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Period: to
interwars years
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June 28, 1919: The treaty of Versailles is Signed
The Treaty of Versailles ends World War One and imposes heavy reparations payments on Germany. -
November 1920: The First Meeting of the League of Nations
The Assembly of the League of Nations meets for the first time in Geneva, Switzerland. The US is notably absent, the Senate having voted against joining the League in November 1919. -
November 1921: The Washington Conference is Held
The United States convenes the Washington Conference, attended by Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, China, Japan, and Portugal. The Conference results in a naval armaments treaty that sets a ratio for tonnage of capital ships -
October 30, 1922: Benito Mussolini is Made Italian Premier
King Victor Emmanuel declares Mussolini premier in an attempt to head off violent conflict between the Fascists and the Communists. -
January 21, 1924: Vladimir Lenin Dies
Lenin's death leaves some question as to who will be his successor. Joseph Stalin eventually beats out Leon Trotsky to take control of the Soviet government. -
December 1, 1925: The Locarno Pacts are Signed
The Locarno Pacts are signed in efforts to stabilize relations with Germany and its neighbors. The pacts usher in a period of peace and prosperity. -
1926: Joseph Pilsudski Becomes Virtual Dictator in Poland
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March 1926: The Samuel Commission in England Releases Its Report on Coal Mining
The Samuel Commission, under the Conservative government, releases a report which advises wage cuts for miners. The Triple Alliance responds by striking, which is emulated by many other industries in England to protest he Conservative government's policies. -
April 14, 1931: The Spanish Monarchy is Overthrown and The Republic Is Born
A provisional government is established to take Spain from monarchy to republicanism. -
February - July 1932: The final League of Nations Disarmament Conference is Held
The last major League of Nations-sponsored disarmament conference meets from February to July 1932 at Geneva, with 60 nations in attendance, including the United States. However, this conference, like it's predecessors, fails to secure any agreement, and organized disarmament remains an unaccomplished goal. -
January 30, 1933: Hitler is Appointed Chancellor of Germany
In an attempt to reel in the chaos of the German government, President Paul von Hindenburg declares Hitler chancellor, the first major step in Hitler's ascent to dictatorship. -
March 23, 1933: The German Reichstag Passes the Enabling Act
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1933 - 1934: 1,140,000 Communist Party Members are Expelled by Stalin
Stalin's Central Purge Commission, created in 1933, publicly investigates and tries many party members for treason as Stalin seeks to rid the party of oppositon. -
July 17, 1936: The Spanish Nationalists Begin the Spanish Civil War
Generals Goded, Mola, and Francisco Franco lead troops in rebellion against the republic, sparking the Spanish Civil War. -
April 25, 1937: Spanish Nationalists Bomb Guernica
The small northern town of Guernica is bombed, and civilians are gunned down as they flee the scene. In this brutal massacre 1500 die and 800 are wounded, but the military targets in the town remain intact. -
September 18, 1938: The Munich Pact is Signed
Britain and France appease Hitler by signing the Munich Pact, which grants Hitler control of the Czech Sudetenland. -
September 3, 1939: Britain and France Declare War on Germany
In response to Hitler's continued aggression in Eastern Europe, Britain and France go to war with Germany in an attempt to stop Hitler's bid for global hegemony.