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Mussolini Takes Power in Italy
Under the title Il Duce (Italian for The Leader), Mussolini turned Italy into a Fascist government. He influenced a variety of political figures, including Hitler. -
U.S. Stock Market Crashes
The stock market crash on a day known as "Black Tuesday" marked the start of the Great Depression. This event would not only hurt the U.S. economy, but cripple the German economy. The impact of Germany and other parts of Europe gave rise to dictators such as Hitler, who promised better lives. -
Japan Seizes Manchuria
The Kwantung Army of Japan invaded Manchuria of the Republic of China and they would remain until the end of WWII. It showed the start of Japan's quest for building an empire, and they withdrew from the League of Nations after the U.S. criticized them for it, -
Hitler Is Named Chancellor of Germany
By using the discontentment of the German people with the poor economic conditions and defeat in WWI, Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party was able to rise to power. This was a critical part in history, as one of the most dangerous men ever was ready to take the helm of his country. -
F.D.R. is Elected President
F.D.R. offered a change from Hoover, who many blamed for the Great Depression's problems. His efforts, especially those in the first 100 days helped the economy up until WWII. -
U.S. Neutrality Act
Against FDR's wishes, Congress passed an act to prevent the United States from being pulled into war. The U.S. would eventually provide supplies to Britain, and be pulled into war after the attack on Pearl Harbor. -
Italy Invades Ethiopia
Italy invading Ethiopia showed the weakness of the League of Nations because the League could not stop Italy or help Ethiopia. It signaled the start of the Italian Empire. -
Hitler Defies the Treaty of Versailles
By remilitarizing the Rhineland, Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles. He claimed that a French-Soviet Union agreement threatened them, so he began sending troops to occupy the zone. This signifies the start of Germany's military action. -
France Militarizes the Rhineland
Hearing of the German advance,thousands of French soldiers also approached the Franco-German border. Yet, they did not attack. If they had done so, Hitler''s army would have easily been defeated and the course of history would have changed completely. -
Civil War Erupts in Spain
Conflict between differing political views led to civil war that would end in 1939. The Facist dictator Francisco Franco came into power after the conflict, pleasing Germany and Italy. -
Japan Invades China
This marked the start of full-on war with China, even though some fighting had occured beforehand. The war would continue until 1945, when they surrendered at the end of WWII. -
Anschluss
To unite all ethnic Germans, Hitler sent troops into Austria to force them to unite with Germany. Even though it was popular with Austrians, Germany's other neighbors protested. -
Munich Conference
The conference's goal was to give Hitler Czechoslavakia's Sudetenland under the condition that Germany would not invade any other countries. Czechoslavakia was not represented in the conference, and this attempt at peace did not save the world from war. -
Kristallnacht
Meaning Night of Broken Glass, Kristallnacht marked the start of Hitler's Final Solution and Holocaust. 91 Jews were killed, 30,000 more were sent to concentration camps, and over 8,000 Jewish buildings were destroyed while police stood and watched. -
Nazi-Soviet Pact
This non-aggression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union promised that the countries would remain neutral if either were attacked by a third party. It ended when Germany invaded the Soviet Union. -
Germany Invades Poland
By claiming they had been attacked by Poland (they used a dead German criminal dressed in a Polish military uniform), Germany launched a massive invasion. Faced with blitzkrieg, Poland quickly fell by the end of the month. -
Phony War
Germany did not attack France during the winter of 1939-1940, marking a period of inactivity. Known as Sitzkrieg, the Germans did not attack because they were planning their invasion into France. -
Churchill is Elected Prim Minister
After the former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain resigned, Churchill became Prime Minister. He was an excellent leader during a tough time for Britian where defeat was not an option. -
Miracle at Dunkirk
Unable to stop the German assult, thousands of French SOldiers were stuck on the coast at Dunkirk. Aliied ships and civillian boats came to help, and the 340,000 rescued soldiers would play a major role in protecting Britain. -
France Surrenders
After Paris was seized by the German Army, France surrendered to Germany and Italy. An area of the country known as Vichy France was established and led by French officials who worked with Hitler. -
Battle of Britain
Standing alone against Hitler, Winston Churchill led the British courageously against the bombing raids on the country. The Royal Air Force with the help of radar were able to fight back so fiercely that Hitler called off the invasion. -
Japan Seizes French Indochina
In an attempt to stop China from resupplying itself with weapons and fuel, Japan invaded the region of French Indochina. -
Lend-Lease Act
Unable to be helped by the Cash-and-Carry Policy, Britain recieved aid through the Lend-Lease Act. It let the U.S. send supplies, even if Great Britain could not pay for them. -
Atlantic Charter
Meeting secretly on a ship near Canada, FDR and Churchill made an agreement that announced the common goals of the two countries in opposing Hitler and his allies. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Although suspicious of a Japanese attack, the U.S. was off guard when the Japanese began attacking the Pearl Harbor Navy base. The destruction was unimaginable, yet the Navy was only crippled and the events could have been a lot worse.
