The document discusses the rise of fascism in Europe following World War 1 and the Great Depression. It describes how Germany, Italy, and Japan became dominated by authoritarian nationalist leaders like Hitler, Mussolini, and Japanese military leaders. These fascist governments began aggressively expanding their territory, with Japan invading Manchuria, Mussolini invading Ethiopia, and Hitler remilitarizing Germany in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Meanwhile, the Western democracies pursued a policy of appeasement and did little to stop the aggression, hoping to avoid another costly war. This allowed the Axis alliance between Germany, Italy, and Japan to strengthen despite warning signs of impending global conflict.