Timeline of Key Events - The Move to Global War Italy and Germany 1933-1940

Flashcards covering key events related to Italy and Germany from 1933-1940 and their move to global war.

1882, May 20

Italy joins the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary.

1910

Benito Mussolini joins the Italian Socialist Party (PSI), becoming editor of its newspaper Avanti!

1914, August 4

World War One begins as Britain declares war on Germany.

1914, November 15

Mussolini sets up the newspaper Il Popolo d’Italia advocating militarism and irredentism.

1914, November 24

Mussolini is expelled from the Socialist Party and as editor of Avanti! for his stance on the war.

1915, April 26

The Treaty of London is signed in secret with Britain, France, and Russia.

1915, May 23

Italy enters the First World War by attacking Austria-Hungary.

1917, October 24

Italy is defeated in the Battle of Caporetto.

1918, October 24

The Battle of Vittorio Veneto begins, forcing the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian army.

1918, November 11

Germany signs an armistice to end World War One.

1919, June 28

The Treaty of Versailles is signed by Germany.

1919, September 10

The Treaty of St. Germain gives Italy control of the Austrian South Tyrol, Trentino, and Istria.

1919, September 12

Adolf Hitler joins the German Workers’ Party in Munich.

1919, September 12

The Fiume Affair occurs as Gabriele D’Annunzio leads ex-soldiers to occupy Fiume.

1920, January 10

The League of Nations formally comes into being.

1920, February 24

The German Workers’ Party is renamed the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP).

1920, June 15

Giovanni Giolitti appointed Prime Minister in Italy.

1920, November 9

The National Fascist Party (PNF) is established under the control of Mussolini.

1921, July 28

Adolf Hitler elected party chairman of the NSDAP

1921, August 3

The Sturmabteilung (SA) or Storm Detachment founded by Hitler.

1922, April 16

The Treaty of Rapallo signed between Germany and the USSR.

1922, October 16

The March on Rome begins as Mussolini meets with leading Fascists to agree on seizing power.

1922, October 24

Fascist congress held in Naples.

1922, October 27

Fascist squads attempt to seize control of government buildings in north and central Italy.

1922, October 30

Mussolini arrives in Rome and is appointed Prime Minister by King Victor Emmanuel III.

1923, January 11

French and Belgian troops occupy the Ruhr after Germany failed to pay its reparations bill in 1922.

1923, February

The Italian Nationalist Association joins with Mussolini’s National Fascist Party in Italy.

1923, August 29

The Corfu Affair occurs as Italy invades Corfu.

1923, November

The Acerbo Law is passed in Italy, stating that the party that won the most votes in elections would automatically be given two-thirds of seats in parliament provided they received over 25% of the vote.

1923, November 8

The Munich Beer Hall Putsch is launched in Bavaria as Hitler attempts to take over the regional government.

1924, January 27

The Treaty of Rome with Yugoslavia gives Italy the port of Fiume.

1924, April 6

Italian General Elections. Fascists increase their representation in parliament from 7% to 65%, winning 374 seats in parliament.

1924, June 10

Italian liberal Giacomo Matteotti murdered by ex-squadristi Fascists.

1924, September 1

The Dawes Plan is implemented between the US and Germany.

1924, December 20

Hitler is released from Landsberg Prison, having served less than a year of his sentence.

1925, January

The Battle for Grain launched in Italy, imports reduced by 75% due to increase in grain production.

1925, January 3

Mussolini publically takes responsibility for the violence of the Fascists.

1925, January 21

Albania elects the Italian-sponsored Ahmet Zogu as President.

1925, October 5

The Locarno Pact. Mussolini demonstrates his commitment to the European status quo by signing the Locarno Treaties which confirmed Germany’s Western borders.

1925, November 9

The Schutzstaffel (SS) is created as Hitler’s personal protection squad.

1925, December 24

Italian Law on Powers of Head of Government gives Mussolini significant executive powers, changing his formal title to Head of the Government.

1926, August 18

The Battle for the Lira is launched in Italy by Mussolini.

1926, September 8

Germany, under the Chancellorship of Wilhelm Marx and Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann, joins the League of Nations.

1926, November 27

The Pact of Friendship and Security between Italy and Albania, with Albania becoming a de jure protectorate of Italy.

1927, June

Mussolini encourages Croatian separatists led by Ante Pavelic who wanted to break away from the newly created state of Yugoslavia.

1928, August 2

The Italo-Ethiopian Treaty of Friendship with Abyssinia is signed, increasing economic links and promising to refer all future disagreements to the League of Nations.

1928, August 27

Germany and Italy sign the Kellogg-Briand Pact, committing member states to renounce the use of war and the called for the peaceful resolution of disputes.

1929, January

Mussolini encourages Macedonian separatists in Yugoslavia, supporting the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation (IMRO) in a campaign of assassinations against Yugoslav officials

1929, August 31

The Young Plan agrees to give further loans to Germany and new reparation scheme established, giving Germany a further 50 years to repay.

1929, October 3

The sudden death of German foreign minister Gustav Stresemann.

1929, October 24

The Wall Street Crash. The US recalled all its loans and financial support to Europe, causing the German economy to crash.

1929, December

France begins construction of the Maginot Line.

1930, September 14

In the Federal Election, the Nazi Party gains 18.3% of the vote in the Reichstag elections, winning 6 million votes and increasing their seats in the Reichstag from 12 to 107.

1931, November 13

The lstituto Mobiliare Italiano created in Italy to give financial support to banks and industries.

1932, January 24

After a 13 year campaign that saw countless war crimes committed including the use of chemical weapons and concentration camps, the Italian colony of Libya is pacified as declared by governor Pietro Badoglio.

1932, March 13

The Presidential Elections in Germany as Hitler loses against General Paul Von Hindenburg but won 11 million votes (30%) in the first round of voting and 13 million votes (36%) in the second round.

1932, June 1

Franz von Papen is appointed Chancellor in Germany after Heinrich Bruning is removed from power.

1932, July 31

In the Federal Elections, the Nazi party gains 37% of the vote, becoming the largest party with 230 seats. The SPD come second with 133 seats. 305 seats were needed for a majority.

1932, November 6

In the Federal Elections, the Nazi vote drops to 33% and 196.

1932, December 3

Defense Minister Kurt von Schleicher is appointed Chancellor. He attempted to split the Nazi Party by opening talks with the left-wing of the Party led by Gregor Strasser. For this, he was killed during the Night of the Long Knives.

1933, January 30

Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany

1933, February 27

The Reichstag Fire breaks out which is blamed on the Communists by Hitler.

1933, March 5

In the Federal Elections the Nazis win 43.9% of the vote and 288 seats

1933, March 24

The Enabling Act is passed, giving Hitler the power to pass laws without the consent of the Reichstag.

1933, July 15

The Four-Power Pact (Quadripartite Pact) signed in Rome between Italy, France, Germany and Britain.

1933, October 23

Hitler withdraws Germany from the World Disarmament Conference at Geneva, blaming the French for refusing to allow Germany to have parity in arms. He also withdrawals from the League of Nations, calling it a French ‘conspiracy’ to keep Germany weak.

1934, January 26

A 10-Year Non-Aggression Pact between Germany and Poland signed.

1934, July 25

The July Putsch occurs as Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss is assassinated by Nazi supporters.

1934, June 30

The Night of the Long Knives begins as Hitler purges the SA and other leaders, with over 200 people killed including Gregor Strasser, Ernst Rohm, and Kurt von Schleicher.

1934, August 2

President Hindenburg dies - With the support of the army, Hitler merges the offices of Chancellor and President, becoming Fuhrer of Germany.

1934, August 19

Plebiscite held asking the German public whether they approved of Hitler merging the offices of President and Chancellor, with 90% agreeing.

1934, September 18

The USSR joins the League of Nations.

1934, December 5

The Wal Wal Incident occurs as clashes between Italian and Abyssinian troops on the border lead to the deaths of 30 Italians.

1935, January 13

The Saar Plebiscite occurs as 90.9% of the population in the Saar votes to return to Germany from French control.

1935, March 16

Hitler publicly announces German rearmament, reintroducing conscription for over 500,000 men and revealing the existence of the Luftwaffe, which had been strengthened in secret to over 2,500 planes.

1935, April 14

The Final Declaration of the Stresa Conference is signed between Italy, France and Britain, aiming to reaffirm the Locarno Treaties and confirm Austrian independence.

1935, June 18

The Anglo-German Naval Agreement is signed, breaking the Stresa Front.

1935, August 31

First US Neutrality Act passed, stipulating that in a state of war, the president was required to declare an arms embargo on all belligerents.

1935, September 15

The Nuremberg Laws were passed in Germany, stripping Jews of German citizenship and banning relationships with Jews.

1935, October 3

Italy invades Abyssinia with over 500,000 troops and support soldiers.

1935, October 7

Council of League declares Italy to be an aggressor in Abyssinia and sanctions are proposed on Italy by Canadian diplomat Walter Riddell.

1935, November 18

League imposes limited sanctions on Italy but were ineffective as they did not include the sale of oil, nor did it close the Suez Canal to Italian shipping.

1935, December 10

The secret Hoare-Laval Pact offers Italy half of Abyssinia in return for an end to hostilities.

1936, January 17

Mussolini informs the German ambassador, Ulrich von Hassell, that he no longer objects to Anschluss, marking a turning point in Italo-German relations.

1936, February 22

Mussolini agreed to German remilitarisation of the Rhineland in a meeting with ambassador Ulrich von Hassell, ending Italian support for the Locarno Treaties.

1936, March 4

The Franco-Soviet Mutual Assistance Treaty is ratified, which Hitler argued violated the spirit of the Locarno Pact and was threatening to Germany. Hitler uses this as a pretext for the remilitarisation of the Rhineland.

1936, March 7

German troops march into the Rhineland whilst Britain and France do nothing to stop him. This move is accompanied by a peace offer by Hitler.

1936, May 5

Italy conquered Abyssinia with the capture of Addis Ababa. Emperor Haile Selassie fled to Britain. Abyssinia became part of Italian East Africa with Eritrea and Somaliland.

1936, July 11

The Austro-German Agreement is signed as Hitler and Austrian Chancellor Schuschnigg promise non-intervention in Austria in return for Austrian recognition of being a ‘German state’ .

1936, July 15

The League votes to end sanctions on Italy.

1936, July 17

Italy and Germany intervene in the Spanish Civil War with Italy sending over 70,000 troops to support General Franco, drawing Italy and Germany into closer collaboration.

1936, September 1

The Four Year Plan is introduced by Hitler, pushing the German economy towards autarky and rearmament.

1936, September 9

Britain and France setup the Non-Intervention Committee to prevent personnel and materiel reaching warring parties in Spain.

1936, October 25

The Rome-Berlin Axis Treaty signed by Italian foreign minister Galeazzo Ciano and German foreign minister Konstantin von Neurath.

1936, November 5

The Hossbach Memorandum is compiled, Hitler outlines his awareness that war with France and Britain was inevitable and that Germany should prepare for war by 1943-45 at the latest.

1936, November 25

The Anti-Comintern Pact is signed between Germany and Japan to combat Soviet influence.

1937, April 26

The German Condor Legion bombs the Spanish town of Guernica, killing over 200 civilians

1937, May 1

Third US Neutrality Act passed, stipulating that travel on belligerent ships in times of war was unlawful. ‘Cash-and-carry’ rule also required belligerent nations to pay in cash for all purchases and transport them on their own ships.

1937, May 28

Neville Chamberlain becomes Prime Minister of Britain, seeking a more conciliatory approach to Germany that would become known as appeasement.

1937, November 6

Italy joins the Anti-Comintern Pact with Germany and Japan, an anti-Soviet alliance.