1932 (FRIDAY)
GERMANY: Minister of Defense Kurt von Schleicher is entrusted with the task of forming a Government because of the fall of the Franz von Papen Government. Von Papen's reactionary policies upset Schleicher who favoured a coalition of the centre. When Schleicher manages to persuade several government ministers to turn against von Papen and he is forced from office and von Schleicher becomes Chancellor.
1933 (SATURDAY)
NEWFOUNDLAND: Newfoundland goes broke and gives up self-governing Dominion status and suspends its constitution; caused by disastrous financial situation.
1935 (MONDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: In preparation for the upcoming London Naval disarmament conference, the League of Nations hosts a one-day disarmament conference in London.
December 2nd, 1939 (SATURDAY)
UNITED KINGDOM: Conscription is extended to all men between the ages of 19
and 41.
FINLAND: Finnish government asks Sweden to mediate peace with the Soviets.
Soviet government concludes a treaty of friendship and co-operation with Kuusinen's 'People's Government of Finland'. They swap territories (Kuusinen gives 3970 sq. kilometres territory in Karelian Isthmus and receives 70 000 sq. kilometres of territory in eastern Karelia) and Stalin promises that "the heroic Red Army helps Finnish People's Government in its battle against war-mongers and oppressors of the people".
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: The German liner 'Watussi'
is scuttled by her crew after she is spotted by a Junkers Ju 86Z-7 of 15 Squadron of
the SAAF which directs the heavy cruiser HMS SUSSEX (96) to intercept. The
freighter has already been abandoned when set on fire by HMS Sussex and
battlecruiser HMS Renown (72) just polished off the burning hulk.
Watussi
had been acting as a supply ship for German surface raiders.
CANADA: Submarines HMS Cachalot and Seal departed Halifax as
convoy escorts.
U.S.A.: New York Municipal Airport (now LaGuardia Airport) opens for traffic. The first aircraft to land is a Transcontinental and Western Airlines (TWA) DC-3 from Chicago which lands at 0001 hours local.
Major General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, Chief of the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC), has his project for a four-engine bomber with a 2,000 mile (3 219 kilometre) radius of action approved. This will lead to the production of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress.
ATLANTIC OCEAN: German armoured ship Admiral GRAF SPEE stops 10,086 ton British freighter SS Doric Star (10,086 BRT) in the South Atlantic; the warship then torpedoes, shells, and sinks the merchantman which sinks about 684 nautical miles (1 267 kilometres) east-southeast of St. Helena Island in position 19.15S, 05.05E. The sinks the British freight steamer DORIC STAR . (Navynews & Jack McKillop)