22nd May 1939: The Pact of Steel signed between Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy

Описание: The Pact of Steel was negotiated by German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop and Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano. The two countries were already signatories of the Anti-Comintern Pact with Japan, which was primarily directed at the USSR.

The Pact of Steel, which was officially known as the Pact of Friendship and Alliance between Germany and Italy, further aligned the two authoritarian regimes within Europe. The agreement stipulated that the two countries would support each other militarily and politically in the event of war, promising mutual assistance and collaboration.

The timing of the Pact of Steel was significant, as it came at a time of escalating tensions in Europe and amid growing fears of another major conflict. With Nazi Germany already having annexed Austria and Czechoslovakia, and Italy having expanded its empire in Africa, the pact further emboldened both regimes in their aggressive pursuit of territorial expansion and dominance in Europe. Nevertheless the pact was based on the assumption that war would not occur for at least three years. Consequently the outbreak of the Second World War, following the German invasion of Poland, just 6 months later caught Italy by surprise and contributed to their delayed entry into the conflict.

Nevertheless the signing of the Pact of Steel had far-reaching consequences for the course of World War II, as it cemented relationship between Germany and Italy, and together with two other agreements formed the basis of the Axis alliance.