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Japan Forcibly Invades Manchuria
The Japanese military leaders and ultranationalists thought that Japan should have an empire equal to the ones of the Western powers. The League of Nations denounced this agression, and Japan withdrew itself from the organization. Japan's success increasingly strengthened the militarist faction in Japan, leading them to the attack of Manchuria. -
Establishment of Neautraility Acts
The U.S. Congress (FDR) began passing a series of acts in order to avoid any action which might involved the United States in war. The signing came at the same time as newly installed fascist governments in Europe began to promote war. Overall, these acts halted the sale of weapons to other countries, although the U.S. was able to change its mind at any time, as well as giving the nation rights to many options in order to ensure safety among the people. -
Italy Invades Ethiopia
Ethiopia had outdated weapons, but Mussolini and his army were much more industrialized, making it very easy for Italy to successfully take over Ethiopia (early 1936). The king of the Ethiopia went to the League of Nations for help, where they voted sanctions against Italy. However, the League did not obtain enough power to the enforce the sanctions, causing for Italy to effectievly take over Ethiopia. -
The Spanish Civil War Breaks Out
General Franco gained military assistance from Hitler and Mussolini to revolt against the supporters of the Republic. The Republic contained a wide variety of Loyalists, including communists, socialists, and any other people who wanted a democracy. However, various nations such as the Soviet Union, and some assistance from Britain, France, and the United States, aided the Spanish Loyalists. -
Establishment of the Appeaement
The prime minister of Great Britain began the establishment of appeasement in hopes of avoiding war, and to deal with Hitler's constant testing of the weak Western deomocracies. The appeasement gave in to the demands of an aggressor in order to keep the peace. This allowed for Hitler to begin much more damage between nations then needed. -
The Unification of Austria and Germany
Hitler began to engineer the Anschluss which brought Austria and Germany together. The two nations violated the Versailles Treaty, and Hitler would silence any Austrians who opposed annexation. -
Signing of the Munich Agreement
Germany, Italy, Great Britain, and France sign the Munich agreement which forced the Czechoslovak Republic to give up Sudetenland and Czechoslovak military defense positions to Nazi Germany. -
The Hitler-Stalin Pact
Hitler and his enemny Joseph Stalin established a pact that bound the two men to peaceful relations. Secretly, they both agreed not to fight if the other went to war, as well as to divide up Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe between them. -
German Invasion of Poland
German forces invaded Poland in order to bring "living space." Hitler's goal was to secure his Eastern border before turning on the West. However, this attack caused Britain and France to give up on the idea of appeasement and declare war on Germany, directly leading to the start of WWII. -
The Foundation of the Axis Powers
Germany, Italy, and Japan came together to create the Axis Powers. This meant that these three nations agreed to fight Soviet communism, and not to get in the way of each others plans for territorial expansion.
