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Treaty of Versailles signed
Treaty of Versailles is a peace treaty signed by Allied power and Germany as a result of the Paris Peace Conference on June 28, 1919. Germany was blamed for WW1. Therefore, they were forced to return all colonies, limit the size of the military and pay war reparations. -
Stalin becomes leader of the Soviet Union
Joseph Stalin(1878-1953) was Georgian revolutionary and Soviet politician. He is a Communist revolutionist and also a Labour activist. He served as the general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1952. -
Mussolini becomes leader of Italy
Benito Mussolini(1883-1945) was an Italian political leader who ruled Italy from 1925 to 1945. He created the National Facist Party. From 1925, he remained his position as a Prime Minister by dictatorship. -
Hitler's Munich Putsch
Munich Putsch, also known as Beer Ball Putsch was an attempted coup by Adolf Hitler of the Nazi Party. They had a grievance towards Weimar Republic which failed to control Germany's economic collapse after the Treaty of Versailles. He was sentenced to five years in prison; however he actually served only 9 months -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht, also known as Night of Broken Glass was a pogram against Jews by SA paramilitary forces and civilians throughout Nazi Germany on 9–10 November 1938. They invaded synagogues, schools and homes of Jews. More than 91 people are estimated dead and about 30,000 have been taken to the concentration camps. -
Japan invades Manchuria
Manchuria seized by the Kwangtung Army. The war lasted five months and ended with a victory for Japan. As a result, Japan founded the puppet state of manchukuo, Also, Japan had to leave the League of Nations because of this. -
The Reichstag Fire
Reichstag is a parliament building in Berlin. It was set on fire by Dutch council comunist 'Marinus van der Lubbe'. The Nazi party blamed the fire on communist activists. For the Nazis, this was a point that changed public opinion and took over dictatorship. -
First concentration camp opens in Germany
First concentration camp in Germany is Dachau Camp located in Southern Germany. The camp was used to accommodate innocent Jews and physically and mentally disabled people as well as prisoners. -
Hitler becomes Fuhrer of Germany
After the death of German former President Paul von Hindenburg, Chancellor Adolf Hitler became official absolute dictator of Germany. Fuhrer is a German word for leader. -
The Reichstag passes the Nuremberg Laws
The Nuremberg Laws were antisemitic and racist laws in Nazi Germany. First was a law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honour which banned marriage between Jews and Germans. and the Reich Citizenship Law, which only allows Germans were eligible to be Reich citizens. -
Italy invaded Ethiopia
Italy invaded Ethiopia to wash away the shame of defeat by Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) at the Battle of Adowa in the nineteenth century. The war lasted for a year and a half and ended with Italy's victory. Italy colonized Ethiopia for 5 years after the war -
Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy form the Rome-Berlin Axis Treaty
Rome-Berlin Axis was a coalition between two fascist countries. Soon they created Axis Power between Germany, Italy, and Japan that opposed the Allied powers in World War II. -
Hitler re-arms (sends troops into) the Rhineland
According to the Versailles Treaty signed in 1919, Rhineland was to be demilitarized. Sixteen years later, however, Hitler broke the treaty's military provisions and began re-arming the Rhineland. -
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Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War was a civil war between nationalists and Republican governments to take control of the country. Nationalist forces received weapons, soldiers and air support from Italy and Nazi Germany, while Republicans received support from the Soviet Union and Mexico. -
Japan commits the “Rape of Nanjing”
The massacre took place over a six-week period that began on the day Japan occupied Nanjing, China. More than 200,000 Chinese are estimated to have died in the incident. It is estimated that 20,000 women, including children and the elderly, were raped. -
Germany & Austria join in the “Anschluss”
Hitler wanted all German-speakers in Europe to be united into one Germany. Many of Austria's population spoke German. The German-Australian alliance was banned by the Treaty of Versailles, but Hitler nevertheless executed it. -
Munich Conference grants Hitler control of the Sudetenland
The Munich Conference allows Germany to merge with Sudetenland in western Slovakia. It was settled by Germany, Britain, France and Italy. Germany wanted to occupy Sudetenland where about 3 million people were German-born. -
Hitler sends troops into Czechoslovakia to annex the whole country
Germany's merger with Sudetenland weakened the rest of Czech Slovakia and left it powerless to resist subsequent occupation. Hitler threatened to bomb Prague if the German army failed to gain free access to the Czech border. Hitler proclaimed the 'Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia'. -
Hitler & Stalin announce the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact was used by Adolf Hitler to make sure Germany was able to invade Poland without opposition. Also, Stalin used the Pact to gain time to build up the Soviet military. However, the Pact fell apart in June 1941, when Nazi forces invaded the Soviet Union. -
Hitler/Nazis invade Poland
About 1.5 million German troops invaded Poland. Adolf Hitler said the invasion was just a defensive act, but Britain and France did not accept it. Two days later, on September 3, they began World War II.
