Rise of Totalitarianism 1920's & 1930's

Bolshevik Takeover

Nov 15, 1917

Squads of Red Guards, armed factory workers, joined disobedient sailors from the Russian fleet in attacking the provisional government. The provisional government gave up without a struggle.

Russian Civil War Begins

Oct 25, 1918

Russian Civil War began shortly after the Bolshevik takeover.
It ended in October 1922.

Mussolini Creates Facist Party

Mar 23, 1919

Mussolini organized veterans and other unhappy Italians into the Ffacist Party, which came from the Latin name fasces, a bundle of sticks wrapped around an ax, a symbol of authority in Anicent Rome.

Hitler Joins NSDAP

Mar 16, 1920

In 1919, he sent as a spy for the military to investiage the German Workers' Party or DAP. After he was discharged from the army, he worked full-time for the NSDAP

NEP

Mar 21, 1921

Lenin adopted the New Economic Policy or NEP. The state still kept control of banks, foreign trade and large industries and small businesses were allowed to reopen for private profit. The government stopped squeezing peasants for grain.
It helped the Soviet economy to recover.

March on Rome

Oct 22, 1922

Mussolini annoumced that the Fascists woukd march to Rome to demand the government that it would make changes. Mussolini obtained the title of prime minister.

Writes Mein Kampf

May 16, 1923

Hiter writes Mein Kampf while he was in jail. It was the "holy book" of Nazi goals and ideaology and reflected extreme nationalism, racism and anti-Semitism.

Beer Hall "Butstch"

Nov 8, 1923

This event was a failed attempt at revolution and occured in a beer hall, Munich, Germany. Hitler was trying a page of Mussolini did to create change and was arrested after the event.

Lenin's Death

Jan 21, 1924

Lenin's death set off a power struggle betwen Trotsky and Stalin.

Creation of 5 Year Plans

May 15, 1928

The five-year plans aimed at building big industry, improving transportatioin and increasing agriculture yields. He brought all economic activity under government control and the Soviet /union became a command economy, which the government makes the basic economic decisions.
It ened in 1932.

Collectivization of Agriculture

May 16, 1928

Stalin forced peasants to give up their land and live on state-owned farms or on large farms owned and operated by peasants as a group. However the peasants resisted by killing farm animals and burning crops. The government responded with brutal force and the wealthy peasants were sent to labor camps.
It ended in 1940.

Invasion of Manchuria

Sep 19, 1931

Japanese army officers blew up tracks on a Japanese owned railroad and claimed that the Chinese were responsible for this. Japan attacked China in "self-defense". The Japanese army conquered all of Manchuria without consulting their government.

Nazi wins majority in election

Jul 31, 1932

Hitler won majority of the election through his speeches.

Hirler becomes Chancellor

Jan 30, 1933

German rich industrialists pressured the goverment in electing Hilter, hopinh he could contains the Communists.

Invasion of Ethiopia

Oct 15, 1935

Italy invaded Ethiopia. Ethiopia tried to resist but were no match for the military technology of Italy. The king of Ethopia appealed to the League of Nations for help. But by early 1936, Italy had conquered Ethiopia.

Re-Militarizes Rhineland

Mar 7, 1936

Hitler buildds up the German military, which violated the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler re-militarizes Rhineland, which was a violation of the Treaty of Versailles, to increase his popularity in Germany

"Great Purges"

May 15, 1936

Stalin staged public trials against people who he thought were enemies to the revolution and to the people. The crimes varied from counter-revolutionary plots to failure to meet production quotas.
It ended in 1938.

Creation of Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis

Oct 25, 1936

Germany, Italy and Japan formed an alliance known as Berlin-Rome-Tokyo.

Rape of Nanjing

Dec 19, 1937

The Japanese invaded China and commited terrible atrocities as they overran eastern China.

Annexation of Austria (Anschuluss)

Mar 12, 1938

Hitler forced the Austrian chancellor to appoint Nazi to key cabinet posts. The austrian chancellor refuses and the German military is sent in to "perserve order".

Munich Conference

Sep 29, 1938

Hitler was targeting Czechoslovakia as his next victim. Britain and France did not want to war to save it so they searched for a peaceful solution. Hilter wanted Sudetenland annexed to Germany. Britain and France agreed to this and Hitler agrred to stoping expanding.

Capture of Sudetenland

Sep 30, 1938

Sudetenland was annexed to Germany under terms of the Munich Conference. Britain and French persuaded Czechoslovakia to surrender Sudetenland without any conflict.

Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

Aug 28, 1939

Hitler suprised theworld by announcing a nonaggression pact with hid enemy, Stalin. Thy agreed to not fight if the other went to war and to divide up Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe in secrecy.