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Japan's Declaration of War on Germany (WWI)
After receiving an official request from Britain for military assistance, on 23 August 1914 Japan made a declaration of war on the German Empire. -
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Paris Peace Conference
The Paris Peace Conference was conducted immediately after World War I ended in 1918. The members of the victorious Allied powers (Britain, France, the USA and Italy) met at the Palace of Versailles to negotiate the terms of surrender for the defeated central powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria) and agreed on a set of penalties. -
Treaty of Versailles
On June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris, France. The treaty was one of several that officially ended five years of conflict known as the Great War—World War I. The Treaty of Versailles outlined the conditions of peace between Germany and the victorious Allies, led by the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. Other Central Powers (significantly, Austria-Hungary) signed different treaties with the Allies. -
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Benito Mussolini's Reign
Benito Mussolini was an Italian political leader who became the fascist dictator of Italy from 1925 to 1945. Originally a revolutionary socialist, he forged the paramilitary fascist movement in 1919 and became prime minister in 1922. -
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The Great Depression
In 1929, a stock market crash in New York triggered a period or severe economic hardship that lasted until the late 1930s. This was known as the Great Depression. Germany was one of the worst affected nations during this time, suffering mass unemployment, record price rises and a fall in the standard of living. This was a global issue. -
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Japan attacks Manchuria
The military-run Japanese Government decided, instead, to invade countries which possessed the resources that they needed, setting the stage for the 1931 Manchurian Incident.
In the 1930s, the Japanese controlled the Manchurian railway.
In September 1931, they claimed that Chinese soldiers had sabotaged the railway, and attacked the Chinese army.
By February 1932, the Japanese had conquered the whole of Manchuria. -
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Adolf Hitler's Reign
Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi Party (from 1920/21) and chancellor and Fuhrer of Germany (1933–45). -
Germany and Japan form an Alliance
On September 27, 1940, the Axis powers are formed as Germany, Italy and Japan become allies with the signing of the Tripartite Pact in Berlin. -
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Hideki Tojo's Reign
On October 14th, 1941, Tojo was appointed Prime Minister of Japan. By this date, he was convinced that a war with America could not be avoided and he put Japan on a full war alert.
Senior statesmen gathered on July 17 and essentially demanded Tojo's resignation. Thus, those who put him in power issued a vote of no confidence and on July 18, 1944, two years and nine months after he was named prime minister, Tojo was ousted.