The Interwar Years

  • Treaty of Versailles

    Treaty of Versailles
    the treaty of Versailles ended WW1 and blamed everything solely on Germany
  • The First Meeting of the League of Nations

     The First Meeting of the League of Nations
    the league of nations meets for the first time in Switzerland,The US did not attend, the Senate having voted against joining the League in November 1919.
  • The Washington Conference is Held

    The Washington Conference is Held
    The
    United States, Britain, France,
    Japan and Italy meet and
    agree to limit naval power
    signing the Four Powers Pact.
  • Benito Mussolini is Made Italian Premier

     Benito Mussolini is Made Italian Premier
    Benito Mussolini
    calls on fascist black shirts to
    “march” on Rome. Responding
    to fascist pressure, King Victor
    Emmanuel III summons
    Mussolini to Rome and
    appoints him Premier.
  • The Beer Hall Putsch

    The Beer Hall Putsch
    Adolf Hitler and General Ludendorf lead a small contingent of followers in an attempt at rebellion, for which Hitler is imprisoned for two years.
  • Vladimir Lenin Dies

    Vladimir Lenin Dies
    Lenin's death leaves some question as to who will be his successor. Joseph Stalin eventually beats out Leon Trotsky to take control of the Soviet government.
  • The Cartel des Gauches wins the French Election

     The Cartel des Gauches wins the French Election
    The Cartel displaces the ruling Bloc National, in a marked victory for the left, but proves unable to govern effectively.
  • The German Chamber of Deputies Accepts the Dawes Plan

     The German Chamber of Deputies Accepts the Dawes Plan
    The Dawes Plan restructures the schedule of German reparations payments to reduce the amount of annual payments, and grants Germany a large loan.
  • The Locarno Pacts are Signed

    The Locarno Pacts are Signed
    The Locarno Pacts are signed in efforts to stabilize relations with Germany and its neighbors. The pacts usher in a period of peace and prosperity.
  • Joseph Pilsudski Becomes Virtual Dictator in Poland

     Joseph Pilsudski Becomes Virtual Dictator in Poland
    Pilsudski maintains this position until his death in May 1935
  • The Samuel Commission in England Releases Its Report on Coal Mining

    The Samuel Commission in England Releases Its Report on Coal Mining
    The Samuel Commission, under the Conservative government, releases a report which advises wage cuts for miners. The Triple Alliance responds by striking, which is emulated by many other industries in England to protest he Conservative government's policies.
  • The Spanish Monarchy is Overthrown and The Republic Is Born

    The Spanish Monarchy is Overthrown and The Republic Is Born
    A provisional government is established to take Spain from monarchy to republicanism.
  • The final League of Nations Disarmament Conference is Held

    The final League of Nations Disarmament Conference is Held
    The last major League of Nations-sponsored disarmament conference meets from February to July 1932 at Geneva, with 60 nations in attendance, including the United States
    FAILED
  • Hitler is Appointed Chancellor of Germany

     Hitler is Appointed Chancellor of Germany
    In an attempt to reel in the chaos of the German government, President Paul von Hindenburg declares Hitler chancellor, the first major step in Hitler's ascent to dictatorship.
  • The German Reichstag Passes the Enabling Act

    The German Reichstag Passes the Enabling Act
    The Enabling Act gives Hitler the power to issue decrees with the status of law.
  • Leon Blum's Popular Front Government Comes to Power in France

    Leon Blum's Popular Front Government Comes to Power in France
    The Popular Front, a leftist party, institutes social legislation and allows wide public participation in the government, but ultimately fails to curtail the depreciating economy.
  • The Spanish Nationalists Begin the Spanish Civil War

     The Spanish Nationalists Begin the Spanish Civil War
    Generals Goded, Mola, and Francisco Franco lead troops in rebellion against the republic, sparking the Spanish Civil War.
  • Spanish Nationalists Bomb Guernica

     Spanish Nationalists Bomb Guernica
    The small northern town of Guernica is bombed, and civilians are gunned down as they flee the scene. In this brutal massacre 1500 die and 800 are wounded, but the military targets in the town remain intact.
  • The Munich Pact is Signed

     The Munich Pact is Signed
    Britain and France appease Hitler by signing the Munich Pact, which grants Hitler control of the Czech Sudetenland.
  • The Spanish Civil War Ends

    The Spanish Civil War Ends
    Madrid falls to Francisco Franco's forces, effectively ending the Spanish Civil War. Franco's oppressive dictatorship begins.
  • Britain and France Declare War on Germany

     Britain and France Declare War on Germany
    In response to Hitler's continued aggression in Eastern Europe, Britain and France go to war with Germany in an attempt to stop Hitler's bid for total power of the world.