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| 1935, Jan. 7 |
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| Franco-Italian agreement, dealing with conflicting interests in Africa, but meant to pave the way to Franco-Italian cooperation in the event of action by Germany. Italy was given more or less a free hand in Ethiopia, which it soon used by sending a large force to Eritrea (Feb. 23) (See 1934, July). | 1 |
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| Jan. 13 |
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| Plebiscite in the Saar Basin, resulting in an overwhelming vote for union with Germany. Ninety percent of the electors voted for reunion with Germany, as against union with France or continùation of League administration. | 2 |
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| March 16 |
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| GERMANY FORMALLY DENOUNCED THE CLAUSES OF THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES CONCERNING ITS DISARMAMENT, reintroduced conscription, and announced that its army would be increased to 36 divisions. This step was based on the failure of the other powers to disarm as provided in the peace treaties and on the steady growth of French and Soviet military establishments. | 3 |
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| April 11 |
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| Stresa conference among Britain, France, and Italy, establishing a common front in view of the German action. | 4 |
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| May 2 |
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| Franco-Russian Alliance concluded for five years. For some time the French government had labored not only to resuscitate its alliances with the Little Entente powers and Poland, but also to bring Germany, Poland, and Russia into an eastern pact guaranteeing the status quo. Both Germany and Poland evaded this suggestion, and after the announcement of German rearmament, the French government hurried into the alliance with Russia. Each promised the other aid in case of unprovoked aggression. | 5 |
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| May 16 |
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| Conclusion of a pact of mutual assistance between Russia and Czechoslovakia, together with an air convention. By the terms Russia was obliged to come to the aid of Czechoslovakia in case of attack, provided that France did likewise. The agreement followed the breakdown of French efforts to engineer an eastern pact, and the conclusion of the Franco-Russian Alliance. | 6 |
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| June 18 |
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| Anglo-German naval agreement by which Germany promised not to expand its navy beyond 35 percent of that of Britain. By this pact Hitler did much to reassure the British and drive a wedge into the Anglo-French entente. | 7 |
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| Sept |
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| THE ETHIOPIAN CRISIS. By this time Italian preparations for invasion were complete, and Mussolini no longer concealed the fact that only the annexation of Ethiopia would satisfy him. League action against Italy ended in failure (See 1934, July). | 8 |
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