Events leading to World War II

Events Leading to World War II

Period: Jan 1, 1933 to Dec 31, 1940

Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany

Jan 30, 1933

Burning of the Reichstag

Feb 27, 1933

Night of the Long Knives

Jun 30, 1934

Hitler becomes Fuhrer of Germany

Aug 19, 1934

Conscription

Mar 16, 1935

Hitler violates the Treaty of Versailles by introducing military conscription.

Nuremburg Race Laws

Jul 19, 1935

Strips Jews of their rights. Jews no longer citizens, just "subjects".

Facist Italy invades Ethiopia

Oct 2, 1935

Conquered Ethiopia by May 1936

Gestapo!

Feb 10, 1936

German Gestapo is placed above the law.

German troops occupy the Rhineland

Mar 7, 1936

Spanish Civil War begins

Jul 18, 1936

Berlin Olympics

Aug 1, 1936

Olympics open in Berlin. Jessee Owens spoils Hitler's plans to show off "the master race".

Franco declared Spanish Head of State

Oct 1, 1936

Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy sign a treaty of cooperation

Oct 25, 1936

Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan sign the Anti-Comintern Pact

Nov 25, 1936

Axis Powers have all joined forces.

Josef Stalin begins a purge of Red Army generals

Jun 11, 1937

Japan invades China

Jul 7, 1937

World War II in the Pacific begins with this invasion.

Anschluss with Austria

May 12, 1938

Germany annexes Austria, claims it is a union of states.

Munich Agreement

Sep 29, 1938

Italy, Germany, France, and Britan sign the agreement which forces the Czechoslovak Republic to give up the Sudetenland which includes key Czech military positions.

Kristallnacht

Nov 9, 1938

The Night of Broken Glass

Nazis take Czechoslovakia

Mar 15, 1939

Spanish Civil War ends

Mar 28, 1939

Italy invades Albania

Apr 7, 1939

Pact of Steel between Italy and Germany signed

May 22, 1939

Nazis and Russians sign non-aggression pact

Aug 23, 1939

Germany invades Poland

Sep 1, 1939

Officially sets off World War II in Europe.

Great Britan and France declare war on Germany

Sep 3, 1939

Soviets invade Poland

Sep 17, 1939