Benito Amilicare Andrea Mussolini22 May 1939
Although intended to last 10 years, it was effectively cancelled in 1943 with removal of Italy's fascist Government.
Italy · Warfare / World War, 2nd. Chronological records rendered directly from the World History Database.
Although intended to last 10 years, it was effectively cancelled in 1943 with removal of Italy's fascist 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.
It was Italian leader Benito Mussolini who dubbed the agreement the "Pact of Steel", after being told that the original name, "Pact of Blood", would most likely be poorly received in Italy.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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by record, so formal academic citation should be checked against the relevant primary source, archive or specialist historical reference.