Editing Universe-A (section)

==== Pre-World War II ====
The prelude to World War II (1933–1939) saw [[Adolf Hitler]]’s rise to power in 1933 and [[Japan]]’s aggressive expansion in [[Asia]]. Germany, under Hitler, initiated territorial annexations, including [[Austria]] (Anschluss) and [[Czechoslovakia]], while Britain and France engaged in appeasement efforts, notably the [[:wikipedia:Treaty of Munich|Treaty of Munich]]. However, tensions reached a breaking point in September 1939 when Hitler invaded [[Poland]], leading Britain and France to declare war. This began the "Phoney War" phase, which ended in 1940 as Germany invaded several European nations and launched the [[:wikipedia:Blitzkrieg|Blitzkrieg]] against France and the Low Countries. Key events included the Dunkirk evacuation and the Battle of Britain.