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Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact — Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression pact, secretly agreeing to divide Eastern Europe between them. -
Mahatma Gandhi leads a non-violent protest against British salt taxes in India, sparking widespread civil disobedience and marking a significant moment in the Indian independence movement.
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The Great Depression deepens* — Economic hardship worsens globally as unemployment and poverty escalate following the 1929 stock market crash. -
Japan seizes control of Manchuria and establishes the puppet state of Manchukuo, marking the beginning of its imperial expansion in Asia. -
The Mukden Incident concludes — Japan consolidates control over Manchuria after staging a railway explosion and using it as a pretext to invade. -
Armed conflict between China and Japan erupts in Shanghai, further escalating tensions. -
FDR wins a landslide victory and begins implementing his New Deal programs to combat the Great Depression. -
Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany* — Hitler began his rise to absolute power. -
A pivotal event that Hitler uses to consolidate power and implement emergency laws. -
The Enabling Act is passed, giving Hitler dictatorial powers, effectively dissolving the Weimar Republic. -
Albert Einstein arrives in the U.S.*, fleeing Nazi persecution and contributing to global scientific advancement. -
Night of the Long Knives — Hitler orders a series of political executions to eliminate opposition within the Nazi Party and secure his grip on power. -
Hitler becomes Führer of Germany — Following President Hindenburg’s death, Hitler consolidates the roles of Chancellor and President. -
Germany reintroduces conscription*, openly violating the Treaty of Versailles and accelerating rearmament under Hitler’s rule. -
Italy invades Ethiopia — The Second Italo-Ethiopian War begins as Mussolini’s fascist regime seeks to expand its colonial empire. -
Spanish Civil War — A brutal conflict between Republicans and Nationalists, with Francisco Franco leading the Nationalists to victory. The war becomes a proxy conflict for fascist and communist powers.
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Berlin Summer Olympics — Hitler uses the Olympics as a propaganda tool to promote Nazi ideals, while African-American athlete Jesse Owens defies Nazi racial theories by winning four gold medals. -
Franklin D. Roosevelt was re-elected President of the United States*, securing a second term during the Great Depression. -
Japan invades China — The Marco Polo Bridge Incident marks the start of the full-scale Second Sino-Japanese War, a devastating conflict that lasted until 1945. -
The Nanjing Massacre- Japanese forces capture Nanjing, committing atrocities against Chinese civilians, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands. -
Anschluss — Nazi Germany annexes Austria without resistance, furthering Hitler’s vision of a Greater Germany. -
Munich Agreement — Britain, France, Italy, and Germany sign an agreement allowing Nazi Germany to annex the Sudetenland, part of Czechoslovakia, in an effort to avoid war. This policy of appeasement would soon fail. -
Kristallnacht — A coordinated Nazi attack on Jewish businesses, synagogues, and homes across Germany and Austria, marking a significant escalation in Nazi anti-Semitic policies. -
Hitler invades Czechoslovakia, violating the Munich Agreement and seizing control of the entire country. -
Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact — Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union sign a non-aggression pact, secretly agreeing to divide Eastern Europe between them. -
Britain and France declare war on Germany, formally entering World War II following the invasion of Poland. -
Hitler invades Poland, initiating World War II (1939–1945) as German forces quickly overwhelm Polish defences. -
The Winter War began when the Soviet Union invaded Finland. Despite Finland’s strong resistance, the Soviet Union eventually prevailed.