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March on Rome
On 31 October, 1922 the fascist blackshirts marched in Rome. The blackshirts captured different cities around the country and gathered outside Rome. The King refused to declare a state of emergency for fear of bloodshed and surrendered power to Mussolini by making him prime minister. -
Stalin Becomes Dictator
In 1920, Stalin became the secretary general leader of the Central Committee of the Soviet union. His role helped him to build political support. When Lenin died, he assumed control of the USSR. -
Mein Kampf
Hitler writes his book Mein Kampf in 1925 from jail after being arrested for a failed coup. His book detailed his past and his plans for the future of Germany. It sold over 9000 copies in its first year. -
1st “five year plan” in USSR
The first five year plan was enacted by Stalin in 1928. The purpose of this plan was to develop industry and collectivising agriculture. Stalin intended to turn the USSR into a a world economic power. Stalin declared his 1st “five year plan” a success despite the fact that not all of his goals were met. -
Japan invades Manchuria
In 1931, Japan invaded the Chinese province of Manchuria. On September 18th an explosion destroyed a railway track near the city of Mukden. The Japanese blamed Chinese nationalists for the incident. They used the opportunity to retaliate and invade Manchuria. -
Holodomer
The Holodomer was a man made famine suffered by the Ukrainian people from 1932 to 1933. Members of the communist party forced farmers to give up their land, which caused a decrease in food production. This led to civilian uprisings and rebellions. Communist police banned entire towns from receiving food and raided homes and stole anything edible out of fear of starvation. 13.3% of Ukraine's population died during the Holodomer. -
Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany
Hitler was appointed as chancellor after the parliamentary elections in 1932. In 192-'s the Nazi party began to rise in power and gain political support in Germany. Hitler became the leader of the Nazi party 1921. The rise of the Nazi party led to him becoming chancellor. -
Night of the Long Knives
The Night of the Long Knives was a purge of military leaders in Germany. Out of fear that they were becoming too strong, Hitler ordered the murders of paramilitary leaders. He also killed those he felt were in opposition to him. this night cemented that Nazis would do illegal things to protect the party. -
Italian invasion of Ethiopia
In an attempt to boost Italian prestige, Mussolini invades Ethiopia in October of 1935. Poisonous gas, aerial bombardment, flame throwers, and concentration camps were all used during the invasion. Ethiopia was completely unprepared for the attacks and they fell easily to fascist Italy. -
Nuremburg Laws enacted
The Nuremberg Laws were were enacted in Germany on 15 September 1935, at a meeting during the annual Nuremberg Rally of the Nazi Party. The laws were racist and anti-semitic laws. These laws stripped citizenship away from Jewish people and forbade Jewish people from marrying Germans. -
Spanish Civil war
The Spanish Civil War was fought from 1936 to 1939. The war was a revolt against the Republican government of Spain. The rebels (nationalists) received aid from Italy and Germany. The republicans received aid from the Soviet Union and volunteers from Europe and the United States. In 1939, the nationalists won the war. -
The Massacre of Nanking
The Massacre of Nanjing lasted for six weeks starting in December 1937. After the battle of Shanghai, the Japanese army found their way to Nanjing. Japanese soldiers killed Chinese soldiers and male citizens believed to be soldiers. Rape and looting was widespread. The death toll estimates range from 40,000 to over 300,000. Rape cases range from 20,000 to over 80,000 cases. -
The Great Purge and Gulags
The Great Terror of 1937, also known as the Great Purge, was a brutal political campaign led by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin to eliminate dissenting members of the Communist Party and anyone else he considered a threat. These involved public trials where old communists were found guilty of treason and executed or jailed.. These trials helped to eliminate all of Stalin's political rivals. During the Great purge, many people were sent to Gulags. Gulags were labor camps where many people died. -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass was a night of violent anti-semitism. Nazi soldiers along with Nazi youth destroyed Jewish businesses, homes, churches, and schools. Jews were arrested and sent to concentration camps. As well as this, the business owners were fined for the glass and litter on streets caused by the attacks. -
Nazi Germany invades Poland
September 1, under the guise of a WWI victory, a German battleship arrived in Danzing and opened fire on a Polish military depot. Soon after, German forces on land crossed the Polish border from three different directions. Poland was unprepared for the attacks and their military fell to the German's tactics. -
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor
On December 7, 1941 the Japanese military launched a surprise attack on the US Naval base at Pearl Harbor. The attack was ordered by a Japanese Admiral in an effort to cripple america's fleet and create war with America. The attack killed 2,403 U.S. citizens, including 68 civilians, and destroyed or damaged 19 U.S. Navy ships.