9781422286036

Seeds of War

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Chapter 2: Seeds of War I n the late 1930s, the Axis powers posed a serious threat to freedom. Germany, Italy, and Japan were invading other nations. For the mil- lions of Americans entering military service after the Pearl Harbor attack, their mission was clear. They needed to stop the Axis before it was too late. What was less obvious was how this crisis began. The Axis coun- tries were home to ancient and respected cultures. Their citizens hoped for the same things as everyone else: happiness, health, good friends, and a loving family. Yet these same people also supported leaders who wanted to conquer neighbors and build empires. It made no sense.

(Above) Soldiers parade past the German chancellor Adolf Hitler during a National Socialist (Nazi) Party rally in Nuremberg, 1935. Hitler’s foreign policy was aimed at expanding the German state, and this led to the start of war in Europe during 1939.

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