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Mussolini's March on Rome
The March on Rome was an insurrection led by Benito Mussolini and it marked the beginning of facist rule. This marked the beginning of Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party ascending to power in the Kingdom of Italy. -
Hitler writes Mein Kampf
While in a Landsberg Prison after his conviction of high treason for attempting to overthrow the German Republic, Hitler wrote Mein Kampf, which translates to "My Struggle". This Autobiography displayed rabid antisemitism, a racist world view, and and an aggressive foreign policy geared to gaining Lebensraum in eastern Europe. All key components of Nazism. -
Hitler appointed chancellor of Germany
President Paul von Hindenburg names Adolf Hitler, leader or führer of the National Socialist German Workers Party, as chancellor of Germany. -
1st “five year plan” in USSR
The USSR's first "five year plan" was created in order to initiate rapid and large-scale industrialization across the USSR. -
Stalin becomes dictator of USSR
Joseph Stalin became the dictator of the Soviet Union following Lenin's death in 1924. By 1929, he had outmanuevered all of his rivals and began his reign of terror. -
Japan invades Manchuria
In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria seeking raw materials to fuel its growing industries, and to "protect their interests". This event set off a major international crisis and helped to increase tensions before WWII. -
Holodomor
Holodomor was a mass genocide by famine that lasted from 1932-1933 in Ukraine. This was committed by the leaders of the Soviet Union with the intention of suppressing their opposition regime and to make them obedient. -
“Night of the Long Knives” in Germany
Hitler orders a bloody purge on the members in his own Nazi Party believing them to be a potential threat in the future. -
Nuremburg Laws enacted
The Nuremburg Laws were 2 laws taht were enacted in Nazi Germany. The first was the Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor. The second was the Reich Citizenship Law. -
Italian invasion of Ethiopia
This was the 1st aggresive attack of WWII. In 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia with the intention of expanding territory, to boost Italian morale, regain pride from previously lost battle, and to get more land for resources, power, and farmer employment. Basically Mussolini wanted to prove that he was better than everyone else and a border incident gave him the reason to do so. -
Spanish civil war
The spanish civil war was the bloodiest conflict western Europe had experienced since the end of WWI. The election of 1936 had brought a Leftist Popular Front government to power. Facist and extreme right forces responded with a coup attempt and an army mutiny that soon expanded into a civil war. -
The Great Purge and gulags
Also known as "The Great Terror", this was Soviet General Secretary Joseph Stalin's campain to eliminate dissenting members of the Communist Party and anyone else he considered a threat....sounds familiar. Around 750,000 were executed during this time, the ones who survived(aroun 1 million) were sent to Gulags, which wer brutal forced labor camps. -
The Rape of Nanking
During the "Rape of Nanking", an estimated 150,000 male "war prisoners" were brutally murdered, an additional 50,000 male civillians were massacred, and around 20,000 women and girls of all ages were raped and most were mutilated or killed in the process. -
Kristallnacht
Also known as the "Night of Broken Glass", this event was when Nazis in Germany torched synagogues, vandalized Jewish homes, schools and businesses, and murdered close to 100 Jews. In the aftermath of Kristallnacht, around 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to Nazi concentration camps. -
Nazi Germany invades Poland
In 1939, Hitlers Nazi Party invaded poland with the intention of regaining "lost territory" and to rule over them. Hitler intended on using this invasion to wage war. -
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor
Japan bombs pearl harbor with the intention of preventing The United States Pacific Fleet from interfering with its planned military actions in Southeast Asia. Japanese planes fill the sky over pearl harbor while raining down bullets and bombs onto American Vessels. This attack killed 2,403 U.S. personnel, including 68 civilians, and destroyed or damaged 19 U.S. Navy ships, including 8 battleships.