The Road to War - 1934

In 1934, Hitler builds up his internal powers. All police forces come under command of Heirich Himmler and several political opponents disappear into jail or concentration camps… This reinforcement of power also goes deep inside the Nazi Party when The Night of the Long Knives (30 of June) and the purge of the SA faction.

In August, Adolf Hitler becomes Fuhrer, the Wermacht swears personnal oath to him and 90% of the german electorate approves the increase of his powers.

France lives a troubled year with an attempted far-right coup d’état.

In the United States, Roosevelt signs the Securities Exchange Act as the New Deal moves forward and the regulation of the Financial Sector takes place.

Great Britain discusses pacifism as a result of the Great War and few look into Germany’s rise as a threat. Almost isolated, Winston Churchill stressed in several speeches the need for a stronger Air Force, Army and a more assertive League of Nations.

The Japanese build up their force in Manchuria, creating the Manchukuo puppet state led by the former Chinese emperor Pu Yi. By the end of the year, Japan will also renounce the naval treaties of Washington (1922) and London (1930) that limited the potential capacity of the Imperial Navy.



In Italy, the Abyssinian crisis begins with a series of skirmishes.

The World slowly crawls out of the huge economic and financial crisis caused by the 1929 crash. However the way some countries do it,will put them in the path of war and confrontation…

P.