Download Section 2 Guide to the Essentials

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CHAPTER
27
Section 2 Guide to the Essentials
World War II Begins
VOCABULARY
appeasement policy of giving in to aggression to avoid war
SUMMARY
During the late 1930s, Italy, Japan, and
Germany continued their aggression. The
United States and the European democracies did little in response.
In 1938, Hitler annexed Austria. Then
he claimed part of Czechoslovakia. Britain
and France were eager to avoid war. They
made a deal that Germany could keep
this land if no additional attempts to
expand were made. However, this policy of
appeasement failed. Germany seized the
rest of Czechoslovakia. When Germany
invaded Poland in September 1939, Great
Britain and France declared war. World
War II had begun. By the summer of 1940,
German forces had conquered France and
were threatening Britain.
When war broke out in Europe, the
United States declared that it would
remain neutral. President Roosevelt, like
most Americans, sympathized with Britain
and France. He created programs by which
the United States supplied planes, guns,
and other supplies to Britain. He quietly
began preparing the nation for war.
Tensions between the United States and
Japan grew. The United States refused
to sell oil and metal to Japan unless it
stopped its attacks on other countries.
On December 7, 1941, Japanese planes
made a surprise raid on the American
naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The
attack destroyed many ships and planes.
More than 2,400 people died. An outraged
Congress declared war on Japan. The
United States entered the war on the side
of the Allies. Germany, Italy, and Japan
were the Axis powers. (See chart.)
MAJOR POWERS OF WORLD WAR II
THE ALLIES
THE AXIS POWERS
France
Germany
Soviet Union
Italy
United States
23908-TAN9E-GTE8-C27-S02A
Japan
China
REVIEW
Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.
1. How did the United States respond when war broke out in Europe in 1939?
2. Chart Skills On which side did China fight in World War II?
278
Reading and Vocabulary Study Guide
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