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The Great Depression
The Great Depression marks one of the worst economic crises in history. Banks closed and many lost their jobs. Nations overall around this time became very economically devastated, especially in sight of WWI which ended only a decade prior. -
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The Manchurian Crisis
Japan felt as if Manchuria, a region in China, was rightfully theirs. They would invade and take control of the region by 1933. Despite being told to leave by the LoN, they would keep control of the region until the end of WWII. This event marked a series of weaknesses of the LoN as they failed to control a member state's violent acts. -
World Disarmament Conference
The Conference met in Geneva, meant to reduce arms internationally to work towards the goal of disarmament. This would fail as many countries feared Hitler's growing expansionist ideologies and felt that the League would fail to protect them from aggressive countries. Many countries also did not want to disarm as they feared revolt in light of the Great Depression. -
Hitler is Appointed Chancellor
Hitler becomes chancellor and would only a few months later leave the League of Nations after Japan. This made several countries, especially France insecure as he had previously demonstrated expansionist ideologies. -
Italian Invasion of Abyssinia
Italy would invade Abyssinia. Despite being a member state under attack from a more powerful member state, Abyssinia would not receive any help from the LoN. The League was unwilling to go to war with an important ally for an African state that they had no interests in. This would lead to the Hoare-Laval Pact, a secret agreement that gave Italy control over Abyssinia, but this would fail when the Pact came out to the public. Italy had sanctions put against them, causing them to leave the LoN -
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German Rearmament
In February of 1935, Hitler announces the establishment of the Luftwaffe, or German Air Force. A month later in March, he would reintroduce conscription. This was in blatant violation of the treaty of Versailles, but Hitler argued it was in response to Britain's expanding air force and France being able to continue conscription. -
Remilitarization of the Rhineland
Directly violating the Treaty of Versailles, Hitler commanded troops into the Rhineland, an area that was demilitarized under the Paris Peace Treaties. Hitler justified his decision by saying it was German soil and a matter of national security. Germany had a right to militarize its own land. France was outraged, but Britain saw this as very reasonable. -
Hitler Achieves Anschluss
In Hitler's quest to tear apart the treaty of Versailles, he had German troops march into Austria and make it part of Germany, successfully achieving Anschluss. Germany did not face any repercussions despite this being in direct violation of the Paris peace settlement. -
Hitler is Given the Sudetenland
Following the Munich conference, Hitler would be given the Sudetenland by Britain and France under the guise that he was not to invade the rest of Czechoslovakia (who was not invited to the conference). Britain and France did this following the policy of appeasement to prevent a war they were not prepared to fight yet. -
Hitler takes the Rest of Czechoslovakia
Having no intention of keeping the promises of the Munich Conference, Hitler would invade the rest of Czechoslovakia. Britain and France did nothing to prevent this, and Czechoslovakia ceased to exist after this. -
Anglo-Polish Guarantee
Seeing Hitler's growing desire to invade Poland, Britain made an alliance to mutually support each other in case Poland came under attack by another foreign power, particularly Germany. This would be one of the major reasons Britain would fight against German aggression following their invasion of Poland in WWII. -
Hitler Invades Poland, Starting WWII
Hitler commands German troops to invade Poland, Causing France and Britain to declare war on Germany, marking the beginning of the Second World War.