World Events · 1933
Rise of Dictators and the New Deal
The year 1933 marked a decisive turning point in global history as Adolf Hitler seized power in Germany, setting the stage for war. Meanwhile, Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the New Deal to rescue the United States from the depths of the Great Depression, and Prohibition came to an end.
- January 30, 1933 | Germany
Adolf Hitler Appointed German Chancellor
President Paul von Hindenburg names Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler as Chancellor of Germany, unleashing a catastrophic shift toward totalitarian rule.
- February 27, 1933 | Germany
The Reichstag Fire
A devastating arson attack on the German parliament building is weaponized by the Nazi regime to suspend civil liberties and purge political opponents.
- March 4, 1933 | United States
Inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Taking office during the Great Depression, FDR famously declares that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself and launches the New Deal.
- March 23, 1933 | Germany
Germany Passes the Enabling Act
The Reichstag votes to grant Cabinet dictatorial powers, effectively dismantling German democracy and cementing Adolf Hitler's authority.
- March 27, 1933 | International
Japan Withdraws from the League of Nations
Following international condemnation of its invasion and occupation of Manchuria, Japan officially walks away from the League of Nations.
- May 18, 1933 | United States
Creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority
President Roosevelt signs the TVA Act into law, creating a landmark public enterprise to bring electricity and economic modernization to a depressed region.
- November 16, 1933 | Diplomacy
US Establishes Relations with the Soviet Union
President Roosevelt officially recognizes the Soviet government, opening formal diplomatic ties between the US and the USSR for the first time.
- December 5, 1933 | United States
Repeal of Prohibition in the United States
The ratification of the Twenty-first Amendment officially ends the nationwide ban on alcohol, concluding a 13-year social experiment.
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