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Fascist supporters marched on Rome; Italy´s king refused to use the army to stop them. Mussolini was appointed prime minister, establishing a fascist dictatorship.
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Hitler published the first volume of Mein Kampf while imprisoned for treason. The book outlined Nazi ideology, including antisemitism, nationalism, and plans for expansionism.
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A government program to rapidly industrialization the Soviet economy. Strengthened Soviet industry but caused millions of deaths from forced labor.
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After Lenin´s death, Stalin outsmarted his rivals and took control of the Communist Party. He became a dictator by using fear, propaganda, and secret police to stay in power. -
Japan seized the Chinese region of Manchuria after staging a false railway attack. Japan wanted resources and land; the invasion showed the failure of international peace efforts.
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A man-made want in Ukraine caused by force grain seizures. Stalin used starvation to crush resistance to Soviet policies, causing millions of deaths. -
President Pual von Hindenburg appointed Hitler head of the German government. This legally brought Hitler into power, leading to a dictatorship.
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Hitler ordered the murder of his political rivals within the Nazi Party. Eliminated opposition and secured the loyalty of the German military.
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Laws that stripped Jews of citizenship and banned marriage between Jews and non-Jews. Legalized discrimination and set the stage for the Holocaust.
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Mussolini´s army invaded Ethiopia to build and African empire. Showed the weakness of the League of Nations and encouraged further aggression by Axis powers.
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Stalin had millions arrested, imprisoned, or executed in labor camps. Eliminated political opposition and spread terror throughout the USSR.
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A civil war bbetween fascists led by Fransisco Franco and republican forces. A testing ground for Axis weapons and tactics before WW2.
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Japanese troops murdered civilians and committed mass rape after capturing Nanking, China. One of the worst war crimes in history, showing the brutality of Japanese expansionism. -
Nazi mobs destroyed Jewish businesses, synagogues, and homes across Germany. Marked the shift from discrimination to open violence against Jews.
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Germany invaded Poland using blitzkrieg warfare.
Britain and France declared war- official start of WW2. -
Suprise air attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii. Brought the United States into the war.