Timeline of events preceding World War II

This timeline of events preceding World War II covers the events (mostly during the interwar period [1918–1939] after World War I) that affected or led to World War II.

1910s: 1910 · 1918 · 1919 1920s: 1920 · 1921 · 1922 · 1923 · 1924 · 1925 · 1926  · 1927 · 1928 · 1929 1930s: 1930 · 1931 · 1932 · 1933 · 1934 · 1935 · 1936  · 1937 · 1938 · 1939 Leaders of major participating countries October 8 September 5 August 22–29 November 7 [O.S.

October 25] October 28–31 October 28 November 11 November 13 December 27 January 4–15 January 18 January 31 February February 13 March 2 March 12 March 21 May 15 June 21 June 28 July August 1 August 3 August 8 September 10 September 12 November 27 January 21 February 24 March June 4 August 10 October November 2 November 15 December 24 Spring March 7–17 March 18 April 24 August 25 August 29 October 5 November 9 February 6 March April 16 October October 11 October 29 November 1 January 11 January 26 June July 24 August 31 September 27 October 23–25 October 29 November 8 January 21 February 1 March 16 April 1 April 6 June 10 August 16 August 18 January 20 April 4 May 12 July 18 December 1 January 3 January 31 April 24 September 8 December 25 April 12 May 20 June 7 November 12 December 14 May 3 May 28 June 4 August 2 August 27 October 1 November 6 February 9 February 11 March 28 April 3 June 7 July 24 August 31 October 29 April 22 June 30 September 14 May 19 September 18 September 19 January 7 January 28 February 27 March 1 April 10 May 4 May 30 July 25 August 30 November 4 November 8 November 21 December 3 January 1 January 30 February 27 February 28 March 4 March 20 March 23 March 25 March 27 April 1 April 26 May 1 May 2 May 15 May 31 June 21 July 14 August 25 September 2 September 12 October 19 November 16 November 24 January 26 February 9 February 12–16 March 20 May 5 June 30 July 20 July 25 August 2 August 8 September October 5 October 9 October 16 December 1 December 5 December 29 January 7 June 18 August 31 September 15 October 3 November 14 January 20 February 6 February 26 March 7 March 25 May 5 June 3 July 18 August 1 August 19 October October 18 November 3 November 14 November 15 November 25 December 1 December 12 December 23 December 24 January 20 February 21 26 April May 7 May 28 June 21 July 7 August 8 August 13 October 5 October 13 November 5 November 6 November 26 December 1 December 8 December 11 December 12 December 13 January 26 March 6 March 13 March 24 July 6–16 July 29 August September 27 September 30 October 5 November 7 November 9 January 25 January 27 March 14 March 15 March 20 March 21 March 23 March 25 March 31 April 1 April 3 April 4 April 7–12 April 14 April 18 April 28 April 29 May 9 May 11 May 17 May 22 May 31 June 7 June 14 July 10 August 2 August 23 August 25 August 28 August 30 September 1

Detail from William Orpen 's painting The Signing of Peace in the Hall of Mirrors, Versailles, 28th June 1919 , showing the signing of the peace treaty by the German Minister of Transport Dr Johannes Bell , opposite to the representatives of the winning powers.
Wolfgang Kapp, the leader of the Putsch
A map showing the partition of the Ottoman Empire as a result of the Treaty of Sèvres .
Borders established during the Peace of Riga.
Two French soldiers and a German civilian in the Ruhr during its occupation by the French and Belgians, 1923.
Lenin and Stalin
The unfortunate Engelbert Dollfuss
"Long knives" victim Ernst Röhm with Hitler , August 1933
Fighting during the initial beginning of the Spanish Civil War, July 1936.
Aftermath of Kristallnacht , the Night of Broken Glass (9–10 November 1938)
From left to right: Chamberlain , Daladier , Hitler , Mussolini , and Ciano pictured before signing the Munich Agreement, which gave the Sudetenland to Germany.
The world powers in 1939, before the start of World War II.
Japanese infantry at the Battle of Khalkin Gol near two wrecked Soviet armored cars, July 1939.