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Russian Revolution
After a brutal civil war, the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, established what became the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. It was the first communist government in the world. The Soviets intended to export communism to the other great industrial nations, which made them pariahs among capitalists. -
Signing of the Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty that the Allied forces (France, Britain and America) made Germany sign at the end of the war. The conditions of this treaty was that Germany had to give up parts of their land to other colonies. This loss of land resulted in 10 percent of Germany's population being lost. Germany also had accept blame for the war and pay back 220 Billion marks to the Allied forces. Germany's army was reduced to 100 000 men and Germany could not have an air force. -
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Prohibition
From 1920 to 1933 Prohibition in the United States banned the sale of alcoholic drinks, resulting in illegal speakeasies which became venues of the "Jazz Age", hosting popular music including current dance songs, novelty songs and show tunes. -
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Jazz Age
Many members of the older generations saw Jazz as threatening the old values and promoting the new decadent values of the Roaring Twenties. However, by 1930, the New Orleans-style ensemble was a relic, and jazz belonged to the world.
Some famous black artists of the time were Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie. Several musicians grew up in musical families, where a family member would often teach how to read and play music. -
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Roaring 20s
The Roaring Twenties was a period of economic success with a cultural edge in the US and Western Europe. Jazz blossomed and the flapper redefined style for British and American women. The spirit of the Roaring Twenties was marked by a break with tradition. Everything seemed possible through modern technology. Automobiles, movies, and radio, brought "modernity" to a large part of the population. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 brought the era to an end. -
Adolf Hitler becomes leader of the Nazi Party
On the 29th of July in 1921 Adolf Hitler is elected the leader for the National Socialist Party, also known as the Nazis. Adolf Hitler is chosen due to his incredible public speaking skills and his ability to connect with public personally. The public loved him because he had gone through what the public had and he knew the struggles that the average German faced. -
Mussolini's election in Italy
(becomes leader of the National Fascist Party)
The idea of Fascism helped Mussolini in parliament. A new law gave the Fascists two third of the seats in parliament and a quarter of the votes. This meant that Fascists were in control. -
Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf (Hitler writes his autobiography in prison describing his antisemitic view, political ideology, and future plans for Germany) -
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The Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the 1930's. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in 1930 and lasted until the late 1930s or middle 1940s. It was the longest, deepest, and most widespread depression of the 20th century.The great depression was due to high commodity prices, dramatic drops in demand and credit, and disruption of trade, ultimately resulting in widespread poverty and unemployment. -
Wall Street Crashes
The stock market in Wall Street crashes. The Wall Street crash also known Black Tuesday was the worst market crash ever in the USA. The stock market crash was one of the things that sparked the Great Depression. Black Tuesday afected all Western industrialized countries. -
French troops withdraw from the Rhineland
One of the conditions of that the Treaty of Versailles was that the Rhineland was to be occupied by the Allied forces until 1935. British troops left in the late 1929. French troops left soon after in 1930. This meant that the Rhineland was unoccupied. -
Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany
Hitler is appointed as the Chancellor of Germany (second in command) by president Hindeburg.This sparked the beginning of Nazi Germany. -
German–Polish Non-Aggression Pact
The German–Polish Non-Aggression Pact was an international treaty between Nazi Germany and the Second Polish Republic signed on January 26, 1934. The agreement meant that Germany and Poland could not attack each other for ten years. -
Hitler becomes the Fuhrer of Germany
After learning that President Hindenburg was on his death bed, Hitler had the German cabinet pass a law that stated if the president dies the role of president and chancellor would be merged. 2 hours after the death of Hindenburg, Hitler becomes the Führer meaning the leader -
Remilitarization of the Rhineland
The remilitarization of the Rhineland by the German Army took place on 7 March 1936 when German military forces entered the Rhineland. This was significant because it violated the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, marking the first time since the end of World War I that German troops had been in this region. -
Anschluss
The Anschluss also known as the Anschluss Österreichs was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938. Germany wanted to Unite Austria and Germany because Hitler was an Austrian and there were 8 million German speakers in Austria, One of Hitlers main political aims was to gain more living space. It also meant that again they would be breaking the treaty of Versailles and Pushing Britain and France even more to their limits. -
Munich Agreement
The Munich Agreement is signed by Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy. The agreement allows Germany to take over the Czechoslovak Sudetenland area in exchange for peace in an attempt to appease Hitler. -
German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact
Enemies Germany and the USSR surprised the world by signing the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, agreeing to take no military action against each other for the next 10 years. Soviet leader Joseph Stalin viewed the pact as a way to keep his nation on peaceful terms with Germany, while giving him time to build up the Soviet military. Hitler used the pact to make sure Germany was able to invade Poland unopposed.[Germany invades the Soviet Union in 1943] -
Germany invades Poland
In response to Hitler's continued aggression in Eastern Europe, Britain and France warn Hitler that if he invades Poland they will have to go to war with Germany in an attempt to stop Hitler's bid for global hegemony. Hitler does not listen and bombards Poland. He quickly destroys the defense force and leaves Poland defensless. Hitler takes over Poland and WWII starts.
