The Move To Global War Timeline

Japan

Washington Agreements

12 November 1921 - 6 February 1922

Conference to discuss naval disarmament.
5-Power Treaty: Tonnage ratio of 5:5:3.
4-Power Treaty: Each power would respect the territory of each other.
9-Power Treaty: Japan would recognize Chinese territory and sovereignty.

Kwantung army assassinates the Manchurian warlord

04 June 1928

Zhang Zuolin is assassinated by officers of the Kwantung.
His successor and son, Zhang Xueliang, hoisted the Nationalist flag over Manchuria.

Militarism replaces democracy in the Japanese Diet

1930 - 1931

Coup but called back at the last moment; militarists control the gov´t and made life difficult for the japanese Diet (Parliament).
Moderates were labeled “un-japanese” if they did not support the military with the New Hamaguchi government.

Mukden Incident

18 September 1931

An explosion occurred on the Southern Manchurian railway, which damaged the track just outside Mukden.
Bomb planted by Kwantung exploded on the track of Japanese-owned railway → used as an excuse to invade Manchuria.
japanese created own state: Manchukuo.

Creation of Manchukuo

18 February 1932

Known as "Wei Manzhouguo"—meaning "false state of Manchuria". Puppet state created by Japan out of the three historic provinces of Manchuria (northeastern China).
Henry Pu-Yi—former Chinese emperor—installed as head of the puppet government.

Assassination of Prime Minister Inukai

15 May 1932

Inukai Tsuyoshi, who opposed the seizure of Manchuria and growing control of the military, was assassinated by a group of right-wing naval officers.
Marked the end of pre-World War II Japanese democracy and the triumph of militarism and fascism.

Lytton Report

September 1932

Leage of Nations' response to Mukden incident.
Japanese should give Manchuria back to China and the League will not recognize Manchukuo.

Japanese Withdrawal from the League of Nations

24 February 1933

The Japanese delegation—defying world opinion—withdrew after the assembly had adopted a report blaming Japan for events in Manchuria.

Japanese Withdrawal from the Naval Treaties

15 January 1936

Japan resented the 5:5:3 tonnage ratio established, considering it as an offense from the West.
"(...) the basic principles embodied in our proposal for a comprehensive limitation and reduction of naval armaments cannot secure general support (...)"

The (Second) Sino-Japanese War

07 July 1937 - 09 September 1945

China fought Japan, with aid from Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United States (which had interests in China).
(December 1936) Japan sinks USS Panay in the Yangtze River as it ensconced an oil tanker.

The Rape of Nanking

13 December 1937 - January 1938

The Japanese Imperial Army marched into China's capital city of Nanking and proceeded to murder 300,000 out of 600,000 civilians and soldiers in the city.
Represented the single worst atrocity during the World War II era in either the European or Pacific warzones.

Concept of the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere

29 June 1940 - 15 August 1945

Based on the idea of Pan-Asianism.
Militant rise in Japan meant more autonomy for the military.
Economic Depression → less cooperation with the West → Japan would guide Asia against the West.
(1941) Great East Asian War
(1942)Colonial Ministry replaced with the Great East Asia Ministry.

US institutes embargoes on Japan

26 July 1941

US becomes aggressive toward Japanese expansionism.
(1939) Moral embargo on pioneers credit to Japan was stopped. United States ignored neutrality act and gave $25 billion to nationalists in China

Attack on Pearl Harbor

07 December 1941

Hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii.
The Japanese managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight enormous battleships, and more than 300 airplanes.

Italy

Mussolini takes power

22 October 1922 - 29 October 1922

Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) rose to power as a leading proponent of Fascism.
Forged the paramilitary Fascist movement in 1919 and became prime minister.

Establishment of the Stresa Front

14 April 1935

Italy, France, and Britain.
Maintain the Locarno agreement and support the independence of Austria.

Conquest of Abyssinia

October 1935 - May 1936

Italy invades the only African opponent in colonial era, using a disagreement over grazing rights as an excuse.
Mussolini sends 500,000 soldiers with the latest weaponry against Ethiopians, many using spears.

Hoare-Laval Pact

December 1935

Britain and France—hypocritically—proposed giving Italy ⅔ of Abyssinia.
The proposed deal collapsed once it was leaked to the press.

Collapse of the Stresa Front

06 January 1936

After the Hoare-Laval Pact's failure, the League of Nations imposes oil embargo on Italy (although not implemented).
Nationalist support for Mussolini grew, it pushed Italy and Germany closer to one another. The League of Nations is seen as weak.
Mussolini had the first steps of his “New Roman Empire”.

Italy withdraws from the League of Nations

13 December 1937

Due to the sanctions imposed to Italy during the Abyssinian War, declaring it as the aggressor nation (from collective security).

Italy declares war (enters WWII)

10 June 1940

Benito Mussolini, dictator of Italy, declares war on France and Great Britain.
Mussolini worried that there was nothing left for him after the “Blitzkrieg”.

Germany

Germany withdraws from the Geneva Conference

23 October 1933

Withdrawal from both the Disarmament Conference and the League of Nations.
in response to the Western powers’ refusal to meet its demand for equality.

Germany signs a 10 year Non-Aggression Pact with Poland

26 January 1934

After border disputes due to the Treaty of Versailles, their relations were controlled.
The treaty said there had to be bilateral negotiations without armed conflict between the countries, recognizing each of the borders.
Hitler breaks the Pact in the end.

Hitler becomes the Führer

02 August 1934

The Weimar Republic’s constant mistakes made them unpopular with the people, they wanted a change and the Nazi Party was a radical one.
Hitler said he would get rid of the Treaty of Versailles, since multiple people believed it made Germany bankrupt.

Germany reintroduces conscription and the Air Force

16 March 1935

Hitler denounced the military clauses of the Versailles Treaty and proclaimed immediate general military conscription in Germany.

Reoccupation of the Rhineland

07 March 1936

Germany´s military forces reoccupied Rhineland for the first time since the end of WWI, shifting power from France to Germany.
Allowed Germany to follow its policy of aggression.

Hossbach Memorandum

05 November 1937

Meeting that Hitler had with his ministers and military commanders discussing the motivations and intentions for a war of expansion in Europe, summarized.

Anschluss

12 March 1938 - 1945

Austria and Germany united into one country to form a “Greater Germany”.

Munich Conference

29 September 1938

The Czech government agreed to give Czech territory where 50% or more of the population were German.
The agreement permitting Germany's annexation of the Sudetenland, giving Hitler the domination of Central Europe.

German troops occupy all of Czechoslovakia

15 March 1939 - 08 May 1945

Hitler’s forces invade and occupy Czechoslovakia due to 3 million German speakers in Sudetenland.

Nazi-Soviet Pact (also known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact:

23 August 1939 - 22 June 1941

A neutrality pact between the Soviet Union and Germany.
They divided territories of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Romania into each Sphere of Influence.
Remained in forcé until Germany invaded Poland.

Germany invades Poland (WWII begins)

01 September 1939 - January 1945

The Polish army was defeated within weeks of the invasion.
Britain and France—standing by their guarantee of Poland's border—had declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939.
The Soviet Union invaded eastern Poland on September 17, 1939.

General

Locarno Treaties

16 October 1925

Germany, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Italy, Poland, and Czechoslovakia.
Germany accepts Western borders with France and Belgium, previously settled in the Treaty of Versailles.
The Rhineland is permanently demilitarized.

The Kellogg-Briand Pact

27 August 1928

France, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Japan, and others.
Outlaws war; tried to prevent another World War.
It failed.
The Mukden Incident—where Japan invaded Manchuria—tested the Pact, given that Japan signed it.

The Great Depression

1929 - 1939

Unemployment was high; many businesses failed.
No investment or entrepreneurship.

Stock Market Crash

29 October 1929

Wall Street, New York, United States.
Stock sale increased → greater amount of investors → Money is loaned to buy stocks → Stock prices drop → A total of $25 billion was lost (Suddath, 2008).
Unemployment, low wages, debt, a struggling agricultural sector and an excess of large bank loans.

Spanish Civil War

17 July 1936 - 1 April 1939

Military revolt against the Spanish Republican government supported by the conservatives.
The Nationalists (rebel group) got help from Italy and Germany.
The Republicans got help from the USSR and the International Brigades.
Resulted in the victory of the Nationalists led by Francisco Franco, who afterwards ruled Spain for 36 years.

Rome-Berlin Axis Alliance

25 October 1936

Italy and Germany.
Pact between both Fascist countries.

Anti-Cominterm Pact

25 November 1936

Germany, Japan.
Pact against Communist International.
Later included Italy on November 6, 1937.

Pact of Steel

22 May 1939

Italy and Germany.
Trust and cooperation between both countries.
Secret Supplementary Protocol: Encouraged the union of military and economic policies.

The Tripartite Act

27 September 1940

Germany, Japan, and Italy.
Maintaining peace and prosperity; directed at the United States.
It failed. There were disagreements and countries were on different sides of the globe.

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