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Mussolini Takes Power in Italy
Benito Mussolini was in World War 1 and had alwayas dreamed of being the Prime Minister. With a march of Rome and getting 35 seats filled in the government he got power as a Prime Minister. -
U.S. Stock Market Crash
With poor distribution of wealth, credit dried up, consumer spending stopping, and unrealistic levels, all contributed to the Stock Market Crash. This eventually effected individuals, banks, businesses, and overseas. -
Japan Seizes Manchuria
Japan no longer wanted to rely on the United States for resources so they decided Manchuria was ideal for expansion. Manchuria was already fighting a Civil War between nationalist, communists, and warloads. -
FDR is Elected President
Franklin D. Roosevelt helped Americans keep faith in themselves and promised to bring prompt and vigorous action. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." -
Hitler is Named Chancellor of Germany
Hitler was swept into power as chancellor through shady backroom deal. Within two months the Nazi leader had killed Weimar democracy and set Germany to a role of dictorship. -
U.S. Neutrality Act
The United States Congress passed the Neutrality Acts in the 1930s in response to the growing turmoil in Europe and Asia that led to World War 2. Following the very costly involvement in World War 1, the US ensured that that they would not engage in foreign conflicts. -
Italy Invades Ethiopia
Italy invaded Ethiopia to boost Italian nationalism prestige, which was wounded by Ethiopia's defeat. Mussolini saw this as an opportonity to provide land for unemployed Italians. -
Hitler Defies the Treaty of Versailles
Hitler wanted to make Germany great and powerful again by defying the Treaty of Versallies. He grows his army larger, and takes back the Rhineland. -
France Militarizes the Rhineland
Intelligence revealed that thousands of French troops were gathering on the border but, did nothing. Hitler later said "The forty-eight hours after the march into the Rhineland were the most nerve-racking in my life. If the French had then marched into the Rhineland we would have had to withdraw with our tails between our legs, for the military resources at our disposal would have been wholly inadequate for even a moderate resistance." -
Civil War Erupts in Spain
The Spanish Civil War errupted in Morocco becasue of the military uprising of Spain. -
Japan Invades China
The Japanese turned a small incident into a full scale war, taking control of eastern China. -
Anschluss
Hitler took action to gain control of Austria, he had always dreamed of uniting all Germans and Austrians. Hitler tried to get Austria to agree to unite with Germany, but they refused so Hitler sent troops into Austria. -
Munich Conference
The major conference in Munich, Germany where the leaders of Italy,Germany, France, and Great Britain attended. Hitler demanded possession of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia where over three million Germans lived. -
Kristallnacht
A German word meaning broken glass. This was an event occuring the nights of November 9th and 10th when Hitlers Nazi's encouraged Germans to riot against Jews and nearly 100 Jews died. -
Nazi-Soviet Pact
This was an agreement between Russia and Germany that promised neither of them would attack the other for 10 years. It also said that Germany would exchange manufactured goods for Russias raw materials. This only lasted two years before Germany ended up invading Russia. -
Germany Invades Poland
After the invasion of Poland the British and French ambassadors in Berlin delivered messages to the German Foriegn Ministry saying that if Germany did not withdraw their troops would fulfill their obligations with Poland. Germany refused so France declared war, beginning World War 2. -
Churchill is Elected Prime Minister in England
Great Britain needed a strong,experienced leader to face up to Hitler and lead them through the coming years of war, Churchill was experienced from WW1. He had been speaking out and warning people about Hitler's intentions for years, but few were listening to his warnings so he was eventually elected as prime minster because of his experience. -
Phoney War
Germany started to invade Poland. In response, Britain and France declared war on Germany, even though there was no fighting. This was called the Phoney War because even though these nations were at war, for a long time they didnt even fight. -
Miracle at Dunkirk
The weather was too good for the Allies to evacuate Dunkirk, German planes would be able to fly and get the escaping men. The King of England asked the public to pray that the weather would change. All of a sudden fog grounded German planes allowing 330,000 men to evacuate safely. -
France Surrenders
The French Army was being defeated, and in many ways was being outclassed by German tactics and performance, and in some cases, superior weaponry. Also, their allies, the British, were defeated and retreating to Britain. -
Japan Seizes French Indo-China
The Japanese occupied French Indo in order to prevent the Republic of China from importing armed goods and fuel. -
Battle of Britian
The battle of Britian was Germanys attempt to gain control of the air over England so they could attack. This ended up being a huge turning point because it meant that Germany could not invade England with any hope of success until it had rebuilt its airforce, which never ended up happening. -
Lend- Lease Act
This was a program under which the United States supplied Great Britain, the USSR, Republic of China, France, and other Allied nations with materials for the war. -
Atlantic Charter
At the Atlantic Conference Britian and the United States were for the warships in a secure anchorage at Naval Station Argentia and was issued as a joint declaration. -
Attack on Pearl Harbor
Six Japanese aircraft carriers and other warships secretly left northern Japan and headed for Pearl Harbor, so the United States cuts off all oil exports to Japan. Japan then attacks pearl Harbor, with almost at the same time attacking two Philippine islands. This lead to Germany and Italy declaring war on the United States.
