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Period: to
Interwar Years 1919-1939
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Treaty of Versailles Signed in 1919
Versailles ends World War One and imposes heavy reparations payments on Germany. -
The first meeting of the Leauge of Nations
The Assembly of the League of Nations meets for the first time in Geneva, Switzerland. The US is notably absent, the Senate having voted against joining the League in November 1919. -
November 1921: The Washington Conference is Held
The United States convenes the Washington Conference, attended by Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, China, Japan, and Portugal. The Conference results in a naval armaments treaty that sets a ratio for tonnage of capital ships (over 10,000 tons, with guns bigger than eight inches) for Great Britain, the US, Japan, France, and Italy. The ratio agreed upon, in that order, is 5:5:3:1.67:1.67. -
October 30, 1922: Benito Mussolini is Made Italian Premier
King Victor Emmanuel declares Mussolini premier in an attempt to head off violent conflict between the Fascists and the Communists. -
November 9, 1923: The Beer Hall Putsch
Adolf Hitler and General Ludendorf, a World War One hero, lead a small contingent of followers in a harmless, comical attempt at rebellion, for which Hitler is imprisoned for two years. -
January 21, 1924: Vladimir Lenin Dies
Lenin's death leaves some question as to who will be his successor. Joseph Stalin eventually beats out Leon Trotsky to take control of the Soviet government. -
May 11, 1924: The Cartel des Gauches wins the French Election
The Cartel displaces the ruling Bloc National, in a marked victory for the left, but proves unable to govern effectively. -
August 27, 1924: The German Chamber of Deputies Accepts the Dawes Plan
The Dawes Plan restructures the schedule of German reparations payments so as to reduce the amount of annual payments, and grants Germany a large loan. -
December 1, 1925: The Locarno Pacts are Signed The Locarno
Pacts are signed in efforts to stabilize relations with Germany and its neighbors. The pacts usher in a period of peace and prosperity. -
March 1926: The Samuel Commission in England Releases Its Report on Coal Mining
The Samuel Commission, under the Conservative government, releases a report which advises wage cuts for miners. The Triple Alliance responds by striking, which is emulated by many other industries in England to protest he Conservative government's policies. -
April 14, 1931: The Spanish Monarchy is Overthrown and The Republic Is Born
A provisional government is established to take Spain from monarchy to republicanism. -
February - July 1932: The final League of Nations Disarmament Conference is Held
The last major League of Nations-sponsored disarmament conference meets from February to July 1932 at Geneva, with 60 nations in attendance, including the United States. However, this conference, like it's predecessors, fails to secure any agreement, and organized disarmament remains an unaccomplished goal. -
1932: General Gyula Gombos Comes to Power in Hungary
Gombos becomes prime minister, an office he uses like a dictatorship, setting the tone for Hungarian government during the remaining inter-war years. -
1933 - 1934: 1,140,000 Communist Party Members are Expelled by Stalin
Stalin's Central Purge Commission, created in 1933, publicly investigates and tries many party members for treason as Stalin seeks to rid the party of oppositon. -
September 3, 1939: Britain and France Declare War on Germany
In response to Hitler's continued aggression in Eastern Europe, Britain and France go to war with Germany in an attempt to stop Hitler's bid for global hegemony.
