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Reign of Napoleon III
Napoleon III's reign in France started after the revolutions of 1848, when the second republic of France wanted to have an executive leader. Napoleon III was democratically elected to the office of president by the electorate. After his 4 year term was up, he instituted another election stating that he could serve as long as he wanted. Evidently, that wasn’t enough, because later on he instituted another vote that made him the emperor of France. His fall continued after the Franco-Prussian War. -
Opening of the Suez Canal
The Suez Canal was a pathway to the Indian Ocean from the Mediterranean Sea. The Suez Canal opened a trail for boats to quickly sail to India and East Africa without going around Africa. -
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Franco-Prussian War
A conflict between France and Germany that resulted in a German victory. As a premise of the treaty, France had to cede Alsace-Lorraine to the Germans. Bitterness from the treaty was a cause of World War I, and the increase of German power in the continent was an immediate result of the war. -
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Stalin takes control of the Soviet Union
Among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who took part in the Russian Revolution of 1917, he was appointed general secretary of the party's Central Committee in 1922. He managed to consolidate power following the 1924 death of Lenin through suppressing Lenin's criticisms and expanding the functions of his role, all the while eliminating any opposition. By the late 1920s, he was the unchallenged leader of the Soviet Union. -
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a Serbian nationalist named Gavrilo Princip was the spark of World War I. The assassination occurred in the now-Bosnian city of Sarajevo, in the Balkan peninsula. Austria instigated a war after the assassination occurred, dragging Russia into the war as a result. -
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World War I
A massive war that was caused by alliances, militarism, nationalism, and imperialist ambitions on the part of European countries. World War I was instigated by Germany and Austria after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by Serbian extremist Gavrilo Princip. World War I was the most destructive war yet, mostly because of new technologies utilized in war. World War I ended in a German defeat and an allied victory. -
Opening of the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal was an effort by the United States to cut thousands of miles away from a trip from the east coast to the west via sea. It opened after an extended building time and a lot of life loss for laborers on the canal from malaria and other diseases. -
Sinking of the Lusitania
The sinking of the Lusitania, a civilian cruise liner, was a major reason why the United States entered World War I. A torpedo that came from a German submarine struck and sunk the liner Lusitania, with over one hundred United States citizens on it. -
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Mussolini takes power in Italy
He was kicked out of the Socialist Party and gained support in the Conservative Party to gain great influence. He started the Black Shirts to eliminate any political opponents leading to the government crashing. Oct 1922 Mussolini marches on Rome demands power from the King Victor Emmanuel III and is granted his demand. -
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February Revolution
An unplanned peasants’ uprising in February of 1917. This caused the tsar to step down, leading to the formation of a provisional government. -
US enters WWI
After multiple attempts by the Germans to infiltrate the United States, the United States entered the World War officially after the Germans sent a telegram to Mexico asking for their help invading the United States in return for Texas and parts of California after the war ended. The entrance of the United States was a turning point for the allies that ultimately led to the defeat of the Germans. -
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Bolshevik Revolution
The Bolshevik Revolution was a major step towards a communist state in Russia. After the February Revolution, a man named Vladimir Lenin took power and took control of a state party known as the Bolsheviks, who fought people who favored a democratic party known as the Mensheviks. The takeover required military action run by Leon Trotsky, a militant supporter of Lenin. This led to the dictatorial state of the Soviet Union. -
Treaty of Versailles
A peace treaty designated after the end of World War 1 designed to maintain peace. Provisions allowed for a league of nations, or a chamber of countries that would maintain peace and order throughout Europe and the world. Yet, the treaty assigned massive war reparations on an already economically struggling Germany and planted the seeds for a disgruntled populus to elect a dictator. -
Dawes Plan
After World War I in an attempt for the Allies to collect war reparations debt from Germany. They called for the Dawes Plan providing short term economic benefits to the German economy. It softened the burdens of war reparations, stabilizing the currency, and brought increased foreign investments and loans to the German market. -
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Nazi Party rises to power
After Munich Beer Hall Putsch (failed attempt to overthrow the government) in 1923, Hitler realized he could use democracy to do it. So he wrote Mein Kampf, a political manifesto and an autobiography. He wanted to show the readers that his struggle was also theirs, to appeal to them. He used the symbol of the swastika to unite is party and represent the German people. -
Kellogg-Briad Pact
Signed on August 27, 1928, was an international treaty between 62 countries (including the United States) to renounce war as an instrument of national policy. It failed in its purpose but was significant for later developments in international law. It was named after the American secretary of state Frank B. Kellogg and French foreign minister Aristide Briad, who drafted the pact. -
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Great Depression
Not only did people speculated on the stock market would make make money with the borrowed money of the banks, farmers also produced too much food causing the price to go down. The bankers were making the “international” companies pay them back in full what they owe to counterbalance what they owe to the American. This lasted up until the start of WWII -
Japan invades China
The Japanese invasion of China (Manchuria) began on 18 September 1931, when the Kwantung Army of the Empire of Japan invaded Manchuria immediately following the Mukden Incident. The Japanese established the puppet state of Manchukuo, and their occupation lasted until Soviet Union and Mongolia launched the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation in 1945 during WWII. -
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Japan invades Manchuria
During 1931 Japan had invaded Manchuria without declarations of war, breaching the rules of the League of Nations. China's immediate response was to plead to the League of Nations for them to help drive Japan out of China. Since Japan was in a depression and the only means that the League of Nations could punish nations was by economic sanction, it had little effect on Japan. This invasion ended as a Japanese victory and occupied Manchuria throughout WWI -
Germany leaves League of Nations
When Germany was participating in the League of Nations, they didn't have any representatives; so in 1933 Hitler ordered Germany to leave. -
Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
This was the cause of the Enabling Act, a 1933 amendment to the Weimar Constitution that gave the German Cabinet (Chancellor Adolf Hitler) the power to enact laws without the involvement of the Reichstag. It passed in both the Reichstag and Reichsrat on 23 March 1933, and was signed by President Paul von Hindenburg later that day. The act stated that it was to last four years unless renewed by the Reichstag, which occurred twice. It gave Hitler plenary powers. -
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Mussolini invades Ethiopia
From 1935-1939 Fascist Italy invaded Ethiopia. The invasion was the result of the Italians wanting to expand their territory, and Ethiopia being one of the only independent states in Africa, and a country that Italy had two borders with. The war ended with an Italian victory, but it was costly and demonstrated to the world Italy’s ambitions to expand, and their military incompetence. It was also a failure for the league of nations, as it was unable to stop Italy. -
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Mussolini invades Ethopia
From 1935-1939 Fascist Italy invaded Ethiopia. The invasion was the result of the Italians wanting to expand their territory, and Ethiopia being one of the only independent states in Africa, and a country that Italy had two borders with. The war ended with an Italian victory, but it was costly and demonstrated to the world Italy’s ambitions to expand, and their military incompetence. It was also a failure for the league of nations, as it was unable to stop Italy. -
Germany invades Rhineland
In 1936 the Germans violated by treaty of versailles by moving troops west of the Rhine River, which they were explicitly not allowed to do under the treaty. The western powers and the league of nations did nothing to stop the Germans, and this only emboldened the Germans into going further in the future, as there were shown to be no consequences. -
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Spanish Civil War
The civil war in Spain from 1936 to 1939, between the left and right wing factions in the country. The left wing faction was made up of communists, socialists, anarchists, and left wing democrats, while being supported by the Soviet Union, and the right wing faction was made up of fascists, monarchists, nationalists, and right wing democrats while being supported by Germany and Italy. The war ended with the victory of the fascists and the establishment of Francisco Franco as the ruler of Spain. -
Germany annexes Austria
The German annexation of Austria, also known as the Anschluss(joining), was when Austria was annexed into the German Reich in 1938. This was a violation of the treaty of versailles that forbade Austria from joining Germany. The move was popular in Germany and Austria, and wasn’t opposed by foreign powers, as both countries were ethnically German and the annexation was widely supported. -
Munich Conference
This was a conference between Germany, Italy, The United Kingdom, and France that decided the fate of the german majority region of Czechoslovakia known as the Sudetenland. The result of the conference was that Germany would annex the Sudetenland. This was part of the British policy of appeasement of Germany, as the British believed that if they appeased Germany with territory they would be calmed. -
Nazi-Soviet Pact
The treaty between the Germans and the Soviet Union, also known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, was a treaty that established non-aggression between the two countries, and a trade where Germany would send the soviets technology in exchange for food from the Soviets. The pact was broken by the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 with Operation Barbarossa. -
Germany invades Poland
In September of 1939, the Germans demanded that Poland hand over the German region of Danzig or Gdansk in Polish to Germany. The Poles were presented with the ultimatum of Danzig being transferred to Germany, or war. The British and French guaranteed Polish independence, and said that if the Germans declared war, they would protect Poland. The Polish denied the Germans, the Germans ignored the guarantees, and Invaded, starting World War II. -
Great Britain and France declare war on Germany
Following the German invasion of Poland, the British and French declared war on Germany. The British and French intended to defend their positions in the west, and offered little assistance to Poland in terms of military support, and planned on a war that would be similar to World War I.
