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Mussolini’s March on Rome -outcome
The Fascists had
become a significant force in Italian politics. But that
wasn’t enough for Mussolini. He wanted to rule Italy. In
October he led the so-called March on Rome. This show
of force convinced Italy’s king to put Mussolini at the
head of Italy’s government. Once in power, Mussolini moved to establish a dictatorship. Using threats, violence,
and his political skill, he had soon outlawed all
opposition and taken unlimited power. -
Hitler writes Mein Kampf
Germany underwent great changes after World
War I. Like Mussolini and Stalin, Germany’s
Adolf Hitler rose to power during a time of con-
flict and political instability a book titled Mein Kampf—German for “My
Struggle.” The book described Hitler’s major
political ideas, including nationalism and the
racial superiority of the German people, whom
he called Aryans. -
Japan invades Manchuria – why?
In 1931, a bomb
exploded in the Chinese region of Man-
churia, damaging a Japanese-controlled railway line. Japa-
nese soldiers stationed in Manchuria immediately blamed
the blast on Chinese sabotage. Given Chinese unhappiness
with the Japanese presence in China, it was easy to believe
that China was responsible for the attack. -
Holodomor
Stalin tried to take that land back.
When peasants resisted, Stalin responded violently. In Siberia
these Soviets worked—and often died—in a
system of labor camps called the Gulag.
Still, resistance to collectivization contin-
ued. One center of this resistance was the
republic of Ukraine (yoo-krayn). To punish the
Ukrainians, Stalin refused to send food to aid
them when a famine struck the region in 1932.
Millions of Ukrainians starved to death. -
Chancellor of Germany
Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany -
Night of the Long Knives
The Night of the Long Knives, also known as the Röhm purge, was a series of political extrajudicial executions in Nazi Germany from June 30 to July 2, 1934. Hitler's primary goal was to consolidate his power by eliminating perceived threats within the Nazi Party, particularly the Sturmabteilung led by Ernst Röhm, as well as other political opponents. -
Nuremberg Laws enacted - what were they?
In 1935
the Nuremberg Laws created a separate legal
status for German Jews, eliminating their citi-
zenship and many civil and property rights,
such as the right to vote. Jews’ right to work in
certain jobs was limited. The Nuremberg Laws
defined a person as Jewish based on the ances-
try of grandparents—not religious beliefs. -
The Great Purge
By the mid-1930s Stalin
had absolute power, but he still feared that peo-
ple were plotting against him. In response, he
began a campaign known as the Great Purge,
or the Great Terror. To purge is to get rid of
people or things considered undesirable. In a
series of purges, Stalin attacked real and imag-
ined opponents of his rule. Thousands of Com-
munist leaders, military officers, and ordinary
citizens were executed or sent to the Gulag. -
The Nanjing Massacre
In 1937 the Japanese army killed many Chinese civilians
and soldiers in Nanjing, China. historians generally agree
that the total number of deaths was at least 100,000, but
the events at Nanjing remain controversial. In China, the
story of Nanjing is told very differently from in Japan -
Kristallnacht
Kristallnacht (kris-tahl-nahkt), or the
Night of Broken Glass. During the riots, nearly
100 Jews were killed, and thousands of Jewish
businesses and places of worship were dam-
aged and destroyed. Yet as terrifying as this
anti-Jewish violence and destruction were,
greater horrors were yet to come. Indeed, Hit-
ler’s Germany was about to lead the world into
history’s bloodiest war.