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Mussolini’s March on Rome -outcome
Benito Mussolini and his army marched on the city of Rome in 1922 in order to show his new leadership. This march would lead to Mussolini gaining the confidence to finally take control over Italy and pursue his power-hungry campaigns. -
Hitler Writes Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf was Adolf Hilters manifesto depicting his plans for taking over Germany and eventually the world. This book promoted Nazism and discrimination in order to make Hitler's ideal world. Hitler wrote Mein Kampf from his prision cell after his failed coup attempt in Munich. -
1st “five year plan” in USSR– purpose
This was a plan created by Joseph Stalin and the USSR with the intention of industrializing the Soviet Union swiftly. This five year plan would put a large focus on manufacturing and would see a 50 percent increase in the countries industrial output. The purpose was the change the USSR from an agricultural country to an industrial superpower. -
Stalin becomes dictator of USSR
Joseph Stalin took power in the USSR following the fall of his predecessor, Vladimir Lenin. His rise to power led to the USSR's involvment in WWII and millions of Soviet casualties. -
Japan invades Manchuria – why?
Japan invaded Manchuria which is located in modern-day Northern China. This went against the principles of the League of Nations as there was no declaration of war. Japan invaded Manchuria in order to get resources like oil, rubber, and timber that were not present in Japan at the time. They did this in order to prepare for their plan of gaining more control and power in the world. -
Holodomor - why?
This was a man-made famine that was created by the Soviets in parts on Ukraine. This famine lasted 2 years and could cause a death toll of about 3.5-5 million. The Soviets did this in order to prevent the Ukrainians from becoming independent. -
Hitler appointed chancellor of Germany
Hitler was appointed as the Chancellor of Germany after many deliberations with the former chancellor about how the new power dynamic would work. This event would help lead to the Nazi's rise in influence and power as they began to take the world stage. This was considered a large turning point for Nazi Germany. -
“Night of the Long Knives” in Germany - purpose
The Night of the Long Knives saw the removal of many members of German government and even the Nazi-party who opposed Hitler's Regime. He ordered the killing of many of his political opponents and carried it out using his SS officers brute force. The purpose of this night was to clear the path for Hitler continuing to gain power without any opposition. -
Nuremburg Laws enacted - what were they?
These were laws that were passed in order to promote antisemitism in Germany. The first law would weaken Jewish-German citizenship and the second law would forbid relations between Germans and Jewish. These laws encouraged the spread of hate and it would promote the Nazi message. -
Italian invasion of Ethiopia
Over 200,000 Italian soldiers invaded Ethiopia without a declaration of war. Mussolini's aggression toward Ethiopia caused economic tension between Italy and much of Europe. This is often viewed as just one of the factors that led to WW2. -
The Great Purge and gulags
The Great purge was also known as the Great Terror and it was a political campaign carried out by Stalin and the USSR with the intent of eliminating dissenting members of the communist party. Between 700,000 and 1.2 million people were killed during this campaign and those who survived, were sent to forced labor camps known as gulags. -
Spanish civil war
This was a revolution by the Spanish military with the intention of overthrowing the government. The head of the revolution was a man named Francisco Franco. Franco received support from Germany and Italy and the war would last 3 years resulting in his victory and the death of 500,000 people. -
The Rape of Nanking
The Rape of Nanking was an attack led by the Japanese that would cause the death of well over 200,000 people. This was significant because it showed the brutality of the Japanese military and would display their eventual involvement in WWII. -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht was a violent night in German-Jewish history and over 90 people died and thousands of Jewish businesses, homes, and synagogues were destroyed. This event would wreck lots of the Jewish lifestyle and would cause anti-Semitism to grow even more. This marked a turn to violence against the Jewish people. -
Nazi Germany invades Poland
Germany invaded Poland to regain territory that it had lost. This method of large-scale bombardment and invasion would become known as "Blitzkrieg". This would concern other countries as Germany began to gain more and more power and influence. -
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor
Japan bombed the American naval base of Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941. This was unprovoked attack by the Japanese and they killed over 2,400 people. This would lead to the American entrance into WW2. The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor with the intent of eliminating lots of military aircrafts and ships.