-
Benito Mussolini creates the fascist party
-
Great Depression hits Germany the hardest because of the statements in the Treaty of Versailles.
-
Hitler dominates German Reichstag and is elected Chancellor of Germany.
-
Hitler publicly denounces Versailles, begins to re-arm Germany
-
Italy conquers Ethiopia; Ethiopians look to League of Nations for help, but nations were too distracted by the Great Depression
-
Germany & Italy form military alliance due to common interests: • dominating Europe and establishing large empires • destruction of Soviet communism
-
• German military occupation of the Rhineland • Hitler’s “dream”: to unite all German speaking peoples in Europe in 1 country
-
o Hitler wanted Sudetenland: German-speaking area of Czechoslovakia (3 mil ethnic Germans) o France & Britain (led by UK prime minister Neville Chamberlain) meet w Hitler in Munich, Germany o 1938: Munich Pact awards Hitler the Sudetenland (& control over most of Czech economy) In exchange Hitler says he’ll stop taking over land o Chamberlain: we achieved “piece in our time”
-
annexation of Austria in 1938 (Austria gave in to avoid war)
-
• September 1,1939: Adolf Hitler invades Poland and break Munich Pact • Hitler’s “justification” invading Poland would give Germany “extra living space” • France & Britain declare war on Germany, Italy declares war on Britain & France, and WWII is in full swing
