Timeline #5 Diplomatic Developments, 1919-1945

Massive (but Basic) Chronology 1918-19 Victory of conservative & nationalist parties in elections of principal Allies 1919 signed American Congress refuses to ratify Versailles Treaty and League Covenant 1920 Conclusion of Franco-Belgian alliance Outbreak of Russo-Polish war 1921 Conclusion of Franco-Polish alliance Formation of Little Entente: Czechoslovakia, & 1922 Treaty of Rapallo between Germany & Soviet Russia1 1923 French region 1924 Introduction of the 1925 Locarno Agreements (guarantee existing frontiers in western Europe) 1926 Admission of Germany to Briand & Stresemann jointly receive the Nobel Peace Prize 1928 Kellogg-Briand pact (originally between France and US) Cominterm Congress orders communists to oppose reformist socialists. 1929 French begin construction of Maginot Line 1930 French withdrawal of occupation from Rhineland completed 1931 Japanese invasion of Manchuria Creation of the Second Spanish Republic 1933 Hitler becomes Chancellor of German Reich (January) Germany withdraws from the League of Nations (October) 1934 Polish-German non-aggression pact signed USSR joins the League of Nations Unsuccessful coup attempt by Austrian Nazis against Dollfuss regime Cominterm begins to encourage broad opposition to 1935 Hitler reinstitutes draft & announces formation of air force Pact of mutual assistance between France, USSR, & Czechoslovakia Creation of Popular Front in France US Congress passes Neutrality Act: no arms shipments to belligerents.2 Seventh Comintern officially announces new policy on popular fronts Italian troops invade Ethiopia 1936 Electoral victory of French Popular Front Hitler remilitarizes the Rhineland (March) Italian King Victor Emmanuel III declared emperor of Ethiopia Anti-fascist Popular Front coalition gains electoral victory in Spain Conservative generals initiate (July) Mussolini and Hitler form the Rome- Axis (Nov.) 1937 German Condor Legion air units bomb Basque market town of Guernica

1 Weimar Germany was thus in effect the first country to recognize Soviet Russia on a formal diplomatic level. 2 Neutrality Act reflected isolationist sentiment in US–that is, the desire to avoid any kind of association that might draw the US into war.

Month-by-Month!

1938 March Hitler invades Austria, thus creating a greater Germany (the ) Sept Munich conference grants Sudetenland to Germany

1939 March Germany occupies remainder of Czechoslovakia.3 Britain offers unilateral guarantee of security to Poland April Conservative insurgents capture Madrid, ending Spanish Civil War Soviets propose Anglo-Soviet-French against Germany Italians invade & occupy Albania Germany annexes Memel (Klaipeda) area from Lithuania Britain & France guarantee Romania's independence Aug Soviet negotiations with France and Britain stall USSR signs non-aggression pact with Sept German precipitates the Second World War (1 Sept) Soviet occupation of eastern Poland (17 Sept) Second Nazi-Soviet Pact: German-Soviet Boundary & Friendship Treaty.4 Oct German decree subjects Poles to "compulsory public labor" Nov Soviet invasion of initiates the "" US Congress authorizes revision of Neutrality Act (see 1935).5

1940 March Finnish surrender to Soviets at Vyborg after considerable resistance April German invasion and occupation of Denmark & Norway May launch attack against France, enter Paris in June June Evacuation of British & French forces from Dunkirk Incorporation of Baltic states into USSR, as well as Bessarabia & Bukovina Aug Germans begin bombing Britain, initiating "Battle of Britain" (until Nov) Romania cedes part of to , South Dobruja to Bulgaria Sept , Germany and sign Tripartite Pact to coordinate military efforts.6 Pact of Mutual Assistance between USSR & Estonia Oct Pacts of Mutual Assistance between USSR, Latvia & Lithuania German troops stationed in now pro-Nazi Romania to protect oil fields Unsuccessful Italian invasion of Greece Danubian conference: conflict over predominance in Rumania Dec Hitler issues orders for preparation of (against USSR)

3 Slovakia thus became an independent country (of sorts), though it was forced to cede southern & eastern territories to Hungary. 4 This was a follow-up pact after Poland had been occupied from both sides. Lithuania was reassigned to Soviet sphere (it had been under German sphere by August pact), while a portion of Soviet-occupied Poland was assigned to Germany. In effect, border between Germany & the USSR now coincided with boundary between predominantly Polish regions and predominantly non-Polish (Ukrainian & Belarusian) ones. 5 By this revision, US would sell arms, but only for cash and only if the purchaser transported them. 6 Eventually almost all the states of eastern Europe join the Tripartite Pact, thus formally becoming Axis states: Slovakia, Hungary & Romania joined by the end of 1940; Bulgarian & Yugoslavia technically become Axis states by March, 1941.

1941 March US Lend-Lease Act vastly broadens US ability to provide material aid April German invasion of the (Yugoslavia & Greece) to bail out Mussolini USSR signs pact of neutrality with Japan June German invasion of USSR Aug between Roosevelt & Churchill.7 Nov First Soviet counteroffensive recaptures Rostov-on-the-Don Dec Soviet General Zhukov counterattacks against Germans just outside Moscow Japanese brings US into war (End) Permanent killing centers established for Jews & other "subhumans"

1942 Jan Roosevelt & Churchill discuss military planning, decide on North Africa Nov Germans reach Stalingrad, initiating Battle of Stalingrad Nov Allied landing in North Africa against Rommel (Operation TORCH)

1943 Jan Roosevelt & Churchill decide on Italian campaign at Casablanca conference Feb German forces, under Field Marshal Paulus, surrender at Stalingrad April Uprising in the Warsaw ghetto (about 50,000 Jews killed) May Stalin dissolves Comintern as good-will gesture towards allies July Allied invasion of Italy; Hitler rushes to reinforce Italians Soviet victory over Nazis at massive tank battle at Kursk (USSR) Nov Teheran Conference: Stalin, Roosevelt, & Churchill meet together for 1st time

1944 June Allies open second front in West with D-Day invasion of Normandy Sept Soviet troops begin advance into Yugoslavia and Hungary Dec German counterattack leads to Battle of the Bulge

1945 Feb Conference of Big Three at Yalta May Unconditional German surrender to Allied forces in West & East

7 The Charter spelled out ultimate aims of US and Britain: to seek no territory for themselves; to create a world in which people could choose their own form of government; to seek the "final destruction of Nazi tyranny."