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Period: to
5-Year Plans
Stalin 5-Year Plans led to massive famine, but industrialization - a prime wartime environment. The weapons were made, and the factories were built, thereby able to sustain a prolonged war in terms of machinery. The 5 -year plans caused unrest in the populace, making a war seem all the more ideal. -
Kellogg-Briand Pact
This pact, renouncing war as an instrument of national policy and to settle all international disputes by peaceful means, was inneffective, and therefore did not move the world towards war or peace. It was inneffective due to the treaty’s failure to establish a means of enforcement. -
US passes the first Neutrality Act
The first Neutrality act led towards war because it let the big military countries like Italy have their way with smaller countries. With America's neutrality, there was no hesitance when Germany decided it wanted to take over Europe. -
Great Depression Begins:
The Great Depression is a slight step towards peace. This caused countries to be focused on themselves and their economy. (can lead to war as well, through well-spoken leaders taking advantage of a desperate people) -
Construction of the Maginot Line Begins
The construction of the Maginot Line did not lead to war or peace, however it did show the fear of the French government. -
Manchuria Incident
Japanese staged this incident as a pretext to invasion of northern China. Japan's motives were purely imperialistic and war focused. -
World Disarmament Conference
This conference did not lead to peace as was intended, rather more towards war. During this conference intended for a multilateral pacifism, Germany could not see why he could not have equal armaments as other countries. France thought that it was necessary for Germany to be severely limited in armaments. -
Hitler appointed Chancellor of Weimar Republic
Hitler's Chencellorship led to war because he was given power, a power he used to eventualy start and support his war. -
Stressa Front:
This was an alliance by France, Italy and Britain to oppose German rearmament. It failed, and Germany continued making arms while Benito Mussolini had another chance to spread fascist propaganda through Italy. -
Anglo-German Naval Agreement:
This agreement was a step towards peace because this was an agreement between London and Berlin in order to reach better relations. -
Mussolini Invades Abyssinia
Establishing Italian East Africa, Mussolini invades Ethiopia, which gave Italy prime position in case of war. Thus, this invasion fuels war. -
Re-occupation of the Rhineland:
This act violated the Treaty of Versailles and allowed German militarization. Thus, the war effort was supported with this act. -
The Great Purge:
This was a slight step towards war because of the mainly domestic trials and persecutions successfully eliminating the major real and potential political rivals and critics of Stalin. -
Spanish Civil War
This domestic unrest got the attention of Germany and Italy. There support had clear motives behind it, making this event a slight step towards war. -
Anti-Comintern Pact:
This Agreement between Germany, Japan and later Italy fueled the war cause because it unified these axis powers in a common enemy - Russia. -
Marco Polo Bridge Incident
This step to war was a conflict between Chinese and Japanese troops near the Marco Polo Bridge outside Beijing, which developed into the warfare between the two countries that was the prelude to the Second Sino Japanese War, the Pacific side of World War II. -
Hössbach Memorandum
This summary of a meeting Hitler had, outlined Hitler's plan for future expansionist policies. This not only led to war by creating tension amongst Germany's surrounding countries, but helped Hitler gain military man-power. -
"Rape” of Nanking:
Japanese massacre the city of Nanking, raping almost 80,000 women. This violence increased the Chinese peoples resentment of Japan, but also desensitized there soldiers and leaders allowing for more aggregious war acts to occur, which was a step towards war. -
Anschluss
The Anschluss was when Germany annexed Austria. Controlling Austria gave them good position to take over Czechoslovakia, which Hitler did promptly. -
Munich Crisis
This was a failed attempt to appease Germany and their territorial demands, ultimately resulting in war due to Hitler's imperialistic thinking. -
German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact:
This Nonaggression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union that was concluded only a few days before the beginning of World War II anddivided eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence.This was a step towards war. -
Invasion of Poland:
This was the beginning of the war where German forces, and later Red forces invaded and took over Poland, who was offered little help. War, now, was inevitable.