Permanent historical factsheet

Pact of Steel

Germany · Government / NSDAP Government. Chronological records rendered directly from the World History Database.

11Records
1939Date range
2Named people
0Places

Chronological records

1939

Adolf Hitler22 May 1939

Government / NSDAP Government

Consequently, Italy did not enter World War II until June 1940, with a delayed invasion of Southern France. The pact consisted of two parts.

Adolf Hitler22 May 1939

Government / NSDAP Government

Due to this disagreement, the pact was signed without Japan and became an agreement between Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, signed on 22 May 1939 by Foreign Ministers Galeazzo Ciano of Italy and Joachim von Ribbentrop of Germany.

Adolf Hitler22 May 1939

Government / NSDAP Government

The Pact aimed to ensure that neither country was able to make peace without the agreement of the other. The agreement was based on the assumption that a war would not occur within three years.

Adolf Hitler22 May 1939

Government / NSDAP Government

The Pact of Steel obliged Germany and Italy to aid the other country militarily, economically or otherwise in the event of war, and to collaborate in wartime production.

Adolf Hitler22 May 1939

Government / NSDAP Government

The first section was an open declaration of continuing trust and cooperation between Germany and Italy while the second, a "Secret Supplementary Protocol", encouraged a union of policies concerning the military and economy.

Adolf Hitler22 May 1939

Government / NSDAP Government

The pact was initially drafted as a tripartite military alliance between Japan, Italy and Germany. While Japan wanted the focus of the pact to be aimed at the Soviet Union, Italy and Germany wanted it aimed at Britain and France.

Adolf Hitler22 May 1939

Government / NSDAP Government

When Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939 and war broke out on 3 September, Italy was not yet prepared for conflict and had difficulty meeting its obligations.

Joachim von Ribbentrop22 May 1939

Government / NSDAP Government

Although intended to last 10 years, it was effectively cancelled in 1943 with removal of Italy's fascist Government

Joachim von Ribbentrop22 May 1939

Government / NSDAP Government

Due to this disagreement, the pact was signed without Japan and became an agreement between Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, signed on 22 May 1939 by Foreign Minister's Galeazzo Ciano of Italy and Joachim von Ribbentrop of Germany. The pact consisted of two parts.

Joachim von Ribbentrop22 May 1939

Government / NSDAP Government

The first section was an open declaration of continuing trust and cooperation between Germany and Italy while the second, a "Secret Supplementary Protocol", encouraged a union of policies concerning the military and economy.

Joachim von Ribbentrop22 May 1939

Government / NSDAP Government

The pact was initially drafted as a tripartite military alliance between Japan, Italy and Germany. While Japan wanted the focus of the pact to be aimed at the Soviet Union, Italy and Germany wanted it aimed at Britain and France.

Names involved

Adolf HitlerJoachim von Ribbentrop

Provenance

This factsheet is generated from stored World History Database records matching the country, broad category, detailed category and exact Event value shown above. Duplicate display records are collapsed; database wording is otherwise preserved. Source provenance varies by record, so formal academic citation should be checked against the relevant primary source, archive or specialist historical reference.