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June 1919 - Treaty of Versailles is signed
The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed between the victorious allies and Germany. It held Germany responsible for starting the war and outlined penalties in terms of territory loss, massive reparations payments and demilitarisation. The treaty was humiliating for Germany and resentment of the treaty lead to the rise of Hitler and World War II. -
August 1919 - The Wiemar Republic is established in Germany
The Wiemar Republic was Germany's government from 1919 to 1933, the period after WWI till the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party. It was named after the town in Germany where the government was formed. The Wiemar Republic went from a rocky beginning to success and then a devastating depression, this allowed for the ideal time for Hitler to take over Germany. -
January 1920 - The League of Nation is created
The League of Nations was an international diplomatic group made after World War I as a way to dissolve conflict between countries before they resorted to war. The League had some victories but also some losses. The League of Nations successfully halted operations during World War II -
January 1923 - French occupation of the Ruhr
In 1923, in response to Germany's unpaid reparations, France and Belgium invade the Ruhr. This region of Germany contained many resources and factories. France and Germany intended to use the resources as payment for the unpaid reparations. -
November 1923 - Beer Hall Putsch
From November 8-9 Hitler and his followers arranged the Beer Hall Putsch, a failed takeover of the government. After the failed takeover Hitler was sentenced to five years in prison of which he only served one before getting out. This made him a national figure and after prison Hitler worked to rebuild the Nazi Party and gain more power. He later lead his country into WWII. -
April 1924 - The Dawes Plan is created
The Dawes Plan successfully resolved the issues of WWI for Germany. It ended a crisis in European diplomacy and the Treaty of Versailles. The plan outlined the end of Allied occupations and payment Germany's war reparations. -
June 1925 - Benito Mussolini becomes dictator if Italy
Benito Mussolini was am Italian political leader who became the dictator of Italy in 1925, he was later killed in 1945 after Germany surrendered. He allied Hitler during World War II relying in his power to help him. -
October 1925 - The Locarno Treaties are signed
The Locarno Treaties were seven agreements signed in which the Allied powers of WWI and the new states of Central and Eastern Europe sought to secure the post-war territorial settlement and return relations with the defeated Wiemar Republic. It also stated that Germany would not go to war with other countries. -
August 1928 - The Kellogg-Briand Pact is signed
The Kellogg-Briand Pact was an international agreement between signing countries stating that they would not use war to solve conflicts, but ultimately did not stop WWII from happening. -
October 1929 - Begging of the Great Depression
The Great Depression began in 1929 when the stock market crashed and was made worse in the 1930's by the Dust Bowl. The great depression began on Black Tuesday this is when the stock market crashed and billion of dollars were lost. It was the longest economic decline in the industrialised world. -
September 1931 - Japan invaded Manchuria
The Japanese invaded Manchuria on September 18th, 1931, when a group known as the Kwantung Army marched onto their soil and took over immediately following the Mukden incident. After the war the Japanese established it as Manchukuo. They were in charge until the Soviet Union and Mongolia invaded in 1945. -
January 1933 - Adolf Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany
Adolf Hitler is appointed chancellor after the president at the time, though not agreeing with the lawlessness of the Nazi agreed to appoint Heinrich Bruning as chancellor. He lifted the ban on Hitlers "uniforms" and cancelled Germany's reparations appointed in the Treaty of Versailles. Although this helped Hitler was not happy and wanted to be chancellor himself and was later appointed chancellor by president Hindenburg. -
October 1935 - Italy invades Ethiopia
Italy invading Ethiopia is seen as one of the events that started WWII. Italy who had earlier lost in battle against Ethiopia returns in 1935 and wins major battles in order to gain the capital. The goal of invading Ethiopia was to increase the Italian nation. -
March 1936 - Germany reoccupied Rhineland
Hitler violates the Treaty of Versailles in 1936 when he sends troops into Rhineland, a demilitarised zone. Hitler and the Nazi Party gained power in Germany and promised vengeance against the allied nation who created the treaty. Hitler breaks the treaty and re militarises Rhineland and in 1939 invades Poland leading to WWII. -
October 1936 - Creation of the Rome-Berlin Axis
This was a coalition formed between the two fascist countries, Italy and Germany which promised each others support when war began. Japan later joined this coalition but lost poorly in WWII. -
November 1936 - Creation of the Anti-Comintern Pact
This was an agreement between Italy, Germany and Japan that declared the intentions to stop the spread of communism around the world. -
March 1936 - Germany's anschluss with Austria
German troops march in Austria to annex the German speaking nation of the Third Reich. Hitler appointed a new Nazi government and the anschluss was proclaimed. Austria was a federal state of Germany until the end of WWII when the Allied forces declared Anschluss void and re declared it and independent Austria. -
September 1938 - Signing of the Munich Agreement
The French and British prime ministers sign the agreement with Adolf Hitler. The agreement prevented the outbreak of war but gave Czechoslovakia to Germany. -
August 1939 - Creation of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union sign the pact where they agreed to take no military action towards each other for the next ten years. Stalin used this as a time to build up his Soviet military, while Hitler used it to invade Poland unopposed. It also contained a secret agreement in which they both agreed to how they were going to split up Eastern Europe. This pact fell apart in 1941 when Nazi forces invaded the Soviet Union. -
March 1939 - Germany occupied Czechoslovakia
Hitler invades and occupies Czechoslovakia. After the signing of the Munich Pact Hitler was practically given Czechoslovakia as an offering of peace. Although he was only given Sudetenland it gave him 66% of Czechoslovakia's coal, 70% of its iron and steel and 70% of its electrical power. This left Czechoslovakia vulnerable to complete German domination. -
September 1939 - Germany invades Poland
On September 1, 1939 Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party invade Poland and begin WWII. Germany invaded Poland to regain the lost territory and expand his Nazi empire. -
September 1939 - Britain declares war on Germany
In response to Germany's invasion of Poland, Britain and France declare war on Germany. The first casualties were on a British ship resulting in the death of 28 American soldiers but America continued to stay neutral. Britain then responded by dropping anti-Nazi propaganda on German soil, with orders not to hurt German civilians. They later start bombing German ships resulting in mass causalities.
