Editing Axis powers (section)

===Development of German–Italian–Japanese alliance===

[[File:Hideo Kodama 01.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Hideo Kodama]], a wartime cabinet minister in the Empire of Japan]]

Interest in Germany and Japan in forming an alliance began when Japanese diplomat [[Hiroshi Ōshima]] visited [[Joachim von Ribbentrop]] in Berlin in 1935.{{sfn|Boscaro|Gatti|Raveri|1990|pp=32–39}} Although at the time Japan was unwilling to make an alliance against the United Kingdom and France, Oshima informed von Ribbentrop of Japan's interest in forming a German–Japanese alliance against the Soviet Union.<ref name=":1">{{Harvp|Weinberg|2005|p=30–31}}</ref>{{sfn|Boscaro|Gatti|Raveri|1990|pp=32–39}} Von Ribbentrop expanded on Oshima's proposal by advocating that the alliance be based in a political context of a pact to oppose the [[Comintern]].{{sfn|Boscaro|Gatti|Raveri|1990|pp=32–39}} The proposed pact was met with mixed reviews in Japan, with a faction of ultra-nationalists within the government supporting the pact while the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]] and the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)|Japanese Foreign Ministry]] were staunchly opposed to the pact.{{sfn|Boscaro|Gatti|Raveri|1990|p=33}} There was great concern in the Japanese government that such a pact with Germany could disrupt Japan's relations with Britain, endangering years of a beneficial [[Anglo-Japanese Alliance|Anglo-Japanese accord]], that had allowed Japan to ascend in the international community in the first place.{{sfn|Boscaro|Gatti|Raveri|1990|p=38}} The response to the pact was met with similar division in Germany; while the proposed pact was popular amongst the upper echelons of the Nazi Party, it was opposed by many in the Foreign Ministry, the Army, and the business community who held financial interests in the [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republic of China]] to which Japan was hostile.

[[File:OKAWA Shumei.jpg|thumb|upright|Japanese writer [[Shūmei Ōkawa]], a key exponent of Japanese nationalism]]

On learning of German–Japanese negotiations, Italy also began to take an interest in forming an alliance with Japan.{{sfn|Boscaro|Gatti|Raveri|1990|pp=32–39}} Italy had hoped that due to Japan's long-term close relations with Britain, that an Italo-Japanese alliance could pressure Britain into adopting a more accommodating stance towards Italy in the Mediterranean.{{sfn|Boscaro|Gatti|Raveri|1990|pp=32–39}} In the summer of 1936, Italian Foreign Minister [[Galeazzo Ciano]] informed Japanese Ambassador to Italy, Sugimura Yotaro, "I have heard that a Japanese–German agreement concerning the Soviet Union has been reached, and I think it would be natural for a similar agreement to be made between Italy and Japan."{{sfn|Boscaro|Gatti|Raveri|1990|pp=32–39}} Initially Japan's attitude towards Italy's proposal was generally dismissive, viewing a German–Japanese alliance against the Soviet Union as imperative while regarding an Italo-Japanese alliance as secondary, as Japan anticipated that an Italo-Japanese alliance would antagonize Britain that had condemned Italy's invasion of Ethiopia.{{sfn|Boscaro|Gatti|Raveri|1990|pp=32–39}} This attitude by Japan towards Italy altered in 1937 after the League of Nations condemned Japan for aggression in China and faced international isolation, while Italy remained favourable to Japan.{{sfn|Boscaro|Gatti|Raveri|1990|pp=32–39}} As a result of Italy's support for Japan against international condemnation, Japan took a more positive attitude towards Italy and offered proposals for a non-aggression or neutrality pact with Italy.{{sfn|Boscaro|Gatti|Raveri|1990|pp=39–40}}

[[File:Lt.Gen Hiroshi Ōshima IJA.jpg|left|upright|thumb|Lt.Gen [[Hiroshi Ōshima]], Japanese ambassador to Germany before and during World War II]]

The Tripartite Pact was signed by Germany, Italy, and Japan on 27 September 1940, in Berlin. The pact was subsequently joined by Hungary (20 November 1940), Romania (23 November 1940), Slovakia (24 November 1940), and Bulgaria (1 March 1941).{{sfn|Hill|2003|p=91}}