Tripartite Pact

The Tripartite Pact was a 1940 agreement linking Germany, Italy, and Japan in a political and military alliance. It promised mutual assistance if a signatory was attacked by a country not already at war with it.

Anti-Comintern Pact: A 1936 agreement between Germany and Japan opposing the Communist International, later joined by Italy. It established the German-Japanese alignment that preceded the three-power pact.
Article 3 of the Tripartite Pact: The pact's clause requiring assistance if a signatory was attacked by a power not then involved in the European or Sino-Japanese wars. This clause defined the pact's principal military commitment.
Joachim von Ribbentrop: Nazi Germany's foreign minister from 1938 to 1945 and a principal architect of its alliances. He represented Germany in the negotiations and signing.
Attack on Pearl Harbor: Japan's surprise attack on the United States Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The attack triggered the American–Japanese war despite the pact's attempt to deter U.S. involvement.
Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact: A 1939 German-Soviet non-aggression agreement accompanied by secret protocols dividing parts of Eastern Europe into spheres of influence. Germany's agreement with the Soviet Union coexisted uneasily with its anti-communist alliance.
Pact of Steel: A 1939 military and political alliance between Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. It bound Germany and Italy together before Japan joined their alliance.
Article 2 of the Tripartite Pact: The pact's clause committing Germany, Italy, and Japan to cooperate politically, economically, and militarily. It stated the broader cooperation expected among the signatories.
Galeazzo Ciano: Italy's foreign minister from 1936 to 1943 and a leading figure in Fascist diplomacy. He signed for Italy and recorded misgivings about the agreement in his diary.
United States entry into World War II: The United States' entry into the global conflict after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and Germany and Italy declared war. The pact did not keep the United States out of the conflict.
Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact: A 1941 agreement in which the Soviet Union and Japan pledged neutrality toward one another. Japan maintained this separate neutrality arrangement while allied with Germany and Italy.

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