1934 General Historical Events

General Historical Events

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January 3

*France plunged close to civil war as the Russian born promoter Serge Stavisky, accused of issuing fraudulent bonds, committed suicide at Chamonix amid rumors that many in the French establishment are involved in corruption.

February 

*In Austria, Dollfuss banned all political parties except his own, the Fatherland Front.  

*In Nicaragua, General Somoza, who commanded the National Guard, invited the guerrilla leader General Sandino to a meeting at which Sandino was killed in cold blood.

February 6-9 

*The Stavisky affair led to riots in Paris, a general strike followed.  The French Republic was saved by the formation of a coalition government made of politicians untouched by any connection with the Stavisky affair. 

February 17

*Albert (age 58), King of the Belgians, died in a mountaineering accident was succeeded by his 32 year old son Leopold III.

June 30

*Adolf Hitler ordered a purge of the Nazi Party.  Over seventy (700 party members were killed, including Ernst Rohm and Gregor Stresser and their supporters.  

July 13

*Heinrich Himmler (age 33) was put in charge of German concentration camps. 

July 25

*The Vienna radio station was seized by Austrian Nazis.  The staff are forced to announce that Dolfuss had resigned.  The Nazis then entered the chancellery and killed Dollfuss.

August 2

*Hindenburg (age 87), the President of Germany, died, leaving the way clear for Hitler to become head of state.

August 19

*A plebiscite of the German people gave Hitler eighty-eight percent (88%) of the votes needed to assume the presidency.  He retained the title of Fuhrer.

September 18

*The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) joined the League of Nations.

October 9

*Arriving in Marseilles, King Alexander of Yugoslavia was assassinated along with Louis Barthou, the French Foreign Minister.  The assassin represented Croat revolutionaries based in Hungary, and the French are tempted to declare war on Hungary, but this was averted by League of Nations intervention.  Alexander was succeeded by his eleven year old son, Peter II. 

*In China, Mao Tse Tung (Mao Zedong) led his Communist force out of Kiangsi with Nationalist troops in hot pursuit.  In the Long March that would last a year and take them 9,600 kilometers (6,000 miles), the Communists fight a continual rearguard action against the Nationalists.  At the end of the Long March, Mao would only have 20,000 men left out of his original army of 90,000. 

November 25

*Mustapha Kemal issued a decree that all Turks must adopt surnames.  His own would be Ataturk -- "Father of the Turks". 

December 1

Sergeo Mironovich, Stalin's close associate, was assassinated in Leningrad.

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*The most popular musical on Broadway was Cole Porter's Anything Goes.  

Belize

(British Honduras)

*A powerful hurricane made landfall in British Honduras (June 5).  Over the next four days between 1,000 and 3,000 people in Central America were killed by massive floods and landslides.

Brazil

*The Third Constitution of Brazil was promulgated (July 16).

Cuba

*Cuban President Ramon Grau signed a decree setting April 22 as the date for the election of a constitutional assembly (January 2). Grau also said that he would not be continuing in the presidency beyond May 20.

*10,000 teachers went on strike across Cuba in protest of President Grau, accusing his government of tyranny and oppression (January 8).

*Ramon Grau resigned as President of Cuba and was replaced by Carlos Hevia (January 15). Soldiers fired on a crowd of Grau supporters gathered around the presidential palace, killing three.

*Carlos Hevia resigned as President of Cuba on just his third day in office (January 17).

*Manuel Marquez Sterling became the new President of Cuba for a few hours and was then replaced by Carlos Mendieta (January 18).
  

*The United States formally recognized Cuba (January 23).

*5,000 Cuban rail workers went on strike for more pay (January 28).

*Cuba adopted a new provisional constitution (February 4).

*The Partido Autentico was founded in Cuba (February 8).

*Unknown assailants made an attempt on the life of the American ambassador to Cuba Jefferson Caffery, firing at the entrance to his home in Havana with sawed off shotguns at the precise time that he usually came out (May 27).  Caffery was not injured but a soldier standing guard was seriously wounded.

*Representatives of the United States and Cuba signed a treaty in Washington abrogating the Platt Amendment (May 29).

*The United States Congress ratified the treaty with Cuba abrogating the Platt Amendment (May 31).

*Cuban President Carlos Mendieta narrowly avoided an assassination attempt when a bomb exploded directly behind his chair during a luncheon (June 15).  Mendieta was wounded and two naval officers were killed.

*Gunmen in Havana opened fire on a parade of a secret political organization known as the ABC (June 17).  Marchers prepared for such an attack returned fire, and police dispersed the battle with gas bombs.  A total of 12 people were killed.

*The United States and Cuban governments signed a reciprocal trade agreement to strengthen economic ties between the two countries (August 24).

*Eight were killed by bombs in Havana during a nationwide strike of government workers (September 4). President Carlos Mendieta promised a relaxation of martial law.

*Cuban officials revealed the confiscation of five mail packages containing bombs addressed to American ambassador Jefferson Caffery (September 11). 

*Former Cuban president Ramon Grau fled the country by plane with seven members of his family (September 27). The executive committee of his party, the Partido Autentic, issued a statement saying it had advised him to leave after receiving reports that he was in personal danger.

*A one-day general strike was held in Cuba (October 8). The Communist Confederation of Labor in Cuba called it off that night after a day of rioting.

*FBI agents shot John Dillinger -- "Public Enemy Number 1".