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Treaty of Versailles is Signed (POLITICAL)
In June of 1919, WWI officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, in Paris France. While Germany didn't have much of a say, they still signed the peace treaty along with the WWI Allies of France, Great Britain, and Italy, the United States. These countries felt that the peace treaty was needed in order to put an end to the brutal war and to restore peace. -
Mussolini forms the Fascist Party in Italy (SOCIAL)
In March of 1919, Benito Mussolini created the new political group, Fascio di combattiments. At first it had little support. Fascism was a political philosophy that glorified the state over the individual and called for a dictatorial ruler. In 1922, Mussolini gained supporters as the fear of communism made the fascist view more appealing along with the failure to receive land under the treaty of Versailles. This allowed him to set up the first European Fascist party in Italy in October of 1922. -
Hitler joins the National Socialist German Workers Party (SOCIAL)
Hitler, frustrated by Germans defeat in WWI joined an organization called the German Workers party, later known as the Nazis. They promoted German nationalism and antisemitism, and felt that the Treaty of Versailles was extremely unjust to Germany by burdening it with reparations it could never pay. Hitler soon emerged as a public speaker and began attracting new members with speeches blaming Jews and Marxists for Germany’s problems. Finally in July of 1921 he assumed leadership of the party. -
Washington Naval Conference (POLITICAL)
In November of 1921, Secretary of State, Charles Hughes of the U.S., and leaders from the U.K., Japan, France, Italy, Belgium, China, Portugal and Netherlands met in Washington, D.C. The international conference called by the United States was called to address the naval arms race and to work out security agreements in the Pacific area. Before its termination in February, It created The Five-Power Treaty, the Four-Power Treaty, and the Nine-Power Treaty in order to prevent possibilities of WWII. -
Mussolini Threatens to March on Rome (POLITICAL)
In October of 1922, in Rome, Benito Mussolini, along with Fascist squads of over 25,000 men, began to converge in Rome from all over Italy on October 26, occupying railway stations and government offices. Mussolini threatened to march on Rome In response to anti-fascists protests and actions to inflict further damage on left and union institutions (To put the political party on top). As a result, the King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III made Mussolini the Prime Minister, head of the government. -
Hitler Attempts to Overthrow the Weimar Government (POLITICAL)
This event taking place in Munich, a city in Germany, on November 8th and 9th of 1923, Hitler and the Nazis staged the Beer Hall Putsch, a failed attempt to overthrow the Weimar government (Germany's government from 1919-1933).This attempt was made as the Nazi party had 55,000 members and was stronger than ever before and the Weimar Republic was in crisis due to hyperinflation. Hitler hoped to copy Mussolini, the Italian leader, who had come to power in Italy in 1922 by marching on Rome. -
Hitler Goes to Prison and Writes Mein Kampf (SOCIAL)
Hitler was imprisoned in March of 1924, where he stayed for 9 months prior to being released in December of that year. Originally, Hitler was sentenced to 5 years of jail after the failed overthrow of the Weimar government (Beer Hall Putsch) but the Nazis forced his early release. There, in his cell in Landsberg Prison, Germany, he spent his time dictating his autobiography Mein Kampf. -
Kellogg Briand Pact (AKA The Pact of Paris) (POLITICAL)
During August of 1928, an agreement to outlaw war was drafted by Frank B. Kellogg, the U.S. Secretary of State and France, and was signed by: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, the Irish Free State, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, and the United States. The Kellogg Briand Pact (or the Pact of Paris) was signed in Paris, France, and was created to help prevent World War II and made harsh punishments for those who started the war. -
Japan occupies Manchuria, China (POLITICAL)
During September of 1931, Japan attacked/occupied Manchuria China with military forces. Japan attacked Manchuria, China because Japan was seeking the expansion of colonies. Also, the Japanese had attacked the Chinese due to their dispute in July of 1931 and led to this Mukden Incident. The Japanese ended up conquering over 730 cities around North East China. -
Hitler Places Second in German National Elections for President (POLITICAL)
in March 1932, Adolf Hitler is able to place second in the Presidential Election to Paul von Hindenburg. This was made possible as Hitler had gained a massive amount of popularity through the economic depression's worsening of Germany.
Two successive federal elections left the Nazis as the largest party in the Reichstag and anti-Weimar parties in control of a majority of its seats and the Nazi and Hitler's popularity forced the government to name Hitler Chancellor. -
Geneva Disarmament Conference (POLITICAL)
In February, 1932, 60 countries, including France and Germany, sent delegate to Geneva, to attend the Geneva Disarmament Conference to consider reduction of armaments and offensive weapons. Germany demanded that other states disarm to German levels and if not Germany would rebuild forces. France argued that security must precede disarmament and called for an international police force before it would reduce its own forces. The purpose of this conference was to help prevent another world war. -
Germany withdraws from League of Nations (POLITICAL)
In October of 1933, Germany, with Hitler as Chancellor withdrew from the League of Nations after building up their army and violating other international agreements. The main reason for their withdrawal was the concept that western powers refused to accept Germany’s demands of military equality and Germany wasn't allowed an air force, navy, or an army exceeding 100,000 men. -
President von Hindenburg Dies (SOCIAL)
In August of 1934, German President, Paul von Hindenburg passed away at the age of 86. He passed away in Germany due to lung cancer. Because Hitler had placed second in the German national elections for president, Hindenburg's death allowed Hitler to become the new president of Germany, later to be known as the Führer of the German Reich and People. -
Hitler Merges Offices chancellor & president (POLITICAL)
After von Hindenburg's death in August 1934, Adolf Hitler merged the offices of chancellor and president. Since he was the Chancellor in Germany when President von Hindenburg died, he was the next in line for the position, allowing him to create a totalitarian state through which he would control the people. Hitler saw this as his rise to power where he could replicate the actions of Mussolini, controlling the people through economic policies, political organizations, propaganda, and terror. -
Mussolini Invades Ethiopia (POLITICAL)
In October of 1935, Benito Mussolini and invading forces easily pushed back the weak Ethiopian army, proclaiming Italy’s king Victor Emmanuel III, the new emperor of Ethiopia. Mussolini was following Adolf Hitler's plans to expand German territories by acquiring all land it considered German (Abyssinia or modern day Ethiopia). It would also boost Italian national prestige, which was wounded by the Battle of Adowa, and to get revenge from a past incident between Italy and Abyssinia in 1934. -
Great Depression ends in Germany (ECONOMIC)
Prior to Hitler, Heinrich Bruning tried fixing the economy, only to increase unemployment and public suffering. In January of 1935, The Great Depression ended in Germany as Hitler introduced policies aimed at improving the economy when he was appointed as chancellor. Through re-armament and a lack of independent trade unions the economy was boosted and wages were kept low and prices were stable. These policies ended the Germany depression, boosted the economy and decreased unemployment. -
Rome-Berlin Axis (POLITICAL)
In October of 1936, the Rome-Berlin Axis was formed between Italy and Germany, Mussolini and Hitler. The axis informally linked the two fascist countries. They were linked as Italy and Germany promised to support each other in the event of a major war, which was on the rise. It was then formalized with military provisions with the Pact of Steel in 1939. Japan later joined the alliance. These were the nations that fought in World War II against the Allies. -
Hitler militarizes the Rhineland (POLITICAL)
In March of 1936, Hitler and the Nazi Party of Germany militarize the Rhineland, a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine River. Through this action, Hitler is violating the Treaty of Versailles. He did this as it changed the balance of power in Europe from France and its allies towards Germany, making it possible for Germany to pursue a policy of aggression in Western Europe that the demilitarized status of the Rhineland had blocked until then. -
Japan Invades China (POLITICAL)
On July 7, 1937, Japan invaded China. A dispute led to Chinese and Japanese troops escalating into battle with the Marco Polo Bridge incident in 1937, sparking the second Sino-Japanese War. This war lasted for 8 years involving the U.S. and the Soviet Union on the side of Japan. Eventually, in 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor connecting this war with other conflicts during WWII. This was the largest Asian war in the 20th century resulting in the death of 10-25 million Chinese civilians. -
Italy Withdraws from League of Nations (ECONOMIC)
In December of 1937, Italy withdrew from the League of Nations. This is because the league had imposed economic sanctions on Italy for their invasion of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) -
Hitler and Nazi Germany Annex Austria (POLITICAL)
March of 1938 in Germany and Austria, Hitler and Nazi Germany annexed Austria, Anschluss. Austrian Nazis had conspired to unite their nation with Nazi Germany. The Austrian Chancellor met with Hitler in hopes of reassuring Austria’s independence. Instead, he was bullied into naming Austrian Nazis into his cabinet. Schuschnigg called for a national vote to resolve the annexation, but was pressured by Hitler and left office March 11. On March 12 Hitler went into Austria, appointed a government. -
Hitler and Nazi Germany gain Sudetenland (POLITICAL)
On the morning of September 30, 1938, leaders of Nazi Germany, Great Britain, France, and Italy met in Munich, Germany in order to sign the Munich Agreement. This agreement would allow the Nazis to annex and gain the Sudetenland, a Germanic portion of Czechoslovakia. This agreement was deemed necessary by Czechoslovakian allies, Britain and France, as Hitler had already attempted to take the Sudetenland by force and the allies were willing to negotiate to avoid another total war like WW1. -
Britain and France declare war on Nazi Germany (POLITICAL)
On September 3rd, 1939, Great Britain and France declare war on Germany. War was declared as British Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain gave a speech in Westminster, London. The U.K. and France felt that it was necessary to declare war in response to Germany’s invasion of Poland, which was an ally of the two countries. -
Hitler Occupies Czechoslovakia (POLITICAL)
On the morning of March 15th, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party scheduled an invasion of Bohemia and Moravia (provinces), which lead to the full occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1939. Before this occurred, Hitler, Mussolini and Daladier of France, signed the Munich Pact, virtually handing Czechoslovakia over to Germany in the name of peace. Germany wanted control over their coal, iron, steel, and electrical power. Also, Hitler intended war on Poland but needed to eliminate Czechoslovakia first. -
Hitler and Stalin Sign the Non-Aggression Pact (SOCIAL) (POLITICAL)
Shortly before World War II broke out in Europe, Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union, and Hitler of Nazi Germany surprised the world by signing the Non-Aggression Pact in Moscow, Russia on August 23rd. The treaty promised to not take any military action against one another for the next 10 years. This pact enabled Germany to attack Poland a month later, in September, because Hitler knew there would be no Soviet intervention. -
Germany Invades Poland (POLITICAL)
On the 1st of September in 1939, German forces lead by Adolf Hitler bombarded Poland from the air and on land, seeking to regain lost territory and completely take over. To Hitler, the conquest of Poland would bring living space, for the German people. He even claimed it was a defensive action. Hitler also had intentions to annihilate anyone in Poland against the Nazi ideology, politically or religiously. This event led to Britain and France declaring war on the Nazi state, beginning WWII. -
France surrenders and is occupied by Nazi Germany (POLITICAL)
On June 22, 1940, France's Vice Premier, Petain, signed the arranged armistice with the Nazis, surrendering. It went into effect a few days later allowing Germany to occupy France. France had already fallen and German conquest of France was coming to an end. These factors led to France's surrender. The German invasion was a success putting the metropolitan of France at the mercy of Nazi armies. -
Japan, Italy, and Germany Sign the Tripartite Pact (POLITICAL)
In September of 1940, the Axis powers of Japan, Italy, and Germany become allies with the signing of the Tripartite Pact, or Berlin Pact, a pact that provided for mutual assistance should any of the signatories suffer attack by any nation not already involved in the war. The pact was signed in Berlin, Germany by Joachim von Ribbentrop, Galeazzo Ciano and Saburō Kurusu. The purpose of the pact was to force the United States to think twice before venturing in on the side of the Allies.
