the battles begin

1
GERMANY FRANCE ITALY UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS GREAT BRITAIN POLAND ROMANIA AUSTRIA SWITZ. ALBANIA DENMARK TURKEY SPAIN IRELAND NORWAY SWEDEN HUNGARY Y U G O S L A V I A C Z E C H O SLOVA K I A BULGARIA ATLANTIC OCEAN Black Sea M e diterra n e a n S e a Axis Powers Axis control N S E W Pre-war Expansion 264 The Battles Begin Fighting Before the War Even before World War II officially began, many countries were fighting. In 1935 Italy invaded Ethiopia. Just two years later Japan invaded China. In 1938 Germany took over Austria. The two countries did not fight, but many Austrians wanted their country to be free. Then in 1938 and 1939, even more trouble occurred. First, Adolf Hitler demanded that Germans in Czechoslovakia be allowed to join Germany. France and Great Britain had promised to help Czechoslovakia. Instead, they let Hitler take pieces of the country. But that was not enough for Hitler. In March 1939 he took over the entire country. Hitler next wanted to conquer Poland. But the USSR to Poland’s east also wanted some of the country.

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Sudetenland

Rhineland

GERMANY

FRANCE

ITALY

UNION OF SOVIETSOCIALIST REPUBLICS

GREATBRITAIN

POLAND

ROMANIA

AUSTRIASWITZ.

ALBANIA

DENMARK

TURKEY

SPAIN

IRELAND

NORWAY SWEDEN

HUNGARY

YUGOSLAVIA

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

BULGARIA

ATLANTICOCEAN

Black Sea

Mediterranean Sea Axis PowersAxis control

N

S

EW

Pre-war Expansion

264

The Battles BeginFighting Before the War

Even before World War II officially began, many countries were fighting. In 1935 Italy invaded Ethiopia. Just two years later Japan invaded China. In 1938 Germany took over Austria. The two countries did not fight, but many Austrians wanted their country to be free. Then in 1938 and 1939, even more trouble occurred.

First, Adolf Hitler demanded that Germans in Czechoslovakia be allowed to join Germany. France and Great Britain had promised to help Czechoslovakia. Instead, they let Hitler take pieces of the country. But that was not enough for Hitler. In March 1939 he took over the entire country.

Hitler next wanted to conquer Poland. But the USSR to Poland’s east also wanted some of the country.