Timeline of Events
Leading Up to WWII
Unit 7, SSWH 17 f
JAPAN
•1920s – Japan’s govt
became democratic
•1922 – Japan signed international treaty: respecting
China’s borders
• 1928 – Kellogg-Briand Pact:
renounces war
• 1929 – Civilians in Japan blamed govt.
for Great Depression (Militarists –
extreme nationalists – take control of
govt., kept Emperor Hirohito as figure
head)
• 1931 – militarists want to solve
economic problems by foreign
expansion, army seized Manchuria
• 1933 – League of Nations
protested Japan’s invasion of
Manchuria, Japan withdraws from
League of Nations
• Nov. 1936 – Japan joined alliance
with Germany & Italy: Axis Powers
• 1937 – Japan invades China and
starts a war
ITALY
• 1935 - Benito Mussolini, Italy’s leader,
wants to create colonial empire in
Africa & invades Ethiopia (to seek
revenge from previous defeat),
Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia
asks League for help, they fine Italy
• 1936 – 1939: Mussolini supports
other fascist leaders to take over gov.,
General Francisco Franco (fascist leader)
fights in Spanish Civil War & Mussolini
sends weapons to Franco (Franco
becomes Spain’s dictator)
• Oct. 1936 – Mussolini creates an alliance
with Germany: Rome-Berlin Axis
(Germany was becoming powerful),
• Nov. 1936 - Axis Powers created with
Japan joining the alliance
• 1938 - Mussolini proposed a meeting
(Munich Conf.) bet. Britain, France
Germany & Italy (who were preparing
for war) – Brit. & France choose
appeasement (gave into an aggressor
to prevent war) & allowed Germany
to have Sudetenland
• 1939 – Italy seized Albania
U.S.A.
• 1935 – U.S. supported
isolationism (avoid political
ties to other countries),
Congress passed Neutrality
Acts (laws banning loans & the
sale of arms to nations at war)
GERMANY
• 1935 – Hitler (German leader)
announced Germany wouldn’t obey
restrictions of Versailles Treaty &
rebuilds army (League did nothing)
• Mar. 1936 – Hitler moves army into
Rhineland, Brit. & France allowed it to
keep peace
• July 1936 – Hitler sends weapons to
Fascist leader Franco in Spain
• Oct. 1936 – Hitler & Mussolini create
an alliance: Rome-Berlin Axis
• Nov. 1936 – Japan joins alliance: Axis
Powers
• 1937 – Hitler announced his desire to
expand German Empire: Third Reich
• Mar. 1938 – Germany annexed (adds)
Austria, Brit & France did nothing
• Sept. 1938 – Hitler demands Sudetenland
from Czechoslovakia, attended Munich
Conf. & gained Sudetenland
• Mar. 1939 – Hitler invades Czech &
demands German port of Danzig in
Poland
• Aug. 1939 – Non-Aggression Pact: USSR &
Germany, agreed to not fight & divide up
Poland