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The signing of the Treaty of Versailles
On November 11, 1918, Germany formally surrendered from WWI, triggering the agreement of all nations to stop fighting. The Treaty of Versailles was signed by Germany and the allied nations formally putting an end to the war. -
Establishment of the League of Nations
As a result of the Paris Peace conference which helped end WWI, the League of Nations was founded as an intergovernmental organization whose main mission was to maintain world peace and prevent another world war from breaking out. -
Benito Mussolini takes power in Italy
Italy was stricken with political chaos and Mussolini claimed that he was the only one who was able to restore their nation. He was given authority as prime minister and eventually dismissed all democratic principles in Italy, making himself the dictator. -
The Stock Market crashes in the USA
When the New York Stock Exchange crashed, it acted as an catalyst towards the hardest time of the Great Depression. By 1933, nearly half of America's banks failed and unemployment rates were approaching nearly 30% of the workforce. -
Japan invades Manchuria
Manchuria was prosperous with natural resources and had a low population so Japan was just waiting for an excuse to invade and take advantage of the land. In September of 1931, Japan claimed china responsible for the Mukden Incident which they had staged themselves, giving them the excuse they needed to invade. -
Hitler is appointed the Chancellor of Germany
This event could be considered to be the end of Hitler's rise to power because being appointed chancellor virtually assured that he would be able to exercise dictatorial power without legality issues. -
Italy invades Abyssinia
The league of nations made the attempt to interfere with Italy and called for economic sanctions. Italy then chose to quit from the League of Nations, making special deals with Britain and France to establish control of Ethiopia. Fascist Italy moved closer to an alliance with Nazi Germany, completely discrediting the League of Nations, and invaded Abyssinia, further disturbing the peace. -
Germany reoccupies the Rhineland
Nazi leader, Hitler, made the decision to send german troops into to the demilitarized zone along the Rhine River, signifying a direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles. -
Germany's Anschluss with Austria
Nazi Germany's power continued to grow when german troops were sent into Austria, announcing an Anschluss or union between the countries, effectively annexing the smaller nation into a greater Germany. -
Munich Agreement
This settlement between France and Nazi Germany that France would not defend Czechoslovakia as Germany attempted to take over parts of their land, referred to as "Sudetenland", effectively going against the French - Czechoslovak alliance. -
Germany occupies Czechoslovakia
After the occupation of the Sudetenland(border areas of Czechoslovakia), under the terms of the Munich Agreement, the nation was left weak. Nazi Germany was power hungry and saw the opportunity to occupy the rest of Czechoslovakia and executed their plan with ease. -
Germany invades Poland
Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, and soon after, the Soviets invaded Poland. In early October of 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union divided and annexed all of Poland under terms outlined in the German-Soviet Frontier Treaty. This event marks the beginning of the second World War.
