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Mussolini's march on Rome
In October 1922 Mussolini marched in Rome with an organized mass demonsration, which marked the beginning of a fascist government. -
Stalin becomes dictator of USSR
After Lenin's death in January 1924 Stalin organized his funeral and became the next dictator shortly after. When he first came to power his main focus was on forming a police state. -
the first “five year plan” in the USSR
It was created in 1928 for a better industrial development across the USSR. And it was successful, this enabled the USSR to become one of the world's greatest industrial powers. -
Japan invades Manchuria
In September 1931 Japan invaded Manchuria because of raw materials to fuel their industries. Japan won the invasion. -
Holodomor
The Holodomor happened in 1932 and 33. Because the Ukraine seemed to get more independent and culturally independent, Stalin got scared and let the Ukrainian citizens starve. People tried to find alternatives to eat, such as grass, tree bark, flowers, and in the end their own children. -
Hitler appointed chancellor of Germany
In January 1933 President Paul von Hindenburg announced Hitler as the new chancellor of Germany (den Fuehrer). That was his rise to power. -
Hitler writes Mein Kampf
In October 1933 Hitlers book "Mein Kampf" (my struggle) was published. He wrote it during his time in prison and it is the most known Nazi text ever written. He wrote about antisemitism, anti communism, the German Lebensraum, his belief in the "Aryan-race" and so on. -
Nuremberg Laws enacted
On the 15th of September 1935 the Nuremberg Laws were enacted from the Nazis. Those laws designed by Adolf Hitler were racist, antisemitic-they took the rights from Jews away and "legalized" persecution of Jews. -
Italian invasion of Ethiopia
Italy invaded Ethiopia a second time in 1935. They fought it mainly to boost Italian national prestige. Italy wanted to pave the way for Italian occupation. It all happened because o a border incident that gave Mussolini a excuse to take action. -
The Great Purge and gulags
The great purge was a massacre where Stalin wanted to solidify his power and the state. The Purges were there to remove anyone who was against him or could be a potential obstacle. The gulag was a government agency which managed a lot of concentration camps all over Russia. They were set up by Lenin but under Stalin it reached its high point. The slaves there had to work on different projects like railways, dams, motorways etc, under worst conditions. 1.6 million people died. -
the Spanish civil war
The Spanish civil war started when Francisco Franco and Emilio Mola tried to overthrow the democratically elected republic. The Nationalists fought back. The whole war lasted three years until the Nationalists won 1939. -
the rape of Nanking
In December 1937 a mass murder happened. Japanese soldiers killed 200.000 Chinese civilians in Nanjing. It was triggered by by the Japanese soldiers because they saw how strong the resistance was from the Chinese Army. -
Kristallnacht
In the night of November 11th 1938 Nazis (more specific Sturmabteilung) acted out violent mobs all over Germany, Austria and the Sudetenland. The Nazis destroyed and plundered businesses, schools, homes, synagogues, etc. Around 30.000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps. -
Nazi Germany invades Poland
Germany invaded Poland at the first of September after signing the Molotov act with the Soviets. On the 17th the Soviets invaded Poland and divided it with Germany. To justify their action, Germany blamed Poland for persecuting ethnic Germans living in Poland and false claims. Hundreds of people were sent to concentration camps. -
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor
1941 Japanese air force attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.The surprise attack took out a lot of America's Army and killed around 2500 men. Their goal was to prevent the US to interfere with its planned military actions in Southeast Asia against overseas territories. -
“Night of the Long Knives” in Germany
The night of the long knives was a purge where Adolf Hitler and his regime went for members in the Sturmabteilung (SA). They killed a lot of their own men, who could potentially become enemies in the future.