January 1, 1934: In a year that will see massive buildup of all branches of the German military, officials order some 4,000 new aircraft for the Luftwaffe.

June 14-15, 1934: Adolf Hitler and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini rendezvous in Venice and leave their first face-to-face meeting mutually unimpressed, with Benito Mussolini whispering “I don’t like him” to his staff.

June 30, 1934: At least 77, and perhaps as many as 400, are killed during Nazi Germany’s “Night of the Long Knives,” a purge of Nazi Party and other enemies ordered by Adolf Hitler that will secure his ascendancy in the state.

August 1934: Adolf Hitler officially becomes Der Führer, a combination of chancellor and president, when the German army swears him allegiance upon the death of President von Hindenburg.

December 1934: A buildup of the Italian military follows Benito Mussolini’s order for the conquest of Abyssinia (present-day Ethiopia).