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Germany Surrenders: Treaty of Versailles
The treaty forced Germany to concede territories to Belgium, Czechoslovakia, and Poland. The Germans returned Alsace and Lorraine, annexed in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian War, to France. All German overseas colonies became League of Nation Mandates, and the city of Danzig, with its large ethnically German population, became a Free City. The treaty demanded demilitarization and occupation of the Rhineland. -
Nazi Party is formed
Anton Drexler, Gottfried Feder and Dietrich Eckart formed the German Worker's Party (GPW) in Munich. -
Mein Kampf is written
Mein Kampf means "my struggle". The book talked about Germany’s future and plans to take over Europe, the arian race, and the Jews. -
Beer Hall Putsch
It was a failed attempt at revolution that occurred between the evening of 8 November and the early afternoon of 9 November 1923. -
Hitler is tried for Treason
The trial of Adolf Hitler for high treason after the Beer Hall Putsch was not the end of Hitler's political career as many had expected. In many ways marked the true beginning. Overnight, Hitler became a nationally and internationally known figure due to massive press coverage. -
Stock Market Crash
The stock market crash ushered in the Great Depression. -
Hitler voted Chancellor of Germany
People did not like Hitler gaining power in the Nazi party so to weaken Hitler's position, they formed an alliance with a group of socialists from Augsburg. Hitler then rushed back to Munich and countered them by announcing his resignation from the Party on July 11, 1921. They realized the loss of Hitler would effectively mean the end of the Nazi Party. The party members voted him back in with only one vote against and 543 for him. -
The Reichstag building burns
This German parliament building burt down due to arson. The government falsely accused the communists of burning it down as an act to overthrow the state. -
Nazis elected to Reichstag
Polling 44 percent of the votes, the Nazis won 288 seats in the Reichstag. With the support of their conservative nationalist allies, who held 52 seats, the Nazis controlled a majority of the 647 member Reichstag. The Nazi majority was even more substantial, since none of the 81 Communist deputies were allowed to take their seats. -
Hitler becomes leader of the Nazi Party
The Reichstag passed a law allowing him to rule by decree without even the need for the President's signature. -
Hitler becomes dictator of Germany
He now banned all political parties except his own and also banned all trade unions and then it began. -
Hitler fights in the First World War
Hitler ordered the annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland in 1938. Hitler's army invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, sparking France and England to declare war on Germany.
