Rome-Berlin Axis and Anti-Comintern Pact + German and Italian involvement in Spain

Collapse of Stresa Pact

Before invading ABYS, M was technically in alliance with BR + FR - they formed Stresa Pact with ITA in 1935, condemning GER rearmament and declaring united front against H

This backfired - ABYS invasion weakened BR + FR relations with ITA, not only encouraged H but drew him and M closer together

How did events in Spain draw H and M closer?

H admired M and borrowed many elements of Italian fascism in his rise to power

M disregarded H, but this would change, partly due to events in Spain

July 1936 - SPN Fascists, under General Franco, took arms against SPN govt.
M sent support to fascists (arms, troops, planes)

H had opportunity to flex and demonstrate support for fascists

H began supplying SPN Fascists with planes, tanks, technicians and Condor Legion (air force unit)

Rome-Berlin Axis

Oct 1936 - GER + ITA signed alliance, known as Rome-Berlin Axis and committed GER + ITA to follow common foreign policy

Bombing of Guernica

April 1937 - GER Condor Legion, along with ITA Airforce, bombed Guernica at the request of General Franco

Good opportunity for H to give Luftwaffe combat experience, intimidate international community and solidify alliance with M

1654 civilians killed

Anti-Comintern Pact

Nov 1936 - H signed agreement with JAP (another militaristic, aggressive and expansionist power)

JAP was:

• Under control of militaristic, nationalist army commanders

• Positioning themselves to compete with other powers in Far East

• Preparing full-scale invasion of CHN

ITA also joined in 1937

‘Anti-Comintern’

Refers to Soviet Union (Comintern was USSR’s intl. org. for spreading communism)

JAP and Nazi GER both anti-communist

JAP saw USSR as threat its expansion plans in Far East

JAP + GER leaders shared racist ideology, stressing purity of blood, and criticising races they saw as inferior (for Japan, the Chinese; for Germany; Jews and Slavs)