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Benito Mussolini and his Fascist Party staged a coup by marching to Rome, which pressured King Victor Emmanuel III to appoint Mussolini as Prime Minister of Italy. This marked the start of fascist rule in Italy.
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Adolf Hitler authored Mein Kampf while imprisoned for a failed coup. In it, he outlined his ideology, including anti-Semitism, Aryan supremacy, and expansionism. The book became a manifesto for Nazi beliefs.
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Japan invaded Manchuria to secure natural resources and expand its empire. The attack marked the beginning of aggressive Japanese imperialism and defiance of the League of Nations.
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The Soviet Union, under Stalin, imposed grain requisitions and collectivization policies that led to a man-made famine in Ukraine, killing millions. It aimed to suppress Ukrainian nationalism and resistance.
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President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Hitler as Chancellor, believing he could be controlled. This decision gave Hitler legitimate power and led to the dismantling of the Weimar Republic.
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Hitler ordered a purge of the SA (Stormtroopers) and political rivals to consolidate power and reassure the military. This helped secure his dictatorship.
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The Nuremberg Laws institutionalized racial discrimination, defining who was considered Jewish and stripping Jews of German citizenship and rights.
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Joseph Stalin initiated the Great Purge to eliminate dissent within the Communist Party, resulting in mass arrests, executions, and the establishment of a climate of fear in the Soviet Union.
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Japanese troops committed mass atrocities in Nanking, China, killing an estimated 300,000 civilians and prisoners of war. This event shocked the world and remains one of WWII’s worst war crimes.
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Nazi-led mobs attacked Jewish businesses, synagogues, and homes across Germany and Austria. This pogrom marked a significant escalation in Nazi anti-Jewish policy.