Axis Powers
Category:World War II politics
The
Axis Powers is a term for the alliance of
Germany,
Italy,
Japan, and the other countries allied to them during
World War II. The three major Axis powers referred to themselves as the
Rome-
Berlin-
Tokyo axis. The Axis powers were opposed by the
Allies.
Italy, facing opposition to its
war in Abysinnia from the
League of Nations, forged an alliance with
Germany, which had withdrawn from the League in
1933. The term was first used by
Benito Mussolini, in November
1936, when he spoke of a
Rome-
Berlin axis in reference to the
treaty of friendship signed between Italy and Germany on
October 25, 1936. The two countries would form an "axis" around which the other states of Europe could revolve. Later, in May
1939, this relationship transformed into an alliance, dubbed the "
Pact of Steel".
The Axis was extended to include Japan as a result of the
Tripartite Treaty of
September 27,
1940. The alliance was subsequently joined by Hungary (
November 20, 1940), Romania (
November 23, 1940), Slovakia's
puppet government (
November 24, 1940) and Bulgaria (
March 1,
1941).
Yugoslavia joined on
March 25,
1941, but a British-supported
coup d'état two days later put Yugoslavia's participation in question (although King
Peter II of Yugoslavia actually declared his adherence to the treaty), leading to a German occupation of Yugoslavia in April.\nOn
April 10,
1941, the
Independent State of Croatia was proclaimed on parts of Yugoslav territory, ruled by the
Ustaše with the leader of the state being
Ante Pavelić. Other parts of Yugoslavia were either annexed, governed directly by the coalition forces, or by other locals (e.g. general Milan Nedić).
Japanese forces began occupying
Siam on December 8, 1941; Siam was forced to sign official declarations of war against the
United States and the
British Empire on
January 25,
1942.
Following the successful invasion of
France by German forces and the capture of Paris, France surrendered to
Germany on 24 June
1940. Germany divided France into occupied and non-occupied zones with the latter under the leadership of the
Vichy government, which was the official government of
France led by prime minister
Henri Philippe Pétain. The occupation resulted in a devided Franch state splintered into Vichy France and France.
Charles de Gaulle directed forces called the
Free French Forces in exile.
Manchukuo, meaning
Manchuria, was a puppet state set up by Japan on February 18, 1932. The country's independence was not recognized by the
League of Nations causing Japan to withdraw from the League. \nItaly, Germany and the
Chinese Nationalist Government under
Wang Jingwei were the only major nations to recognize the Japanese backed state. Manchuria met its dissolution in 1945 following Japan's defeat ending World War II.
In
Allied usage,
Finland was often referred to as an Axis country, but it was never a signatory. Finland characterized its relationship with Germany during the
Continuation War as
co-belligerence. Another actuarate discreption of this the relationship would be to depict it simply as a "brief warfare collaboration".
Three of the twelve Axis member countries are now defunct or inactive.
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Vichy France was established in 1940, by the surrender agreement made with
Nazi Germany. Vichy France's demise occured in August 1944 following the
Normandy Invasion by the allies. Before that, from 1942 until 1944, Germany occupied Vichy territory.
Establishment: June 22, 1940. \nDissolution: August 20, 1944.
Manchuria was declared independent by Japan in the '30s and turned into an unofficial member of the Axis Powers by Japan. Following the Atomic bombs droped on
Hiroshima and
Nagasaki, very important cities in Japan, the Japanese Empire was forced to formally surender to the Allies and except American occupation on
September 2 1945. Because of this
Manchuria was left without protection allowing
Soviet forces to invade and annex the nation. It would serve as a base for communist forces from 1945 until
1948.
Establishment:
March 9 1932.\nDissolution:
August 9 1945.
The
Independent State of Croatia was apart of the first
Yugoslavia known simply as Croatia.
Serbian hostilities against all non-Serb South Slaves withen Yugoslavia pushed Croats toward seperation but force still kept them in the union. Nazi Germany on Hitlers orders invaded Yugoslavia and backing fascist sepertist leading to Croatia's "independence" from Yugoslavia and Serbian domination. Ante Pavelić led the pro-
Nazi puppet regime and enacted racial laws, formed eight concentration camps and started a campaign to exterminate Serbs, Jews and Gypsies. The anti-fascist movement emerged early in 1941, under the command of the Communist party, led by Josip Broz Tito. The events that led to Croatia's seperation would mark a milestone in their long struggle for seperation from Serbian hostilles. Partisan resistance movements were able to fully expell Nazi forces and collaborators with assistance from the Ref Army. This move would prove to be a huge miscalulation and mistake, causing
Croats to suffer for fifty more years under authoritarion, Communist, and a pro-Serbian corrupted goverment untill the
1990s. In the early '90s the Croatia state of the 1940s was brought back into public memory as an important event commending the Nazi supporting faction for freeing Croats by any means necessary.
Establishment:
April 10,
1941.\nDissolution:
May 6,
1945.
The Italian name
Roberto briefly acquired a new meaning from "
Roma-
Berlin-
Tokio" during this time.
See also
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