1926 - Political Events

Political Events

The German-Soviet Treaty of Berlin signed in April counterbalances last year's Treaty of Locarno, whose provisions have appeared to link Germany too closely with the Western powers (see Treaty of Rapallo, 1922). German foreign minister Ulrich, graf on Brockdorff-Rantzau, has negotiated the treaty with Soviet minister Georgy V. Chicherin.

The Kyrgyz Soviet Socialist Republic (later Kyrgyzstan) established northeast of Afghanistan is an autonomous entity whose capital city Bishkek is renamed Frunze after the late military leader Mikhail V. Frunze, who was born in the place but died last year at Moscow (the new name will be used until 1991; see 1862). Occupying about 76,600 square miles (198,500 square kilometers) in mountainous Central Asia, the former oblast (province) has a population made up largely of nomadic Sunni Muslim cattle, horse, and sheep raisers. Their leaders have resisted Soviet control, but the country was included in Turkestan 5 years ago and will become a constituent republic of the USSR in 1936.

Josef Stalin establishes himself as virtual dictator of the Soviet Union, beginning a 27-year rule that will de-emphasize world revolution but bring new repression to Soviet citizens and terror to Russia's neighbors (see 1924). Former Menshevik leader Nikolai S. Chkheidze commits suicide in exile at Leuville-sur-Orge June 13 at age 61. The Politburo expels Leon Trotsky and Grigori Zinoviev in October.

Finland's Social Democratic Party leader Väinö Tanner, 45, forms a minority government that grants a general amnesty to political prisoners held since the 1918 civil war. Tanner will be prime minister until next year.

Ireland's Fianna Fail Party is founded by nationalists who include Robert Briscoe, 31.

Italy's Benito Mussolini assumes total power October 7, making the Fascist Party the party of the state and brooking no opposition. Former Chamber of Deputies member Alcide De Gasperi, 45, is arrested but finds refuge in the Vatican, where he will remain until 1943.

Serbia's prime minister Nikola Pasic dies at Belgrade December 10 at age 80, having served five times as prime minister of Serbia and three times since 1918 as prime minister of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.

Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud proclaims himself king of Hejaz January 8 (see 1924); now 43, he has obtained a fatwa from the Islamic religious authorities (the ulama) empowering him to crush the Ikhwan who helped him gain power, renames the country Saudi Arabia, and will impose the austere Wahabi rules of Islam on it (see 1927).

The French fleet bombards Damascus May 8 in an effort to suppress the great Druse (Druze) insurrection that began last year. Paris proclaims Lebanon a republic May 23, fighting continues, but the rebellion will have largely died out by the middle of next year.

The former (and final) Ottoman sultan Mehmed VI dies at San Remo, Italy, May 16 at age 65.

Morocco's Rif president Abd el-Krim surrenders to the French May 27 after a Spanish force has landed at Alhucemas near Ajdir and a 160,000-man French army has attacked from the south under the command of Marshal Philippe Pétain (see 1924). The technological superiority of the colonial powers has made it clear to Abd el-Krim that he cannot win, and the French exile him to the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean, where he will be held until 1947.

Diplomat Gertrude Lothian Bell dies of a sleeping-pill overdose at Baghdad July 12 at age 57, having felt redundant. British Army officer John B. (Bagot) Glubb, 29, resigns to become an administrative inspector for the Iraqi government, a position he will retain until 1930 (see 1939).

Hungarian feminist-pacifist Rosika Schwimmer, 49, files final papers for U.S. citizenship but refuses to swear that she will bear arms for the country in the event of war. A district court denies her application, a ruling that will be reversed on appeal (see Supreme Court decision, 1929).

U.S. troops land in Nicaragua beginning May 2 to preserve order and protect U.S. interests in the face of a revolt against the new president Emiliano Chamorro, who resigns under pressure in the fall.

Brazilians elect former São Paulo mayor Washington (Pereira de Sousa) Luís, 57, November 15; he will serve until 1930, inaugurating a huge highway construction program despite crushing foreign loans.

Canada's Liberal Party loses at the polls, Prime Minister Mackenzie King is unseated, a Conservative government takes office, Arthur Meighen begins a brief second term as prime minister, but his party is defeated in the House of Commons at Ottawa, and King begins a second term that will continue until 1930.

Former U.S. Army colonel William "Billy" Mitchell begins a nationwide lecture tour in early February to urge modernization of the nation's air defenses and improved safety for military and naval pilots, warning that Hawaii is vulnerable to air attack from Japan (see 1925; Pearl Harbor, 1941).

Former Hawaii governor Sanford B. Dole dies at Honolulu June 9 at age 82; five-time Socialist Party candidate for president Eugene V. Debs at a sanitarium outside Chicago October 20 at age 70; former House speaker Joseph G. Cannon (R. Ill.) at Danville, Ill., November 12 at age 90.

Chinese warlord Zhang Zuolin (Chang Tso-lin) defeats his rival Feng Yü-hsiang in April (see 1924). Former warlord Duan Qirui (Tuan Ch'i-jui) is no longer necessary to mediate their differences and goes into retirement at Shanghai. Chiang Kai-shek succeeds the late Sun Yat-sen as leader of China's revolutionary party and begins unification under the Guomindang (Kuomintang), which holds power only in the south (see 1925). Chiang takes Wuchang in October and establishes that city as his seat of power (see 1927).

Annam in Southeast Asia hails the accession of Prince Nguyen Vinh Thuy as 13th emperor in his dynasty; the 12-year-old is given the name Bao Dai ("Keeper of Greatness"), but Annam remains part of French Indochina (see 1945).

Japan's prime minister Takaaki Kato dies at Tokyo January 28 at age 66 after a brief ministry in which he has reduced the power of the military even while modernizing it and introducing military training in middle and higher schools. His administration has also put through an antisubversive law providing for prison terms of up to 10 years for membership in any group proposing abolition of private property or advocating change in the "national polity." The influence of Japan's army and navy will increase enormously in the next 15 years (see Mukden, 1931). The mentally deranged Taisho emperor Yoshihito dies at Hayama December 25 at age 47 after a 14-year reign. His 25-year-old son has been acting as regent during Yoshihito's 5-year mental illness and will reign until 1989 as the Showa emperor Hirohito.