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Treaty of Versailles
A peace document signed at the end of World War 1 that formally ended the war. This required Germany to pay reparations, shrink in military, and lose territory. They also had to claim guilt for starting the war. -
Mussolini becomes Fascist Leader of Italy
Benito Mussolini is the founder of Fascism (extreme nationalism). He organized groups that involved intense campaigns and terrorism. He took the leading role in 1922 by forcing the king to give up his government. -
Mein Kampf is Published
The book "Mein Kampf" translates to "My Struggle". Hitler began writing this famous book after he was convicted of treason for trying to overthrow the government. The book was written while Hitler was in the Landsberg prison. His book was a description of his personal views of the government and ideas. -
Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
Hitler's political party was the largest at the time, although he was still not yet going to be elected. After the constant struggle in the government and instability, Hindenburg was finally convinced to appoint Hitler to be Chancellor of Germany. The Nazi party is officially in power starting this year. -
"Knight of the Long Knives" Hitler Consolidates Power
The "Knight of Long Knives" was an event to ruin everyone and everything that was viewed as an opponent to Hitler and his party. This was known as the purge of the Nazis. Hitler feared that the parliamentary SA had gotten too powerful and even had some of the leaders murdered by his guards. It is estimated almost 1,000 people died in this event. -
Italy Invades Ethiopia
On October 3rd, Italian leader Benito Mussolini decided to invade Ethiopia to expand the nation. Mussolini succeeded in his mission and began to become more powerful. The conflict brought them closer to World War 2 and also proved how the League of Nations was not effective. -
Japan invades China
Japan was seeking raw materials for their largely growing industries. They invaded China on July 7th and successfully conquered Nanjing, the Chinese capital. Japan had 25% of China's territory, and in areas they did not yet control they carried out large bombing campaigns and massacres. -
Japanese Rape of Nanjing
The Rape of Nanjing was an event that carried out a mass murder of Chinese citizens. This event consisted of the mass rape of, estimated 20,000 women. They also murdered a great number of children. This massacre lasted 6 weeks, killing around 300,000 Chinese citizens. -
Germany and Italy Sign the Pact of Steel
Germany and Italy signed the Pact of Steel on May 22, 1939, in agreement to be in alliance with each other. Hitler and Mussolini shared many beliefs, they both wanted dominance, so signing this pact allowed them to help defend each other. -
Germany Invades Poland (WW2 starting up)
Germany invaded Poland in an attempt to regain their lost land and more power. They were successful in their mission, which consisted of extensive bombing and a large land invasion. Many Polish troops were taken into captivity and some surrendered. This event marked the beginning of World War 2. -
Germany, Italy, and Japan Sign the Tripartite Pact
On September 27, 1940, Germany, Italy, and Japan came together for an agreement and signed the Tripartite Pact. All of these countries agreed with each other in trying to have dominance over the world. The pact created an alliance between these countries so that they could defend one another during the war. The pact also was used to strongly discourage the United States from joining the war.