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Treaty of Versailles signed (P)
Most important peace treaty that brought World War I to an end, contained Wilson's Fourteen Points for various changes within Europe, involved Germany, Poland, Italy, France, UK, and US -
Washington Naval Conference (E)
World's largest naval powers gathered in Washington D.C. to discuss disarmament in their navies. -
Mussolini forms the Fascist Party in Italy (S)
Advocated Italian nationalism and launched many acts of terrorism and intimidation against leftist opponents. -
Mussolini threatens to march on Rome (P)
The march was intended to mark the beginning of the Fascist rule in Italy and the end of any parliamentary regimes of socialists and liberals. -
Hitler attempts to overthrow Weimar Government (P)
Adolf Hitler was unhappy with the result of the Treaty of Versailles, so Hitler took hundreds of followers to a beer hall in Munich, fired a shot into the air, and declared a "national revolution". The march was quickly ended by the city's military force. -
Hitler goes to prison and writes Mein Kampf (E)
The Mein Kampf was a blueprint of the agenda for a Third Reich and a summary of what will become of Europe from 1939-1945. He was in prison for treason after his attempted march on the Munich beer hall. -
Kellogg Briand Pact signed (E)
It was an agreement to outlaw war in an effort to prevent another World War. It had little effect on the rising militarism of the 1930's. -
Japan occupies Manchuria, China (P)
Took place immediately after the Mukden Incident, an event staged by Japanese miltary personnel to invade northern China. Japan was very overcrowded and Japan had already invested money into Manchuria to maintain an army. -
Great Depression begins to end in Germany (E)
The US loaned Germany money in an effort to stabilize their economy after Germany paid war reparations. Germany attempted to re-arm and began to offer tax incentives for women who left their domestic jobs at home to work in factories. -
Geneva Disarmament Conference (E)
Delegates from sixty countries gathered in Geneva to consider disarmament and a reduction in offensive weapons. Germany wished to have other countries reduce their armed forces, just as Germany was forced to by the Treaty of Versailles. -
Hitler joins the National Socialist German Workers Party/Nazis (S)
The group promoted German pride and anti-semitism, as well as the dissatisfaction with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler was quickly elected to be their leader and assumed dictatorial powers. -
Hitler places second in German national elections for president (P)
Two elections (second one 4/10/1932). Paul von Hindenburg, the past president, was running for re-election and won against Hitler in the race. When the Nazis continued to try to assume power, Hindenburg reluctantly appointed Hitler as chancellor of Germany. -
Germany withdraws from League of Nations (E)
Western powers refused to accept Germany's demand for military equality. Immediately after the withdrawal, Germany rebuilt armed forces. -
President von Hindenburg dies (P)
Hitler assumed presidential role after the death of von Hindenburg. Instead of a president, however, he assumed absolute dictatorship over Germany with no legal or constitutional limits to his authority. -
Hitler merges offices chancellor and president (P)
Hitler merged the two offices to reduce the size of the government to himself. -
Mussolini invades Ethiopia (P)
Ethiopia was one of the few independent states in a European-dominated Africa. A border incident between the countries gave Mussolini a reason to invade Ethiopia against all arbitration offers. -
Hitler militarizes the Rhineland (P)
Changed the balance of power in Europe from France and its allies towards Germany and made it possible for Germany to pursue a policy of aggression in Western Europe. -
Italy withdraws from League of Nations (P)
Hitler convinced Mussolini that Germany was the key to Italy becoming more powerful throughout Europe, so Mussolini withdrew Italy to side with Germany. -
Japanese invasion of China (P)
Result of Japanese imperialism in Manchuria, China and the goal was to expand Japanese influence. -
Hitler and Nazi Germany annex Austria (P)
Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government to unite it with Nazi Germany. The Austrian chancellor was forced into putting Austrian Nazis into Hitler's cabinet and eventually was forced into resignation. -
Hitler and Nazi Germany gain Sudetenland (P)
Hitler promised that Austria was the only land that he wanted, but then broke his promise and demanded that the Sudetenland part of Czechoslovakia be handed over to Germany. -
Hitler occupies Czechoslovakia (E)
Germany took the Sudetenland portion of Czechoslovakia which was home to 3 million ethnic Germans as well as 66% of the Czechoslovakian coal supply, 70% of its iron and steel, and 70% of its electrical power. With all these resources gone, they were vulnerable to German domination. -
Hitler signs alliance with Mussolini (S)
They signed the Pact of Steel which formally linked Italy and Germany both politically and militarily. -
Hitler and Stalin sign Non-Aggression Pact (S)
Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to take no military action against each other for the next 10 years. Stalin believed it was an agreement to maintain peace between his nation and Germany, while Hitler believed it was a way to invade Poland without opposition, as well as how Eastern Europe would be divided. -
Germany invades Poland (P)
Hitler sought to regain lost territory and rule Poland. Poland military forces attempted to drive the Germans out of their country but were no match for the modernized German technology. -
Britain and France declare war on Nazi Germany (S)
Direct result of Germany's invasion of Poland, US remained neutral. -
France surrenders and is occupied by Nazi Germany (P)
Paris had fallen and prime minister announced intentions to sign an armistice with the Nazis, and more than half of France became occupied by the Germans. -
Japan, Italy, and Germany sign Tripartite Pact (S)
Pact provided mutual assistance if signatories suffer attack by any nation not involved in the war. This agreement formed the Axis Powers, and was designed to force the US into deciding against joining the allies. The pact also created two spheres of influence where Japan recognized the leadership of Germany and Italy in Europe and Japan gained lordship over Greater East Asia.
