-
Mussolini's Rise to Power and Fascism
Mussolini and his newly formed group of Fighting Bands (aka Fascists) marched to Rome where he ended up forming a new government. With the help of his Fascist party, he became an effective dictator and declared Italy a Fascist state in 1925.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mussolini-founds-the-fascist-party -
Japanese Invasion of Manchuria
The Japanese invaded China in 1931 after finding the raw materials they needed to fuel their industries. By 1937, the Japanese controlled much of China. In 1939, Japanese and Soviet Union armies clashed with each other near the Khalkin Gol river in Manchuria. The battle lasted 4 months and resulted in the Japaneses' defeat. The relations between the US and Japan worsened after these events, as the US criticized the Japanese for their aggression.
https://www.trumanlibrary.org/dbq/manchuria.php -
Germany’s Rearmament
In March of 1935, Hitler announced that he would rearm Germany, which was a violation of the Treaty of Versailles on Germany's part. After Hitler revealed his plans for rearming Germany, Britain, France, Italy, and the League of Nations issued statements condemning Hitler's decision. However, little penalization was given.
https://www.cfr.org/explainer-video/lessons-learned-hitlers-rearmament-germany -
Italian Invasion of Ethiopia
The invasion of Ethiopia started when Mussolini's forces invaded Abyssinia (Ethiopia) for the purpose of expanding Italian national prestige. (Another reason for the attack was because of a previous incident in 1934 between Italian and Abyssinia forces that resulted in 200 casualties from both sides. Both parties were held accountable for the deaths, which repulsed Mussolini.) The attack ended with Mussolini's forces defeated.
https://www.sahistory.org.za/dated-event/ww2-italy-invades-ethiopia -
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War first started when Nationalists started revolting against Spain's leftist republican government. It was a war between those who were loyal to the republican government and those who wanted to overthrow it in favor of a more conservative, militaristic system. In 1939, it came to an end with the Republic's defeat. Throughout the duration of the war, the US stood neutral on the conflict.
https://www2.gwu.edu/~erpapers/teachinger/glossary/spanish-civil-war.cfm -
Germany's Anschluss with Austria
Germany reached political union w/ Austria after Hitler forced chancellor Schuschnigg to agree to let Austrian Nazis virtually a free hand. Schuschnigg later rejected the agreement and tried to have it removed via plebiscite. He was bullied into canceling it and resigned from his position. After president of Austria refused to appoint a Austrian Nazi leader as new chancellor, Germans ordered German military aid to Austria. Austria was then annexed to Germany.
www.britannica.com/event/Anschluss -
Nazis Invade Czechoslovakia
Hitler, along with other European leaders, signed the Munich Pact which ultimately sealed Czechoslovakia's fate. The Czech gov. ended up giving a huge portion of their resources to Germany, and were forced to declare Slovakia's independence. Even after the gov. did this, it couldn't keep up with Hitler's demands. Eventually the gov. surrendered Bohemia and Moravia. The two provinces were made a protectorate of Germany.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nazis-take-czechoslovakia -
Germany Invades Poland
At around 4:45 AM, 1.5 million German troops invaded Poland. They ended up bombing Polish airfields and attacked Polish naval forces, Hitler claimed he was doing this out of defense. However, Britain and France were not convinced and on September 3rd, declared war on Germany. This declaration of war on Germany is what initiated World War II.
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-invade-poland
