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*Treaty of Versailles
Following World War I, Germany was blamed as the cause of the event. Being named responsible, Germany was to sign the Treaty of Versailles, which consisted of multiple punishing terms. The Germans weren't happy about this treaty, so when a man named Adolf Hitler promised to get rid of it, people voted to put him to power. This was the beginning of Hitler's rise to power. Without the existance of this Treaty, Hitler never would have spoken out about it, and never would've gained the power he had. -
Rise of Totalitarianism
A totalitarian state is a dictatorship where the government uses intimidation, violence, and propaganda to control all aspects of the social and political life of its citizens. The rise of totalitarianism first began before the start of World War II. From the 1920s to the 1930s, totalitarian states arose in Germany, Italy, Spain, and Japan. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression left countries in ruins and Germany accountable to pay war debts. With their economy already damaged as is, Germany couldn't afford to pay the cost. Other countries were also desperate to try to recover from World War I. As a result, some countries looked to expand their territory in hopes of increasing profit by industry and trade. This meant invading other countries, which led to battles. -
*Failure of the League of Nations
The League of Nations was created to help maintain world peace and to act as a source for countries to settle their disputes without war. However, the League had many flaws that made them unsuccessful, one being the fact that not all countries joined the League. It generally had no power and no army, also failing to provide troops. Most importantly, the League was unable to act quickly to stop acts of aggression. The League was made to maintain peace, but it's weakness defeated the purpose of it -
Japan Invades Manchuria
Japan's invasion started on September 18th, 1931 and lasted until February 27th 1932. The country's need for new markets and new sources of raw materials led the army to invade and annex Manchuria in China, an area they knew was rich in minerals and resources. -
Rise of Nazism in Germany
The Nazi party led by Hitler, gained more and more votes in every election they had, as they promised to restore honour to the Germans. They pursued their political aims with aggressive propoganda and violence. Germany became a dictatorship ruled by the very strong Hitler and the Nazi Party. -
Hitler Appointed Chancellor of Germany
Germany's absence of an efficient government made several industrialists and businessmen convince president Paul von Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as chancellor. This made him the leader of the government, which gave him even more power, while also gaining the support of the Germans. -
*Germany Leaves League of Nations
It was clear that Hitler had many plans to continue his rule and make Germany powerful again. However, the League of Nations was standing in the way of these plans, and limiting Hitler's progress. To escape the limitations imposed on the country by the League, Germany withdrew itself from the League of Nations. This was a key event as it then allowed Germany to break free from anything holding it back. Hitler could now act out on any plans he had in mind to obtain more land and gain more power. -
*Hitler Named Führer
The "Law Concerning the Highest State Office of the Reich," stated that following president Hindenburg's death, the office of president would be ended and merged with the office of the chancellor- Hitler. This made Hitler head of state and head of government. With great power now in his hands, Hitler could now act on his plans. Being named führer gave him all of the attention he needed to finally be a dictator. -
*Violation of the Treaty of Versailles
Almost immediately after he became the Chancellor of Germany, Hitler began to secretly build up and strengthen Germany's army and their weapons. Later on, he led this army to invade the Rhineland, which was forbidden by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler's remilitarization of Germany's troops was important as it trained his army to be as powerful as they were. Hitler's acts that went against the Treaty were evident as the beginning to his misbehaviour. -
Italy Invades Abyssinia
Italy's leader, Mussolini, and his desire for an empire lead Italian armed forces to invade Abyssinia with the goal of obtaining it. This prompted the beginning of the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. -
Failure of Appeasement
When Neville Chamberlain became prime minister of Great Britain, he came to office with a plan to deal with Hitler. Working with France, the plan was one of appeasement, which gave Germany whatever she wished, in hopes of avoiding war. Hitler took advantage of this, and made several attacks without worrying about punishments. -
Germany Annexes Austria
Hitler accompanied German troops as they marched into Austria to annex the nation for the Third Reich. They were surprisingly greeted by enthusiastic crowds, as many of Austria's ethnic Germans wished to attach themselves with Germany, and more specifically, Hitler. -
Munich Agreement
Germany, Great Britain, France, Russia, and Italy met in Munich to discuss Hitler's request. He wanted German annexation of the Sudetenland in western Czechoslovakia. This proposal was allowed, as long as Hitler promised to not make any further territorial demands in Europe. -
Germany Invades Czechoslovakia
Just a couple months after the signing of the Munich Agreement, Hitler went against what he said, and invaded Czechoslovakia. He marched his troops into the area and occupied it easily, as the Czechs weren't strong enough to defend their land. -
The Pact of Steel
On May 22, 1939, Germany and Italy agreed to a military and political alliance. Hitler and Mussolini signed the Pact of Steel together, which was the start to the partnership between the two countries. With this, Hitler then had another strong power on his side, which gave him the confidence and encouragement to progress forward. -
Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
On this day, foreign ministers from Germany and the Soviet Union had a meeting in Moscow. This is when both Germany and the USSR signed the pact to agree to not attack each other. However, they kept secret the fact that both countries had also agreed to overrun the countries that lay between them. -
Germany Invades Poland
Hitler negotiated a nonaggression pact with the Soviet Union in August 1939. Their pact, which stated that Poland was to be split between the two powers, enabled Germany to attack Poland without the fear of Soviet intervention. So, the German army invaded Poland and defeated the Polish army within weeks. -
Britain and France Declare War
Once they had the belief that Poland was Hitler's next target to attack, Britain and France had promised to take military action against Hitler if he decided to do so. When he did, Britain and France kept their promise, and finally took action and declared war on Germany. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was a surprise air attack on the U.S. Naval Base by the Japanese navy. This attack led to the United States' entry into World War II.
