Events Leading to WWII

  • Mussolini comes to power

    Mussolini comes to power
    The people of Italy were upset about the conditions that they were left in after the Paris Peace Treaty. He had opposing views compared to the Paris Peace Treaty, so him coming to power is showing that the people support a rebellion against the Treaty.
  • March on Rome

    March on Rome
    Mussolini declared the March on Rome, and threatened to take over the government. The King then asked Mussolini to be the prime minister, which gave him total power over the state.
  • Japanese Take Over Manchuria

    Japanese Take Over Manchuria
    The Japanese took over Manchuria, a region of China, with the justification that China boycotted Japanese goods, and killed a Japanese officer. China then protested to the League of Nations, leading Japan to quit the league.
  • Hitler Creates Army

    Hitler Creates Army
    Hitler built up a group of SS soldiers, and in 1935, he armed them, deeming them a true army. This went against the Paris Peace Treaty because Germany wasn't allowed to have an army of over 100,000 armed officers.
  • The Spanish Civil

    The Spanish Civil
    The Spanish Civil War began when the rightists (nationalists), led by Francisco Franco, started a rebellion against the leftists (republicans). This Civlil War was like a "dress rehearsal" for WWII because Italy and Germany sent in men, weapons and money to help the rightists, while the Soviet Union sent techniques and equipment to strengthen the leftist government.
  • Hitler's Takes Czech

    Hitler's Takes Czech
    Hitler wanted to take over Czech, but he signed the Munich Pack, which said he could only take Sudetenland. He later broke the Munich Pack by taking over the rest of Czech.
  • Germany Takes Over Poland

    Germany Takes Over Poland
    Germany sent troops into Poland and defeated them quickly, adding it to their empire. The Soviet Union and Germany then each took half of Poland. This was the direct beginning of the war, as France and Britain declared war.
  • Japan Invades China

    Japan Invades China
    Japan tries to expand their territories throughout China, which causes a war between the two. This was the start of WWII in the Pacific because Japan's aggression led to a war between China and Japan, which the United States later joined to defend China.