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Mussolini Forms Fascist Blackshirts
Benito Mussolini created his unofficial army of fascist Blackshirts -
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War Reparations
Germany was required to pay 6,000 million marks in reparations. -
Mussolini Founds the National Fascist Party
Advocates a single-party system for stability and gains middle-class support -
The March on Rome
Mussolini’s Blackshirts march leads to him becoming Italy’s leader, he summoned fascists to participate in his March on Rome. -
France Occupies the Ruhr Valley
When Germany defaulted on a reparations payment in 1923, France occupied a German industrial region called the Ruhr valley. -
Dawes Plan Introduced
The US intervened with the Dawes Plan in 1924.
US plan reorganizes Germany’s reparations and loans to stabilize its economy -
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Stalin’s First Five-Year Plan
Stalin introduced his first five-year plan, begins economic transformation through industrialization and collectivization. -
Dawes Plan Replaced by Young Plan
In 1929, the Dawes Plan was replaced with the Young Plan.
Reparations are reduced to reflect Germany's inability to pay. -
Wall Street Crash
On 29 October 1929, the stock market completely collapsed. -
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Global Spread of the Great Depression
Due to the importance of the United States in the global economy, the crisis spread quickly across the world. -
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Rise of Anti-Democratic Parties in Germany
The rise of extreme and anti-democratic parties made it impossible for democratic parties to form a stable government. -
Roosevelt Introduces the New Deal
In the United States, President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced his New Deal in 1933.
The US implements programs to combat the Great Depression -
Hitler Becomes Chancellor
President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as chancellor. -
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Stalin’s Purges Begin
He carried out a series of violent repressive campaigns called purges. -
Hitler Becomes Führer
On 2 August 1934, President Hindenburg died. Hitler immediately unified the positions of president and chancellor under the title of Führer. -
Hitler Violates the Treaty of Versailles
In March 1935, Hitler publicly broke with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles by announcing his plans to rearm Germany. -
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Nazi Expansionism
Germany annexed the Saar region in 1935, the Rhineland in 1936, the Czech Sudetenland and Austria in 1938 and Poland in 1939. -
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Stalin’s Second Five-Year Plan
After the first three of Stalin's five-year plans, Russia had transformed into an industrial power.
Industrialization continues, though living standards for citizens decline. -
Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass)
In 1938, Jews, their shops and their synagogues were attacked during the Night of Broken Glass. -
Outbreak of WWII
Germany annexed... Poland in 1939. The latter move would trigger the Second World War.