"The Move to Global War" [DATES ONLY]

1853

-Commodore Perry opens Japan

1854

-Treaty of Kanagawa signed between Japan and US

1861

-Italy becomes a unified state through Prime Minister Cavour and Italian patriot Giuseppe Garabaldi

1868

-Start of Meiji period

1894

-Start of First Sino-Japanese war

1895

-End of First Sino-Japanese war

-Treaty of Shimonoseki signed between Japan and China

-Triple Intervention from Russia, Germany, and France

1896

-Italians fail to defeat Abyssinia; humiliating defeat at Battle of Adowa

1902

-Anglo-Japanese Alliance signed between Britain and Japan

1904

-start of Russo-Japanese War

-Mussolini joins Socialist party

1905

-end of Russo-Japanese war

-Treaty of Portsmouth signed between Russia and Japan

1914

IMPORTANT: WWI begins

1915

-Italy enters WWI against Germany and Austria-Hungary

-Treaty of London signed joining Italy into the Entente with Britain, France, and Russia

1917

-US enters WWI

-Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, communists take over

-Russia withdraws from WWI

1918

IMPORTANT: End of WWI

-Treaty of Brest Litovsk give Germany substantial territorial gains from Russia as Bolsheviks sued for peace.

-Franchise Act passed in Britian allowing women to vote and lowering voting age, causing more political support for collective security and war opposition

1919

IMPORTANT: Treaty of Versailles ends WWI

-Mussolini creates first Fascist units

-Treaty of St. Germain

-"Two Red Years" (Biennio Rosso) starts with massive unrest and attempted Socialist revolution in Italy

-Sparticists, a German communist group, launch rebellion. Crushed by government

1921

-Four-Power Treaty signed between US, Great Britain, France and Japan

-Italian Communist Party formed

1922

-Nine-Power Treaty signed by US, Japan, China, France, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, and Portugal

-Five-Power Navel Treaty signed by US, Britain, Japan, France, and Italy

-Mussolini leads Marach on Rome

-Mussolini becomes Prime Minister of Italy

1923

-Munich Putsch, Hitlers attempted coup of the Weimar republic

-Ruhr Crisis starts with France occupying Ruhr Valley of Germany after Germans fail to pay reparations. Causes hyperinflation in Germany.

1925

-Locarno Pact guaranteed Germany's western frontier, which the bordering states of France, Germany, and Belgium pledged to treat as inviolable

-Law on Powers of Head of Government gives Mussolini significant executive power establishing dictatorship in Italy

-Hitler becomes leader of Nazi party, Fuhrer

-Dawes Plan negotiated; US aids German economy and France agrees to leave the Ruhr Valley ending Ruhr Crisis

1926

-Hirohito becomes Emperor of Japan, starting the Showa Era

-Germany joins League of Nations

1928

-Manchurian Warlord Zhang Zuolin assassinated by Kwantung Army. Replaced by his son Zhang Xueliang

-Kellog-Briand pact outlaws war (does nothing)

1929

IMPORTANT: Wall Street Crash (start of Great Depression)

-Young Plan introduced by US agreeing to further loans to Germany

1930

-London Naval Disarmament Conference

1931

-Mukden Incident, start of Manchuria Crisis

1932

-Manchuria conquered by Japan, ending Manchuria Crisis

-"Manchukuo" created as puppet state ruled by disgraced emperor Pu Yi

-Bombing and invasion of Shanghai

-"the Dark Valley" period in Japan; volatile military government established between Kodo-ha and Tosei-ha factions

-"May 15th Incident" where army and navy officers attacked government centers in Tokyo and killed Prime Minister Inukai in attempted coup

-United States issues Stimson Doctrine in which the US would not recognize any agreement that violated China's territorial integrity, went against the open-door policy, or the Kellog-Briand pact

-Corfu Affair, Italy seizes Greek island of Corfu

1933

- Treaty of Tanggu signed between Jiang Jeishi and Japan accepting Japan's control of Manchuria

- Japan leaves League of Nations following Lytton Commission's Report on Manchurian Crisis

- Italy proposes Four Power pact

IMPORTANT: Hitler rises to power

- Reichstag fire, where Reichstag parliament building is set on fire, and a communist is accused of the crime. Leads to decree suspending freedom of speech

- Enabling Act passed allowing Hitler to make laws without consulting the Reichstag

- Hitler becomes Chancellor of Germany

- first concentration camp established at Dachau

- Germany leaves the league of nations

1934

-Night of the Long Knives where Hitler assassinated political enemies as well as the leaders of the SA (stormtroopers)

-Wal Wal Incident; skirmish between Abyssinia and Italian forces

-Non-Aggression Pact signed between Poland and Germany

1935

-Italian invasion of Abyssinia

-Nuremburg Laws in Germany deprive Jews of their rights

-US imposes first of four Neutrality Acts stating it would not supply arms to either side of wars

-Stresa Conference; Britain, France and Italy met to say they would unite if Germany attacked Austria

-Saar Plebiscite; French controlled region of Saar holds plebiscite and votes to return to Germany

1936

-Spanish Civil War begins

-Anti-Comintern Pact signed between Germany and Japan later included Italy the next year

-German remilitarization of Rhineland

-Italy successfully conquers Abyssinia

-Kodo-Ha officer Aizawa assassinates Tosei-Ha General Nagata. Aizawa is executed leading to revolt and an attempted coup

-Xi'an Incident; Jiang Jeishi kidnapped by his own troops to stop his conflict with Communists and redirect focus to the Japanese invasion. Communists negotiate his release, and "Second United Front" is formed against Japan.

-US imposes second of four neutrality acts stating that no loans can be made to belligerents

1937

-Japanese invasion of China

-Marco Polo Bridge Incident starting Japan's war on China

-Nanking Massacre

-Prince Konoye Fumimaro takes over as Prime Minister of Japan. Powerless to control military.

-General Tojo Hideki, leading Tosei-Ha General, became Chief of Staff of Kwantung Army

-US imposes third of four neutrality acts establishing "cash and carry" policy for export of materials other than arms

-USS Panay Incident when US gunboat Panay sunk by Japanese bombers. Crisis averted when Japan offered compensation immediately.

-Italy leaves the League of Nation

-Nazi bombers obliterate Guernica, Spain

1938

-New Order in East Asia proposed by Japan to China. Rejected.

-Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass); widespread violence against Jews in Germany

-Anschluss, Nazi Germany annexes Austria

-Munich Conference/Agreement; Hitler is given the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia and promises not to invade more territories

-May Crisis

1939

IMPORTANT: Start of WWII

-Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact creates alliance between Germany and Russia

-Anglo-Polish Treaty created, with Britian assuring assistance in event of attack (assistance ultimately not given)

-Germany invades and occupies Czechoslovakia

-German blitzkrieg takes over Poland starting WWII

-Britain and France declare war on Germany

-US passes fourth and last Neutrality Act expanding "cash-and-carry" policy to include the export of arms.

-Italy invades Albania (so that I could emulate Hitler's success)

-Spanish Civil War ends with Fascist leader Francisco Franco taking control

1940

-Tripartite Axis Pact signed between Germany, Italy, and Japan

-Battle of Britain begins

-Hitler defeats France, Denmark, Holland, and Belgium

-Italy invades Egypt and Greece

-Battle for Britain takes place between RAF and Luftwaffe on coast of Britain

-The Blitz bombing campaign of British cities hoping to break morale (didn't break morale)

-General Tojo becomes prime minister of Japan and military assumes total control

-Japanese begins take over French colonies in Southern East Asia

1941

-Operation Barbarossa; Germany attacks its ally the Soviet Union leading to drawn out conflict

-Neutrality Pact between Japan and Soviet Union securing Japanese-Soviet border

-Japan takes over British, French, and Dutch colonies in South Indo China (Siam, parts of British Malaya, and parts of Dutch East Indies). US freezes all Japanese assets

-December 7, Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, Hong Kong, and Singapore simultaneously. Attacks Dutch East Indies, Philippines, and Malaya next day.

-US declares war on Japan. Germany and Italy then declare war on US. US enters war in Europe.

-Lend-Lease Act passed in US allowing the United States to lend or lease war supplies to any nation deemed "vital to the defense of the United States"