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In 1939, Germany invaded Poland, breaking the Treaty of Versailles, along with the non-aggression pact in order to neutralize the possibility of a French-Polish military alliance against Germany. Hitler attacked Poland due to the amount of German people that lived there. Hitler intended to invade Poland, but first he had to neutralize the possibility that the Soviet Union would resist the invasion. Secret negotiations led on August 23–24 to sign the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact in Moscow. In a secret protocol of this pact, the Germans and the Soviets agreed that Poland should be divided between them, with the western third of the country going to Germany and the eastern two-thirds being taken over by the U.S.S.R. Hitler thought that Germany would attack Poland with no danger of Soviet or British intervention and gave orders for the invasion to start on August 26. Before Germany invaded Poland, Italy and Germany signed the Pact of Steel, solidifying their military alliance on May, 22, 1939. Italy joined the Axis powers alongside Germany and Japan. Italy did not want to invade Poland. Mussolini expressed that he did not want to join the war and he feared the conflict surrounding the invasion. After Germany invaded Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany on September 3, 1939.

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In 1940, Italy joined World War II under its leader, Benito Mussolini. Mussolini wanted to make Italy more powerful and thought the war was a chance to grow the country’s land and influence. Although Italy had signed an agreement with Germany in 1939, Mussolini waited to join the war because Italy’s army was not ready. He hoped to join only when it looked like Germany was going to win. By June 1940, Germany had quickly defeated many countries in Europe. France was losing the war, and Mussolini believed it was the right time to act. On June 10, 1940, Italy declared war on France and Britain. Italian soldiers attacked southern France, but they did not get very far. Soon after, France surrendered to Germany, and Italy took only a small piece of land. Italy also started planning attacks in North Africa. From its colony in Libya, Italy wanted to attack British-controlled Egypt and take over the Suez Canal. This canal was important for trade and military movement. But Italy’s army had many problems, such as poor supplies and weak planning. Mussolini thought joining the war in 1940 would bring Italy power and land.

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The Battle of Britain, fought from July to October 1940, was a pivotal conflict during World War II. After the fall of France, Germany aimed to invade Britain but first needed to establish air superiority. The Luftwaffe, Germany's air force, launched extensive bombing raids against British ports, airfields, and radar stations, with the goal of weakening the Royal Air Force (RAF) and paving the way for Operation Sea Lion, the planned invasion of Britain. Despite being outnumbered, the RAF, utilizing advanced radar technology and skilled pilots, successfully defended British airspace. The Luftwaffe suffered significant losses, and by October, the invasion plans were postponed indefinitely, marking a crucial turning point in the war. Italy's involvement in the Battle of Britain was limited but notable. In October 1940, Benito Mussolini, seeking to support Germany and assert Italy's role in the conflict, deployed the Corpo Aereo Italiano (Italian Air Corps) to assist in the air campaign against Britain. The Italian force, consisting of approximately 170 aircraft, operated from bases in Belgium. Their missions included bombing raids on British coastal towns such as Harwich, Felixstowe, and Ipswich. However, the Italian aircraft, including the Fiat CR.42 Falco and BR.20 bombers, were generally outdated and less effective compared to the RAF's modern fighters. Despite their efforts, the Italian contribution had minimal impact on the overall outcome of the battle. The Corpo Aereo Italiano suffered losses and returned to Italy by early 1941, marking the end of Italy's direct involvement in the Battle of Britain.

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The Holocaust was the mass killing of about six million Jews during World War II by Nazi Germany. Other groups were also targeted, including Romani people, disabled individuals, and political prisoners. The Holocaust began after Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party took power in Germany in 1933. They blamed Jews for Germany’s problems and passed laws to take away their rights. In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws banned Jews from marrying non-Jews and made them second-class citizens. In 1938, violence increased during Kristallnacht (“Night of Broken Glass”), when Nazi gangs attacked Jewish homes, businesses, and synagogues. Many Jews were arrested or killed. When World War II started in 1939, Germany took over more land and placed Jews in crowded ghettos. In 1941, special killing squads called Einsatzgruppen began mass shootings of Jews in Eastern Europe. In 1942, Nazi leaders met at the Wannsee Conference to plan the “Final Solution”, the full extermination of the Jewish people. Death camps like Auschwitz were built, where millions were murdered in gas chambers. Italy, ruled by dictator Benito Mussolini, passed its own anti-Jewish laws in 1938. These laws took jobs and rights away from Italian Jews. At first, Italy did not send Jews to death camps. But in 1943, when Germany took control of northern Italy, the Nazis began arresting Jews there. About 7,500 Italian Jews were killed.

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The Battle of Stalingrad, fought from August 1942 to February 1943, was one of the deadliest and most important battles of World War II. It happened in the Soviet city of Stalingrad (now called Volgograd). Nazi Germany wanted to take over the city to control oil fields and weaken the Soviet Union. The German army, led by General Friedrich Paulus, began attacking the city, causing terrible destruction. The Soviet Red Army, led by General Vasily Chuikov, fought hard to defend it. The battle turned into brutal street fighting, with both sides suffering heavy losses. In November 1942, the Soviet Union launched a surprise attack called Operation Uranus. They surrounded the German army in Stalingrad and cut off their supplies. The Germans, along with their allies, were trapped in freezing weather with little food or medicine. Even though Hitler told his troops not to give up, they could not escape. On February 2, 1943, the German forces surrendered. This was a huge loss for Nazi Germany and a major turning point in the war. Italy was one of Germany’s allies and sent soldiers to help in the attack on the Soviet Union. The Italian Eighth Army was placed near Stalingrad to protect the sides of the German army. When the Soviets launched their counterattack, the Italian troops were quickly overrun. Many were killed or captured. Italy’s defeat at Stalingrad showed how weak the Axis side was becoming. The loss hurt Italy’s army and lowered support for the war back home.