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Storm Troopers
Many men who were out of work joined joined Hitler's private army, the storm troopers(or Brown Shirts). -
Benito Mussolini's fascist government in Italy
Fascism stressed nationalism and placed the interests of the state above those of individuals. To strengthen the nation, Fascists argued, power must rest with single strong leader and a small group of devoted party members. -
Joseph Stalin's totalitarian government in the Soviet Union
Stalin firmly established a totalitarian government that tried to exert complete control over its citizens. In a totalitarian state, individuals have no rights, and the government suppresses all opposition. -
Mein Kampf
In Hitler's book Mein Kampf[My Struggle], he set forth the basic beliefs of Nazism that became the plan of action for the Nazi Party. Nazism the German brand of fascism, was based on extreme nationalism. -
Japanese invasion of Manchuria
Japanese militarists launched a surprise attack and seized control of the Chinese province of Manchuria in 1931. Within months, Japanese troops controlled the entire province, a large region about twice the size of Texas. -
Adolf Hitler's rise to power in Germany
Hitler proved to be a powerful speaker and organizer that he quickly became the leader of the National Socalist German Workers' Party. In his book Mein Kampf he set forth the basic rules of Nazism. One of the elements of Nazism was national expansion. Hitler believed for Germany to thrive, it needed more living space. The Great Depression helped the Nazis rise to power. -
Third Reich
Once Hitler was in power, he quickly dismantled Germany's democratic Weimar Republic. In its place he establieshed the Third Reich, or Third German Empire. According to Hitler, the Third Reich would be a "Thousand-Year Reich." -
Hitler's military build-up in Germany
In 1933, Hitler pulled Germany out of the League. In 1935, he began a military buildup in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. -
Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia
Mussolini began building his new Roman Empire by targeting Ethiopia, one of Africa's few remaining independant countries. The LoN reacted with brave talk to collective resistance to acts of unprovoked action. When the invasion began, the League's response was a ineffective economic boycott, which had very little effect. By May 1936, Ethiopia had fallen and the League had done nothing. -
Hitler invades in Rhineland
A year after violating the Treaty of Versailles by begining a militay, he sent troops into the Rhineland, a German region bordering France and Belguim that was demilitarized as a result of the Treaty of Versailles. The League did nothing to stop Hitler -
Francisco Franco
A group of Spanish army officers led by General Francisco Franco rebelled against the Spanish republic. Revolts broke out and the Spanish Civil War began. About 3,000 Americans formed the Abraham Lincoln Battalion and traveled to Spain to stop Franco. This was not enought to stop the spread of facism. After a loss of almost 500,000 lives, Franco's victory in 1939 established him as Spain's facist dictator. -
Hitler's Ancschless
German troops marched into Austria unopposed. A day later, Germany announced that its Anschluss, or "union", with Austria was complete.t -
Munich Agreement
Hitler charged the Czechs for abusing the Sudeten Germans. He wanted to annex Czechoslovakia in order to provide more living space for Germany as well as to control its important natural reasources.In eagerness to avoid war, Daladier and Chamberlain chose to sign the Munich Agreement, which turned the Sudetenland over to Germany -
Rome-Berlin Axis
Francisco Franco's war forged a close relationship between the German and Italian dictators, who signed a formal alliance known as the Rome-Berlin Axis. -
Nonagression pact
