The terms of the Treaty of Versailles imposed upon Germany at the end World War 1 sowed the seeds of World War 2 by stripping Germany of territory and requiring her to pay huge reparations to the victorious powers. By the early 1920's Germany was buckling under this economic pressure and with mass unemployment, rampant inflation and French occupation of the Saarland region, the future looked bleak. Using this uncertaintly and lack of political will from the Weimar government the communists and Nazi's fought for control of the streets and the balot box, culminating in the eventual election of the Nazi's and Hitler being appointed Chancellor.
The Paris Peace Conference
A plebiscite returns Northern
Schleswig to Denmark.
Conference of Sanremo,
Italy begins to discuss the League of Nations mandates in the
former Ottoman territories of the Middle East.
The Conference of Sanremo, Italy ends.
The Treaty of Trianon between the
Allies and Hungary is signed.
Treaty of Sèvres between the
Allies and the Ottoman Empire is signed, although the treaty
is not recognized by the Turkish national movement, which consider
Gabriele D'Annunzio proclaims in Fiume
(Yugoslavia) the Italian Regency of Carnaro.
League of Nations headquarters moved
to Geneva, Switzerland.
The Unknown Warrior is buried in Westminster
Treaty of Rapallo between Italy and
Yugoslavia. Zadar is annexed by Italy and the Free State of
Fiume is established.
The League of Nations holds its first
France and Poland make
a secret military agreement, specifying that if Germany attacks
either nation, the other will assist in defence. If Poland
is attacked by Soviet Russia, France is to hold Germany in
check on land and at sea.
Adolf Hitler becomes the leader of
the Nazi party.
The Treaty of Kars is
signed between Bolshevik Russia and Turkey.
A treaty limiting naval
armament is signed by the United States, Great Britain, France,
Italy, and Japan. The limits set for total tonnage of major
naval ships are: USA 525,000, Great Britain 525,000, France
175,000, Italy 175,000, Japan 315,000.
The Genoa Conference begins with representatives
of 34 countries discussing ecomomics in the wake of the Great
Treaty of Rapallo is signed
between Germany and Bolshevik Russia to normalise diplomatic
The Genoa Conference ends.
Treaty of Kars is ratified
in Yerevan, Soviet Union.
Benito Mussolini calls for Italian
Blackshirts to march on Rome.
King Victor Emmanual III appoints
Mussolini as Premier of Italy.
The Treaty of Lausanne
is signed between the Allies and Turkey, successor State to
the Ottoman Empire.
It supersedes the Treaty of Sèvres.
The Treaty of Rome is
signed between Italy and Yugoslavia. Fiume is annexed by Italy
and the neighboring
town of Sušak is assigned to Yugoslavia.
Mussolini dismisses the Italian Parliament
and assumes total control of Italy.
The Pact of Locarno
is signed by Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, France, Italy,
and Czechslovakia. The nations agree to make peaceful settlements
of disputes. Also Germany and France agree to not
attack or invade each other and
France and Poland sign a Treaty of Mutual Guarantee, to immediately
aid the other if attacked by Germany.
Germany and the Soviet
Union sign the Treaty of Berlin. If one country is attacked,
the other is to remain neutral.
Germany admitted to the League of
The Pact of Paris (Briand-Kellog
Pact) is signed by the USA, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Great
Britain, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Poland. The countries condemn
recourse to war, renouncing it as an instrument of national
policy in relations with one another.
A Protocol renouncing
war as an instrument of national policy is signed by the Soviet
Union, Estonia, Latvia, Poland, and Romania.
The Treaty of Paris becomes
effective, with 31 more countries signing
In France, construction of the Maginot
defence line begins near the border with Germany. The line
is named after Sergeant André Maginot, who conceived
and oversees its construction.
The Nazi Party becomes
the 2nd largest party in the Reichstag after the latest round
Finland and the Soviet Union sign
a five-year Pact of Non-Agression.
In Geneva, a World Disarmament Conference
Poland and the Soviet Union sign a
five-year Pact of Non-Aggression.
At a Conference in Lausanne, the Allies
agree to cancel war reparation
payments by Germany.
Franklin D Roosevelt is elected President
of the United States.
France and the Soviet Union sign a
Pact of Non-Agression.