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Mussolini’s March on Rome
It was the threat by Benito Mussolini and his followers in 1922 to take over the Italian government in a military convergence on Rome. Victor Emmanuel III did not even fight back. In order to avoid a possible civil war, he legally gave Mussolini dictatorial authority. -
Stalin becomes dictator of USSR
Stalin repressed all of Lenin's criticism of him. Stalin eliminated his competitors for control of the Soviet Union. Stalin also was Lenin's successor. -
Hitler writes Mein Kampf
It was written during Hitler's time as a political prisoner in Munich. Mein Kampf translates to "My Struggle", and explains Hitlers thoughts, ideologies, and philosophies. -
1st “five year plan” in USSR
Stalin's plan was to make the Soviet Union into an industrial and military powerhouse. Stalin believed that the Soviet Union had to build up their industry so it could defend itself from attacks by countries in the west. Stalin wanted the Soviet Union to be a modern industrial country -
Japan invades Manchuria
Japan had invaded Manchuria without declaring war. Japan had a highly developed industry, but the land was limited of natural resources. Japan turned to Manchuria for oil, rubber, and lumber in order to make up for the lack of resources in Japan. -
Holodomor
Millions of Ukrainians were killed in the Holodomor, a man-made famine made by the Soviet government of Joseph Stalin. He felt threatened by Ukraine's strengthening cultural freedom, Stalin then took actions to destroy the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian intellectual and cultural elites to prevent them from seeking independence for Ukraine. -
Hitler appointed chancellor of Germany
He was chosen by Hindenburg in an effort to quell the communists and keep things under control. Hitler was quite popular and Hindenburg thought that he could be trusted and would win over the public. -
“Night of the Long Knives” in Germany
In Germany, Hitler orders the removal of his own political party, by assassinating hundreds of Nazis who he believed had the potential to become political enemies in the future. -
Nuremberg Laws enacted
These laws ordered many of the racial theories underpinning Nazi philosophy and provided the legal structure for the systematic oppression of Jews in Germany. The Nuremberg Race Laws did not identify a “Jew” as someone with particular religious convictions but instead as someone with three or four Jewish grandparents. -
Italian invasion of Ethiopia
Mussolini claimed that his policies of expansion were not different from that of other colonial powers in Africa. The aim of invading Ethiopia was to boost Italian national prestige. Mussolini saw it as an opportunity to provide land for unemployed Italians and also acquire more mineral resources to fight off the effects of the Great Depression. -
The Great Purge and gulags
The Gulag was a system of forced labor camps established during Stalin´s reign. The Great Purge, also known as the “Great Terror,” was a brutal political campaign led by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin to eliminate dissenting members of the Communist Party and anyone else he considered a threat. -
Spanish civil war
The main cause of the Spanish Civil War was the failure of Spanish democracy. This was because there was a refusal by the Spanish parties and groups to compromise and respect democratic norms. -
The Rape of Nanking
To break the spirit of Chinese resistance. Japanese Army began its taking of Nanjing. Japanese troops killed remnant Chinese soldiers in violation of the laws of war, murdered Chinese civilians, raped Chinese women, and destroyed or stole Chinese property. -
Kristallnacht
Nazi leaders unleashed a series of massacres against the Jewish population in Germany and recently incorporated territories. The vandalism and destruction of Jewish-owned businesses, synagogues, and homes. -
Nazi Germany invades Poland.
Germany invades Poland, initiating World War II in Europe. German forces broke through Polish defenses along the border and quickly advanced on Warsaw, the Polish capital. -
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor
A Japanese dive bomber appeared out of the clouds above the island of Oahu. A swarm of Japanese warplanes followed, descending on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in a violent assault. The surprise attack struck a critical blow against the U.S. Pacific fleet and got the US into WW2.