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Mussolini’s March on Rome
The March marked the beginning of fascist rule and meant the doom of the preceding parliamentary regimes of socialists and liberals. Also resulted in Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party (PNF) ascending to power in the Kingdom of Italy. -
Hitler writes Mein Kampf
Autobiographical manifesto by Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler. The work describes the process by which Hitler became antisemitic and outlines his political ideology and future plans for Germany. -
First "five year plan" in USSR
The first "five-year plan" was created in order to initiate rapid and large-scale industrialization. Implemented by Joseph Stalin, it concentrated on developing heavy industry and collectivizing agriculture, at the cost of a drastic fall in consumer goods. -
Stalin becomes dictator of USSR
Under Stalin, the Soviet Union was transformed from a "peasant society" into an industrial and military superpower. He ruled by terror, and millions of his own citizens died during his brutal reign. -
Japan invades Manchuria
Seeking raw materials to fuel its growing industries, Japan invaded the Chinese province of Manchuria in 1931. By 1937 Japan controlled large sections of China, and war crimes against the Chinese became commonplace. -
Holodomor
Holodomor was a famine in Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933 that killed millions of Ukrainians. Causes of the famine Collectivization led to a drop in production, the disorganization of the rural economy, and food shortages. It also sparked a series of peasant rebellions, including armed uprisings, in some parts of Ukraine. The result of Stalin's policies was Holodomor. -
Hitler appointed chancellor of Germany
This marked a crucial turning point for Germany and, ultimately, for the world. His plan, embraced by much of the German population, was to do away with politics and make Germany a powerful, unified one-party state. The Depression was the main reason that Hitler became Chancellor. -
“Night of the Long Knives” in Germany
The Night of the Long Knives represented a triumph for Hitler and a turning point for the German government. It established Hitler as "the supreme leader of the German people" This destroyed all opposition to Hitler within the Nazi Party and gave power to the brutal SS. It also showed the rest of the world what a tyrant Hitler was. This removed any internal Nazi Party opposition to Hitler. -
Nuremberg Laws Enacted
Antisemitic and racist laws were enacted in Nazi Germany at a special meeting of the Reichstag convened during the annual Nuremberg Rally of the Nazi Party. -
Italian invasion of Ethiopia
A war of aggression was fought between Italy and Ethiopia. The aim of invading Ethiopia was to boost Italian national prestige, which was wounded by Ethiopia's defeat of Italian forces at the Battle of Adowa in the nineteenth century, which saved Ethiopia from Italian colonization. -
The Great Purges and Gulags
Stalin used his secret police to spy on the people who disagreed with him. Then the police would arrest them and sent them to labor camps in Siberia or kill them. The Gulag was a system of Soviet labor camps and accompanying detention and transit camps and prisons. -
Spanish Civil War
Military revolt against the Republican government of Spain, supported by conservative elements within the country. When an initial military coup failed to win control of the entire country, a bloody civil war ensued, fought with great ferocity on both sides. -
The Rape of Nanking
The mass murder of Chinese civilians in Nanjing, the capital of the Republic of China, immediately after the Battle of Nanjing in the Second Sino-Japanese War, by the Imperial Japanese Army. It lasted 6 weeks. -
Kristallnacht
A pogrom against Jews was carried out by the Nazi Party's Sturmabteilung paramilitary forces along with civilians throughout Nazi Germany. The German authorities looked on without intervening. -
Nazi Germany Invades Poland
An attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union marked the beginning of World War II. Germany invaded Poland to regain lost territory and ultimately rule their neighbor to the east. -
Japan bombs Pearl Harbor
A surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base. Japan decided to attack the U.S Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, hoping that the U.S would negotiate peace.