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Mussolini’s March on Rome
Mussolini, the founder of the Fascist Party, decided he wanted to overthrow the Italian government. His plan to take power was called "March on Rome." When Mussolini met with the Italian king, he gave Mussolini all of his power. Mussolini then led his followers into Rome for a celebration. -
Stalin Becomes Dictator of USSR
Stalin became the dictator of the USSR after the death of Vladimir Lenin. Stalin was often seen as a cruel leader and turned the USSR into a totalitarian government in which he had all the power. Unlike Lenin, Stalin was a dictator for almost 30 years. -
Hitler Writes Mein Kampf
After being sent to prison in 1923, Adolf Hilter wrote the book "Mein Kampf." The book represents his political views and the outlines of the Nazi party. Also, in the book, Hilter shows early hate for Jews, which, with time, rose and led to the deaths of over six million Jews. -
1st “Five Year Plan” in USSR
During the First World War, Russia found that they were behind many other countries in technology. This led Stalin to enact the first "Five Year Plan." The plan aims to industrialize as rapidly as possible to compete with other world powers. The innovations from this rapid innovation were tremendous, as they saw some areas of production double, like oil and steel. -
Japan Invades Manchuria
Being low in resources in Japan, they relied heavily on trade. So when a series of Tariffs were placed in other countries, Japan needed a way to fund its military. Their solution was to bomb their own railway and blame it on the Chinese. This gave the people's support to invade, even though the government opposed it. The government now had less power than its military. -
Holodomor Begins
Holodomor was a man-made famine by the USSR to take action against rebelling Ukrainians. Since many Ukrainians did not support the collectivization of farmland, Stalin became worried and made a series of decisions leading to a famine. The famine lasted two years and killed approximately 3.9 million, showing how ruthless the USSR was. -
Hitler Appointed Chancellor of Germany
With a series of bad events occurring in Germany, Hitler began to gain a lot of support, as they were seeking a strong leader. The Germans thought Adolf was the man they were looking for, so in 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany, the most powerful post in the German government. This allowed Hitler to make important decisions and eventually take over. -
“Night of the Long Knives”
Hilter had gained much support from the people and was a dictator, but he wanted more; he wanted total domination. Because of this, in the "Night of the Long Knives," Nazi leaders who opposed Hitler were killed. These actions led to Hitler gaining total control over Germany without anyone rivaling his claims. -
Nuremberg Laws Enacted
The Nuremberg Laws were laws enacted by the Nazi Party to limit the rights of Jews in Germany. These laws stripped Jews of their citizenship and segregated them from Germans. This was one of Hitler's first actions to remove fundamental human rights from the Jewish people. -
Italian invasion of Ethiopia
With Italy wanting to be a powerful nation, Mussolini sought an easy target to attack. He chose Ethiopia, as they lacked the military and were surrounded by Italian colonies. The leader of Ethiopia begged for the League of Nations to step in, but no one took action. These events showed how little power the League of Nations truly had. -
The Great Purge Begins
Even though Stalin was in the highest power, he was frightened that people were plotting against him. His solution to this was to eliminate anyone who opposed his rule. He would either kill them or send them to the Gulag. This period known as "The Great Purge," lasted until 1938 and helped Stalin take total control over the nation. This purge showed that Stalin was not for the people but wanted power for himself. -
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War was a military revolt against the Republican government in Spain. Many other countries, including Germany, Italy, and the USSR, joined this civil war. The war lasted for three years, and about 500,000 people were killed. This war was significant, as it allowed for Germany and Italy to test their military power. -
Anti-Comintern Pact
The Anti-Comintern Pact was an agreement between Germany, Japan, and later Italy to fight the spread of Communism. The document stated that if one of the nations was attacked by the Soviet Union, the others were required to provide aid to the war. This treaty built allies for the upcoming World War II. -
The Rape of Nanking
The Rape of Nanking, also known as the Nanjing Massacre, was a violent rampage by Japan after they captured the city of Nanjing. In the rampage, over 100,000 Chinese men, women, and children were murdered. Since they were not listening to their own government, no one could stop them from committing these crimes. This showed that Japan's military had taken over and the government had little to no control. -
Kristallnacht
Due to Hitler's propaganda blaming the Jewish community for economic issues, a large number of people harbored resentment towards them. This led to the Kristallnacht, or "The Night of Broken Glass." Riots were held for two nights, where thousands of Jewish businesses and places of worship were destroyed. These events showed the antisemitic views rising, something that would worsen in the future.