Pact of Steel Is Signed
The Pact of Steel, signed on May 22, 1939, was a military and political alliance between the leaders of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, and Fascist Italy, Benito Mussolini. This agreement marked a significant step in the formation of the Axis powers, which would later expand to include Japan. At the time, Mussolini had initially been the more dominant figure, having established his Fascist regime in Italy during the 1920s, while Hitler was still on the rise. However, the balance of power shifted as Germany's military strength grew, particularly following its rearmament and aggressive expansion in Europe during the late 1930s.
The alliance forged by the Pact of Steel was driven by mutual interests in expanding their influence and countering Western powers. As World War II loomed, the two leaders aimed to solidify their partnership and strategy for the impending conflict. In a notable move, Mussolini later agreed to join Hitler in the war against the Allies after the invasion of Poland. The Pact of Steel represents a crucial moment in the lead-up to World War II, highlighting the collaboration between two authoritarian regimes during a period of significant geopolitical tension.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Pact of Steel Is Signed
World War II: Pact of Steel Is Signed
The Pact of Steel, an alliance between German leader Adolf Hitler and Italian leader Benito Mussolini, was signed on May 22, 1939. It was an agreement between the two like-minded, right-wing leaders on the eve of World War II which formed the Axis coalition. Later this alliance would come to include Japan, also under the control of a right-wing, militaristic government.
For many years Mussolini had been the senior partner in his relationship with Hitler. Mussolini's Fascists came to power in Italy during the 1920s when Hitler was just an aspiring rabble-rouser. However, after Hitler and the Nazis rose to power in Germany during the 1930s, Germany experienced a military and industrial revival which made it far more powerful than Italy. While Mussolini's forces struggled against poorly armed opponents during the Ethiopian campaign in Africa, Hitler was able to face down both the British and the French. He reoccupied the Rhineland and openly violated the Treaty of Versailles by rearming Germany, without any serious consequences. In 1938 he absorbed Austria into greater Germany and received permission from the British and French at Munich to take the German-speaking Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia.
While preparing for a greater European war that would begin with the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, Hitler secretly sought to secure various allies. Mussolini, now the junior partner in their relationship, agreed to an alliance in the Pact of Steel. Several months later, in August 1939, Hitler signed a non-aggression treaty with the Soviet Union and agreed to split Poland with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. After the Polish invasion and the beginning of World War II, Hitler met with Mussolini at the Brenner Pass in the Alps, where on March 18, 1940, Mussolini agreed to honor the Pact and enter the war on Germany's side.