TIMELINE 1918-39

1918

WWI ends on 11 november

1919

in January, leaders of the failed left-wing Spartacist uprising are arrested and shot; in June the treaty of Versailles is signed

1920

in march disenfranchised veterans of the Freikorps attempt a failed right-wing putsch against the government

1921

reparations payments begin; Hitler takes on the leadership of the nationalsozialistische Deutsche arbeiterpartei (NDSAP); the Sa is founded under ernst röhm

1922

Burdened by post-war reparations, germany defaults on making payments; in march the Hitler Jugend is formed

1923

in January French and Belgian troops occupy the ruhr, germany’s industrial heartland, to ensure payments are made. By September hyperinflation makes government-issued paper money useless

1925

SS (Schutzstaffel) is founded as Hitler’s personal bodyguard

1926

germany joins the league of nations

1928

in august the us, uk, italy and germany sign the kellogg-briand Pact, agreeing to forego war except in selfdefence

1929

Wall Street Crash; unemployment in the Weimar republic reaches

1.8 million

1930

german unemployment reaches 3.2 million

1931

Hitler becomes chancellor in January

1932

german unemployment reaches 6 million and the bread lines grow

1933

in February the reichstag burns, a crime tied to Communists, resulting in 4,000 arrests. in march Hitler is granted total power by the enabling act, voted in by the german population; in april goebbels motivates the burning of ‘non-german’ books; first concentration camps established; in secret, germany begins re-armament

1934

in march Hitler has a setback when he fails to take control of austria after mussolini, having a treaty with austria, intervenes. in June, Hitler and Himmler strike against the Sa and röhm is killed. in august, Hitler combines the positions of chancellor and president to become the supreme leader – the führer; the military and civilians are required to take an oath to support Hitler

1935

in January, as a result of a plebiscite in which 90 per cent vote yes, the Saar industrial area is returned to germany after its loss as part of the treaty of Versailles. in September the nuremberg laws, excluding Jews from citizenship and rights, are passed

1937

in november the anti-comintern Pact, aimed against the Soviet union, is signed with Japan; nazi germany and mussolini’s italy sign romeberlin axis pact

1938

in march, Hitler is successful in assimilating austria into the german reich after the vast majority of austrians vote yes; in October germany occupies Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland without a shot fired, as the result of ‘appeasement’ in the hope of preventing war

1939

in august the molotovrippentrop pact is signed between ussr and germany, allowing for both to mutually attack Poland in September