The Axis Powers

The Axis Powers were not happy with the land they controlled. They wanted to control the world. Italy took Ethiopia. Germany wanted to control its neighbors. Japan took much of China.

In 1936 Spain was having a civil war. It had a Communist government at this time. Francisco Franco was trying to overthrow the government.

German and Italy sent help to Franco. After 3 years of fighting Franco took over Spain. This war gave Germany and Italy a chance to test their new weapons.

Hitler moved his armies into Austria in 1938. Other countries in Europe did not stop Hitler because they did not want another war.

The American government passed the Neutrality Acts. These laws were designed to keep the U. S. out of Europe's problems. The acts said:

1. The U. S. could not sell arms or weapons to any nation fighting in Europe.
2. Loans could not be made to those nations.
3. Raw materials sold to nations at war had to be paid for in advance.
4. No American ships could carry the goods into the war zone.

Hitler wanted a piece of land which belonged to Czechoslovakia called Sudetenland. England and France told Hitler that he should not take the land. They decided to meet with Germany.

A meeting was held in Munich, Germany in 1938 between Germany and the leaders of France and England. Hitler told them that this small piece of land was all he wanted. The leaders of France and England gave in to this request.

In only six months Hitler took the rest of Czechoslovakia. Italy took Albania, Japan took more of China.

In August of 1939 Hitler signed a treaty with Russia. The treaty said that the two nations would never fight each other. After this Hitler began to attack the nations in Western Europe.