-
The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, ending World War I and punishing Germany harshly. Leaders from the Allied powers attended this pivotal event. -
The League of Nations was officially formed on January 10, 1920, when the Treaty of Versailles took effect, establishing the first international organization aimed at preventing future wars. Its first meeting occurred shortly after in Geneva, Switzerland. -
On January 3, 1925, Benito Mussolini effectively became dictator of Italy after delivering a speech to parliament, taking responsibility for political violence and ending opposition. This solidified his fascist rule. -
The 1929 Wall Street Crash began on October 24, 1929, known as Black Thursday, when stock prices plummeted dramatically on the New York Stock Exchange, wiping out billions in value and triggering the Great Depression. Panic selling continued into the following days, with massive losses on October 28 and 29. -
On September 18, 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria in northeastern China following a staged railway explosion, leading to the creation of the puppet state Manchukuo and weakening the League of Nations. -
On January 30, 1933, Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany by President Paul von Hindenburg, enabling the Nazis to consolidate power and establish a dictatorship. -
On October 3, 1935, Italy invaded Abyssinia under Benito Mussolini, defying the League of Nations and marking a step toward World War II. -
On March 7, 1936, Germany reoccupied the Rhineland, violating the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Treaties, boosting Hitler's popularity and weakening European security. -
On March 12, 1938, Germany annexed Austria in the Anschluss, uniting the two German-speaking nations under Nazi control and further breaching post-World War I treaties. -
On September 30, 1938, Britain and France signed the Munich Agreement with Germany and Italy, allowing Germany to annex the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia in a failed attempt to appease Hitler. -
On March 15, 1939, Germany occupied the rest of Czechoslovakia, establishing the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and Slovakia as a puppet state, completing the dismemberment of the country. -
On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, triggering World War II as Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later.