerful and threatened his leadership. Consequently, Hitler executed the leaders of the Brownshirts along with many other of his opponents. This event has come to be known as the Night of the Long Knives. -
Nuremburg Laws enacted - what were they?
Within the first year of Hitler’s rule, German Jews were excluded from high-profile vocations, from public office to journalism, radio, theater, film, teaching, and even farming. The professions of law and medicine were also withdrawn slowly as opportunities. “Jews Not Welcome” signs could be seen on shop and hotel windows, beer gardens, and other public arenas. With the Nuremberg Laws, these discriminatory acts became embedded in the culture by fiat, making them even more far-reaching. -
Italian invasion of Ethiopia
Ethiopia, one of only two independent African nations at the time, was invaded on October 3, 1935, by Fascist Italy under Mussolini. Mussolini saw it as an opportunity to provide land for unemployed Italians and also acquire more mineral resources to fight off the effects of the Great Depression. -
The Great Purge begins
The Great Purge was a brutal political campaign led by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin to eliminate dissenting members of the Communist Party and anyone else he considered a threat. Although estimates vary, most experts believe at least 750,000 people were executed during the Great Terror, which started around 1936 and ended in 1938. -
Spanish civil war
On July 18, 1936, the Spanish Civil War begins as a revolt by right-wing Spanish military officers in Spanish Morocco and spreads to mainland Spain. From the Canary Islands, General Francisco Franco broadcasts a message calling for all army officers to join the uprising and overthrow Spain’s leftist Republican government. Within three days, the rebels captured Morocco, much of northern Spain, and several key cities in the south. -
Anti-Comintern Pact
The Anti-Comintern Pact was an agreement between Germany, Italy, and Japan, that they would work together to stop the spread of Communism around the globe. This was aimed squarely at the USSR. -
The Rape of Nanking
Japanese General Matsui Iwane ordered that the city of Nanking be destroyed. Much of the city was burned, and Japanese troops launched a campaign of atrocities against civilians. In what became known as the “Rape of Nanking,” the Japanese butchered an estimated 150,000 male “war prisoners,” massacred an additional 50,000 male civilians, and raped at least 20,000 women and girls of all ages, many of whom were mutilated or killed in the process. -
Kristallnacht
From November 9 to 10, 1938, in an incident known as “Kristallnacht”, Nazis in Germany torched synagogues, vandalized Jewish homes, schools, and businesses, and murdered close to 100 Jews. In the aftermath of Kristallnacht (“Crystal Night” or the “Night of Broken Glass”), some 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to Nazi concentration camps.