Timeline: The Road to WW2 in europe by KaiQi

Paris Peace Conference 1919

2024-03-07 00:19:48 UTC

takes place from Jan 1919 to Jan 1920
Treaty of Versailles between Germany and Allies is signed in June
Key terms of ToV includes:
- War guilt clause - Germany had to accept total blame for ww1
- Reparations - Germany had to pay 6.6 billion pounds to the Allies
- Territory changes - Germany gave up territories to neighbouring countries and lost 10% of its land and 12.5% of its population + forbidden to make alliances with Austria
- Armed forces - Germany’s army was limited to 100,000 men, conscription was banned and soldiers had to be volunteers, navy could only have 6 battleships and Rhineland was demilitarised

Formation of League of Nations 1920

2024-03-07 00:24:26 UTC

Aim: resolve international disputes without going to war

Collective security - countries in the league need to promise to protect one another if attacked
Last resort - impose economic sanctions and take military actions

Members were expected to…:

Disarm - many countries were reluctant to do (not able to protect their territories and interest)
Impose economic sanctions on aggressor countries (reluctant to stop trading)

USSR and USA were not in LoN - economic sanctions were not as effective

1922 Mussolini comes to power in Italy

2024-03-07 00:28:19 UTC

After ww1 he organised nationalist paramilitary forces which waged campaigns of terrorism and intimidation against Italy’s leftist institutions and marched in 1922 to force the king to yield the government to Mussolini. It worked and he was appointed role of prime minister before assuming role as dictator

1929 Great Depression

2024-03-07 00:32:32 UTC

Wall Street stock market crash

economy fell
cities around the world was heavily affected
- especially those dependent on heavy industry (farming etc.)

With the example of Germany:

6 million people were unemployed by 1932
Many were evicted from their homes, as they could not pay rent, makeshifts shelters and slums began to appear
Rise in communism - many people did not believe in democracy anymore and turned to the communists

1933 Hitler became chancellor

2024-03-07 00:38:24 UTC

The events leading to his dictatorship are:

the Reichstag fire - Hitler persuaded Hindenburg to give him emergency power to get rid of all communists, reducing his competition during elections
The enabling act - during voting in the constitution the SA and SS intimidated or injured many Reichstag parties forcing them to not vote. The catholic center party co operated with the Nazis giving Hitler 2/3 majority
Gleichschaltung (Co-ordination)
- Hitler banned Jews from civil services
- Trade unions were banned
- All other political parties were also banned (forced a one party state)
After Hindenburg died, Hitler took over as the Fuehrer and the army took an oath of personal loyalty to Hitler.

Germany subsequence actions (1933-1936)

2024-03-07 00:44:14 UTC

1933 - Germany pulls out of World Disarmament Conference

1935 - Saar Plebiscite — Saar region join Germany by voting

1936 - Remilitarisation of Rhineland — German army marched into Rhineland with no interference as British and France were busy with Abyssinian Crisis

1936 - Axis Alliance (between Germany and Japan)