Causes of World War II

Mussolini becomes leader

Oct 31, 1922

Mussolini took over Italy as the leader of the fascist party. His title was Il Duce.

The Great Depression

Oct 29, 1929

The Great Depression affected all countries around the world. People went bankrupt and it didn't end until after FDR was elected.

Japan invades Manchuria

Sep 19, 1931

Japan invaded Manchuria for iron and coal. This violated the League of Nations.

Hitler becomes leader of Germany

Aug 19, 1934

Hitler took over the Nazi Party then he became President of Germany. His title was der Fuhrer.

Hitler begins to build military

Jul 11, 1935

Hitler announced he was going to rebuild his military even though it violated the Treaty of Versailles.

Italy attacks Ethiopia

Oct 3, 1935

Mussolini attacked Ethiopia and defeated them because they had outdated weapons.

Invasion of the Rhineland

Mar 7, 1936

Even though he was not supposed to, Hitler invaded the Rhineland. This was the first thing he did to defy the Treaty of Versailles.

British urge appeasement

Mar 8, 1936

This was the way that Britain wanted to keep the peace. They thought if they let Hitler have his way then they could avoid war.

Japan invades China

Jul 7, 1937

Japan invaded China and killed thousands of Chinese.

Germany annexed Austria

Mar 12, 1938

Germany took over Austria but that was ok with most Austrian people. It became a part of the German empire.

Munich Conference

Sep 30, 1938

Great Britain, France, and Germany met at the Munich Conference to talk about Czechoslovakia. They told Hitler he could have the Sudetenland but not Czechoslovakia.

Germany seizes the Sudetenland

Oct 10, 1938

Germany took over the Sudetenland after the Munich Conference was over. This upset Czechoslovakia because it showed that Hitler was getting away with anything.

Germany annexed Czechoslovakia

Mar 15, 1939

Hitler annexed Czechoslovakia six months after he told Britain and France that he wouldn't.

Axis Powers formed

May 22, 1939

Germany, Italy, and Japan all signed an agreement to be allies.

Non-aggression pact

Aug 23, 1939

Hitler and Stalin signed a non-aggression pact. This didn't mean they were allies, but meant they wouldn't fight each other.

Invasion of Poland

Sep 1, 1939

Video of the invasion of Poland
Hitler invaded Poland on this date. He used his strategy called blitzkrieg to take over. This was the last straw for Britain and France.

Great Britain and France declares war on Germany

Sep 3, 1939

When Germany attacked Poland, Great Britain and France decided to declare war.

U.S. cuts off oil shipments to Japan

Jul 26, 1941

Because Japan invaded Manchuria and China, the U.S. cut off their oil shipments and this angered them.

Pearl Harbor attacked

Dec 7, 1941

Video of the Pearl Harbor attack
The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. They attacked because the United States was a threat to them. After the attack, we declared war on them.