(a) (i) Fascism: Italy had to spend a lot of money during the First World War on her army and war equipments. She was under heavy debts. Italian government was faced with serious problems of poverty, hunger, disease and unemployment, Riots and strikes broke out all over the country. The government was not strong enough to maintain law and order in the state. In this situation of general lawlessness the Fascist seized the power in Italy. They had an imperialistic attitude. Italy turned towards Germany and Japan and concluded a treaty of friendship leading to BerlinRome-Tokyo Axis in opposition to Franco-British Alliance. In 1940, Italy entered the Second World War. Nazism: Hitler preached the Gospel of Victorious sword. He broke the bonds of the Treaty of Versailles and began to build up Germany’s armed forces. In March 1938, he made his first move to occupy Rhineland that had be demilitarized by the Treaty of Varsailles. He then captured Vienna. Soon he turned his attention to Sudetarland. The Czech government accepted the Munich Pact in the interest of Peace and Hitler’s troops occupied Sudetarland. Soon in March 1939 Germany invaded rest of Czechosolvakia without any justification. Hitler wanted to occupy Darzig corridor because it was mostly occupied by Germans and also he could connect East Prussia with Germany. On 1st September, 1939 Germans stormed into Poland. On 3rd September Britain and France declared war on Germany. Thus the Second World War began. 

(ii) Japan’s invasion of China: An important act of aggression after the First World War was the invasion of China by Japan in 1931. China appealed to the League of Nations to declare sanctions against Japan but Britain and France, the leading members of the League did not give any attention. Japan occupied Manchuria and set up a government there. In 1933 Japan left the League and started occupying British and American properties in China but Britain and France followed the policy of appeasement thinking Japanese could be used to – weaker China. On 7th December, 1941 Japan attached the US Fleet in Pearl Harbour in Hawai shocking the American. USA, declared war on the Axis power. 

(b) Consequences of the War: Everyone looked for a better and happier world after the Second World War. The horrors of the Two World War and the failure of the League of Nations led to a meeting of the Big Three—Roosevelt (President of USA), Churchill (Prime Minister of Britain) and Stalin (Premier of USSR) at Yalta in February 1945. They resolved to convene a conference of the representatives of all nations to draw up the Charter of the United Nations. This led to the establishment of the United Nations on October 24, 1945. The Wars left a legacy of misery and depression in nearly every country and UNO was established to maintain world peace and secure the economic and social as well as political security to every nation.