The Nazi Party took control of the government renouncing the Treaty of Versailles and promising stability, economic development, and to regain the land they believed belonged to Germany. Chancellor Hitler preached anti-Semitism, anti-communism, superiority and entitlement.

Japan was the Axis Power in Asia and the Pacific. Japan was ruled by militarist leaders who wanted Japan to be a world colonial power. Japan was at war with China trying to expand their territory and natural resources. The U.S. and the United Kingdom helped China with military assistance and a blockade of raw materials and oil. The embargo was so successful that Japan was afraid their economy would be ruined. Japan's leaders decided to go to war against the United Kingdom, believing the British had all they could handle with Germany, and against the United States, thinking it would be years before they could get organized to fight.

Japan declared war on the United States by attacking Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Just days later, December 12, 1941, Germany declared war on the U.S.  The war progressed quickly in the beginning; Germany seized Poland, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium and France in the first year. In 1941 they captured Yugoslavia and Greece.

The war spread to North Africa where British forces were attacked by German and Italian soldiers. The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force and Royal Navy were successful staving off the Germans and protecting their country.

Germany wanted the European land held by the Soviet Union, so in June 1941, Germany attacked the Soviet Union in the Operation Barbarossa.