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Stalin becomes dictator of USSR
Joseph Stalin was the dictator of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) from 1929 to 1953. Under Stalin, the Soviet Union was transformed from a poor society into an industrial and military superpower. But he ruled by terror, and millions of his own citizens died during his brutal reign. -
Mussolini’s March on Rome
The March on Rome was an organized mass demonstration in October 1922 which resulted in Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party ascending to power in the Kingdom of Italy. It marked the beginning of fascist rule and meant the end of the parliamentary regimes of socialists and liberals. It was meant to establish Mussolini and the Fascist Party. -
Hitler writes Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf is a 1925 autobiographical manifesto by Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler. It describes the process by which Hitler became antisemitic and outlines his political ideology and future plans for Germany. There are 2 volumes and it told of his plans for Germany. -
1st “Five year plan” in USSR
This plan was put in place by Joseph Stalin and concentrated on developing heavy industry and collectivizing agriculture but at the cost of a fall in consumer goods. It consisted of a series of nationwide economic plans. It also ended up yielding a 50% increase. -
Japan invades Manchuria
Japan invaded Manchuria without declarations of war, breaching the rules of the League of Nations. They turned to Manchuria for oil, rubber, and lumber in order to make up for the lack of resources in Japan. Japan had a highly developed industry, but the land was scarce of natural resources -
Holodomor
Holodomor was known as the Terror-Famine and killed millions of people. This drought was caused when the dictator replaced Ukraine's small farms with state-run collective and punish Ukrainians. Rustic plant disease was the cause of the famine. -
Hitler appointed chancellor of Germany
Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany following a series of electoral victories by the Nazi Party. He ruled absolutely until his death by suicide. This marked a big turning point for Germany because of Hitler's future plans. -
"Night of the Long Knives” in Germany
This event is known as a purge of Nazi leaders. Hitler ordered his elite SS guards to murder the organization's leaders because he feared that the paramilitary SA had become too powerful. The Night of the Long Knives represented a triumph for Hitler and a turning point for the German government. It established him as the supreme leader. -
Nuremburg Laws enacted
These are laws that institutionalized many of the racial theories prevalent in Nazi ideology. These laws set in place the political position related to Jewish citizens. It deprived Jews of rights. -
Italian invasion of Ethiopia
This was an armed conflict that resulted in Ethiopia's subjection to Italian rule. The aim of invading Ethiopia was to boost Italian national prestige. -
The Great Purge and Gulags
The Great Purge, also known as the “Great Terror,” was a brutal political campaign led by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin to eliminate members of the Communist Party and anyone else he considered a threat. The Gulag was a system of forced labor camps. These both boosted industrialization. -
Spanish Civil War
One primary cause of the Spanish Civil War was the failure of Spanish democracy. It was the bloodiest conflict western Europe had experienced since the end of World War I in 1918. It was the breeding ground for mass atrocities. -
The Rape of Nanking
The Japanese butchered an estimated 150,000 male war prisoners, massacred an additional 50,000 male civilians, and raped at least 20,000 women and girls of all ages, many of whom were mutilated or killed in the process. These were committed by Imperial Japanese troops. This was the seizure of Nanking -
Kristallnacht
Also called Night of Broken Glass, German Nazis attacked Jewish persons and property. The name Kristallnacht refers to the litter of broken glass left in the streets after these pogroms. Kristallnacht marks the first time that the police specifically extolled the extermination of Jews. -
Nazi Germany invades Poland
Germany invaded Poland to regain lost territory and rule their neighbor to the east. The German invasion of Poland was an example of how Hitler intended to wage war. This initiated World War II in Europe. -
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor
The Attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu. Japan intended the attack as a preventive action to keep the United States Pacific Fleet from interfering with its planned military actions. This was one of the most significant consequences.