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Mussolini’s March on Rome
a critical turning point in Italian history, leading to Mussolini's rise to power as the head of a Fascist government. In the wake of World War I, Italy faced significant social and political turmoil, prompting many citizens, including industrialists, nationalists, and discharged soldiers, to seek a strong leader who promised stability. -
Hitler writes Mein Kampf
On July 18, 1925, Volume One of Adolf Hitler’s philosophical autobiography, Mein Kampf, is published. It was a blueprint of his agenda for a Third Reich and a clear exposition of the nightmare that will envelope Europe from 1939 to 1945. The book sold a total of 9,473 copies in its first year. -
Japan invades Manchuria
Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931, primarily driven by a desire for natural resources and "living space" to support its rapidly growing population and expanding industries. -
Holodomor begins-
The Holodomor, also known as the Ukrainian Famine, was a mass famine in Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933 that killed millions of Ukrainians. -
Hitler appointed chancellor of Germany
Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany by President Paul von Hindenburg on January 30, 1933. This event marked a turning point in German history, as the Nazi Party, led by Hitler, was granted legal access to power. -
“Night of the Long Knives” in Germany
The Night of the Long Knives, also known as the Röhm Purge or Operation Hummingbird, was a series of political executions carried out by the Nazi regime in Nazi Germany between June 30 and July 2, 1934. Its primary purpose was to consolidate Hitler's power by eliminating potential rivals and threats within the Nazi Party and the broader political landscape. -
Nuremburg Laws enacted
The Nazis enacted the Nuremberg Laws, because they wanted to put their ideas about race into law. -
The Great Purge begins
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. Although estimates vary, most experts believe at least 750,000 people were executed during the Great Terror -
The Rape of Nanking
In late 1937, over a period of six weeks, Imperial Japanese Army forces brutally murdered hundreds of thousands of people—including both soldiers and civilians—in the Chinese city of Nanjing (or Nanking). The horrific events are known as the Nanjing Massacre or the Rape of Nanjing -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, also known as the "Night of Broken Glass," was a pogrom, a series of coordinated attacks against Jewish people and their property