Why Did the Axis Powers Form During World War II - Essay Example

? WHY DID THE AXIS POWERS FORM DURING WORLD WAR II? Introduction The Second World War was one of the major conflicts in the history of humanity. Withthe military and political involvement of hundreds of countries and governments, WWII changed the course of the international and global history. The creation of the Axis Powers was one of the most important elements in the evolution of the international military conflict; and this aspect of WWII always attracted professional and scholarly attention. The Axis Powers were formed on the basis of three countries – Germany, Italy, and Japan. The powers later expanded to include the states that fell victims to fascist violence and surrendered themselves to the military superiority of the Axis Powers. Reasons behind the creation of the Axis Powers were numerous, but the most important was the desire of Germany, Italy and Japan to expand their territorial possessions. The territorial ambitions of the Axis states had been explicit even before the beginning of WWII, and the creation of the Axis Powers made it easier for Germany, Italy and Japan to expand their territorial presence in Europe and beyond. The Second World War is fairly considered as one of the most complicated military conflicts in the history of humanity. Just a hundred years after Karl von Clausewitz created his landmark paper on strategic planning in military operations, the entire world engaged in one of the most terrible and destructive military conflicts.1 Before World War II, all military conflicts, including international ones, had been fairly simple: one country would attack another one, defeat or retreat it to occupy a new position.2 During the Second World War, even the simplest things became extremely complicated, and the creation of the Axis Powers reflected the discussed complexity. The formation of the Axis Powers marked a new stage in the development of the international military conflict and had the goal of fulfilling the desires and ambitions of its members. During WWII, enemies fought as members of one of the two alliances: the Allies and the Axis. The Axis Powers based on Germany, Italy, and Japan.3 German hegemony within the Axis Powers was undeniable; Italy and Japan followed German orders without any opposition. Simultaneously, the Axis Powers were formed in ways that distributed the weight of political and military influence among its members: while Germany controlled most of continental Europe, Italy controlled the Mediterranean Sea and Japan was given the fullest control over the Pacific and East Asia.4 Apparently, territorial ambitions were the main reason why Italy and Japan joined the Axis Powers. The latter also had the goal of destroying the communist regime and weakening the unprecedented political and military strength of the Soviet Union.5 However, territorial expansion was still the major element of cooperation uniting Germany, Italy, and Japan. The Axis Powers fought hard to expand their territorial presence and create several large empires, based on conquering other states and overthrowing their political regimes.6 Among the Allies, the Axis Powers were considered as states that exhausted all honorable means to create peace and were willing to bargain even for a half of the loaf when they could not get the whole – this is what Mr. Myron Taylor said upon his visit to Rome in 1942.7 It should be noted, that the territorial ambitions of the Axis Powers had become visible even before the beginning of the Second World War. On November 1, 1936, Italy and Germany formed a Rome-Berlin Axis with the interest of destabilizing the peace and order in continental Europe.8 The Rome-Berlin Axis relied on friendship between the two countries and exemplified a productive attempt to expand the power of influence on other states in Europe and beyond. Just a month later, Japan and Germany signed the Anti-Comintern Pact against the Soviet Union; the Pact was joined by Italy on November 6, 1937.9 By the end of 1938, the territorial ambitions of the Axis Powers became clear to the future members of the United Nations and those which would later form the Allies powers during WWII.10 During the Second World War, the mission of the Axis Powers gradually expanded: Germany, Italy and Japan eventually realized that they could use their power and military resources to conquer new states and, later, use their victims to fight against the Allies. This is actually what they did during WWII: the Axis Powers would occupy new countries and territories and then use them against the Allies.11 The Axis Powers became a convenient instrument of military aggression during WWII. The countries that surrendered themselves to the military violence of the Axis Powers were then used to expand their presence in Europe, Asia, and other continents. While visiting Rome in 1942, Mr. Myron Taylor, then U.K. Minister of Foreign Affairs, said: “Like Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and the rest, we were made the victims of Axis aggression at the very moment when their diplomats were talking peace. How then could we have confidence in the word of any Axis Powers?”12 Countries that joined the Axis bloc included Slovakia and Romania, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, Hungary and Croatia. Although Finland led the war against the Soviet Union, it never signed the Tripartite Act.13 Moreover, Finland was the only state during the Second World that fought against elective governments in Europe, like the Axis states.14 The only time Finland subjected itself to the influence of Germany was when Hitler conquered Norway and demanded that Finland grant the right to transport fascist troops and transport through its territory, to achieve the U.S.S.R.15 Again, the Axis Powers and the countries which participated in the alliance made it easier for Germany, Italy, and Japan to satisfy their territorial ambitions. That was also the main reason why the Axis Powers were formed. Needless to say, the Axis Powers were only partially successful in their efforts. World War II witnessed the Axis Powers defeated by the Allies. Italy was the first to give up its military position and surrender to the Allies in 1943.16 In 1944, Romania joined the Soviets in their fight against the Germans.17 The more countries gave up their membership in the Axis Powers the weaker the alliance became. Following Romania, Bulgaria refused from being one of the Axis States in 1944. The strongest was the presence of Hungary in the Axis Powers, since Hungary never refused to give up its membership; only when the Soviet troops were conquered by Soviets Hungarians finally recognized that their political position changed.18 Everything the Axis Powers were able to accomplish during the Second World War was zeroed, as soon as the Soviet Union proclaimed Europe’s victory over the fascist regime. Until present, the controversy surrounding the Axis Powers continues to persist. Although the scope of the fascist mission carried by the Axis Powers cannot be disregarded, the success of their strategies and collaboration cannot be easily dismissed. Everything the Axis Powers did during WWII was made with one goal of expanding their territorial presence and destabilizing the political order in continental Europe for the sake of enrichment and power. Conclusion The creation of the Axis Powers was one of the turning points in the development of the international military conflict during WWII. The territorial ambitions of the Axis states had been explicit even before the beginning of WWII, and the creation of the Axis Powers made it easier for Germany, Italy and Japan to expand their territorial presence in Europe and beyond. Later during WWII the Axis Powers used the states they conquered to expand their influence and aggression against other governments. Although the nature of their fascist mission was highly immoral, the Axis Powers proved an extremely powerful source of military expansion through continental Europe in the first half of the Second World War. BIBLIOGRAPHY Babst, Dean V. “Elective Governments – A Force for Peace.” The Wisconsin Sociologist 3 (1964): 9-14. Holocaust Encyclopedia. “Axis Alliance in World War II.” United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005177 (accessed January 16, 2012). Kennedy, David M. The Library of Congress World War II companion. Simon and Schuster, 2007. War Cabinet. “Mr. Myron Taylor’s Visit to Rome, October 13, 1942.” The National Archives. http://nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?queryType=1&resultcount=1&Edoc_Id=7962159 (accessed January 16, 2012). Read More