-
World War I begins
World War I begins on June 28th, 1914 with the assassination of Archdule Franz Ferdinand of Austria by Serbian nationalists. -
Armistice of World War I
An Armistice is signed at 11:00 on November 11th, 1918, bringing a cease-fire to the war. The war officially ends after the Paris Peace Conference & the signing of the Treaty of Versailles the following year. Although the armistice ended fighting ont hat day, some fighting continued for weeks due to poor communication. -
Period: to
Occupation of the Rhineland
Directly following the armistice on November 11th, 1918, the German Rhineland was occupied by a variety of Allied forces until March of 1936, including France, Britain, Belguim, and the United States. With the area demilitarized, Germany could not create a formidable army. Also, it helped to secure France from any German attacks. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended World War I in the summer of 1919, had created a shaky truce rather than a solid peace. To Germany, the treaty was harsh, requiring immense war reparations, territorial losses in both the motherland and in colonies abroad, and the war guilt clause. -
Period: to
Rise of Social Democrats: Scandanavian Response
Social Democrats became a major political party after World War I, especially in areas like Sweden & Norway. Throughout the 1920's, the passed numerous social reform legislation to benefit peasents and workers. When the Great Depression hit, social governments in this region implimented public works programs, social welfare benefits, and unemployment compensation. -
German War Reparations
It is announced that Germany is required to pay an overwhelming sum of 132 billion marks, or $33 billion, in annual installments of 2.5 billion gold marks. The first reparations were paid by the Weimar Republic in 1921; however, due to the hyperinflation that ensued, the Germans were in dire need of economic support from an outside nation, as they were facing more territorial occupation. -
Occupation of the Ruhr Valley Begins
Because of Germany's inability to pay its reparations, both France and Belgium began to occupy the industrious Ruhr Valley in January 1923. Germany's economy was then further crippled by the action. -
British Labour Party Rises
After winning the 1923 General Election, Ramsay MacDonald and the British Labour Party governed the nation. The party moved more towards socialism so that the middle classes were not overwhlemed by new, working class benefits. -
Dawes Plan
Charles G. Dawes of the United States proposes the Dawes Plan to solve Germany's economic issues. The plan allowed for the United States to give loans to Germany so that they could pay back war reparations to Britain and France. In turn, Britain and France were able to pay back WWI loans to the United States. Although it was both complicated and risky, the plan worked for a while to bring about international economic recovery. -
Period: to
Mein Kampf
After failing to overthrow the Weimar Republic during the infamous Beer Hall Putsch, Adolf Hitler published Mein Kampf (My Struggle), which told of his plans to overthrow the government, recreate a glorious German empire, and his anti-Sentimic feelings. -
Germany Joins League of Nations
Germany joins the League of Nations, which gave increased hope about settling international issues. -
Kellogg-Briand Pact Signed
15 nations, including France, Germany, and the United States, signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact, with the goal of "condemning and renouncing war as an instrument of national policy". -
Stock Market Crash
On October 29th, 1929, the stock market crashed, signaling a beginning to one of the worst economic recessions in international history, The Great Depression. -
Period: to
The Great Depression
The worst economic period in world history, The Great Depression, exists, only officially ceased by the start of World War II for most nations. -
Third Reich Begins
The Third Reich is usually believed to have started in 1933 with the election of Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany, who eventually becomes the defacto ruler until 1945. It is also considered to be the end of the Weimar Republic; however, the Republic is not officially disbanded until the end of World War II. -
Creation of the Popular Front
In response to the rise of facism throughout Europe, political parties like Communists, Socialists, and Radicals formed an alliance known as the Popular Front in order to counteract the effects.
