The document summarizes major events from the end of World War 1 through the early 1940s that led to the start of World War 2. It describes how the Treaty of Versailles imposed harsh terms on Germany after WWI, fueling German resentment. In the 1930s, dictators in Germany, Italy, and Japan pursued aggressive expansionism and ignored treaty obligations, facing little resistance. Hitler remilitarized the Rhineland, annexed Austria and Czechoslovakia, and signed a pact with the Soviet Union before invading Poland in 1939, launching World War 2.

2. November 1918
World War One Ends – Millions are dead.

3. January 1919 – Leaders of USA, Britain and
France meet at Versailles to decide the fate of
Germany.

4. June 1919 – Germany forced to sign the Treaty
of Versailles. They hate the terms and condemn
the Treaty as too harsh.

5. June 1919 – Germany loses territory
and the Rhineland is demilitarised.

6. April 1921 – Germany’s reparations set
at 6.6 Billion Pounds

7. November 1920 – The League of
Nations met for the first time –USA,
Russia or Germany were not members

8. August 1924 – The Dawes Plan (The
USA lends money to Germany to help
ease reparations burden)

9. August 1928 – Kellogg-Briand Pact (Ten
years after the end of WWI 85 nations
promise not to wage aggressive wars).

10. October 1929: Wall Street Crash triggers
the worst global economic depression in
history.

11. 1929 ?: The Great Depression – within a
few years there were 6 million unemployed
in Germany.

12. Early 1930s: Dictators in Germany, Japan
and Italy plan to solve their economic
problems by invading other territories.

13. October 1935: Italian dictator Mussolini
invades Abyssinia.

14. October 1935: The League of Nations does
not support Abyssinian Emperor Haile
Selassie

15. March 1936: Hitler ignores the Treaty of
Versailles and reoccupies the Rhineland.
No one stops him.

16. September 1931 – Japanese troop begin
their invasion of Manchuria, China. No one
stops them.

17. Early 1930s – Britain follows an
appeasement policy (giving into bullies to
avoid conflict)

18. July 1936 – German air force practice for
war by destroying towns in Spain. No one
stops them.

19. March 1938 – German troops ignore Treaty
of Versailles and invade Austria. No one
stops him.

20. September 1938 – Hitler signs the Munich
Agreement and promises to NOT invade
Czechoslovakia.

21. March 1939– Germany invades
Czechoslovakia.

22. August 1939 – Nazi Germany and
Soviet Union sign non-aggression Pact

23. September 3, 1939: Germany launches
‘blitzkrieg’ (Lightning War) against
Poland.

24. May to June 1940 – Hitler’s army
invades Western Europe, forcing mass
evacuation of British soldiers.

25. May 1940 – Winston Churchill
becomes Prime Minister of Britain.
Vows to stop Hitler.

26. June 1941 – Hitler launches Operation
Barbarossa (a surprise attack on
Russia)

27. December 7 1941– Japan’s attack on
Pearl Harbour brings the USA into the
war