Axis Powers

The Axis Powers is a term for those participants in World War II opposed to the Allies. The 3 major Axis powers, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and the Empire of Japan, referred to themselves as the "Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis". The Axis powers ruled empires that dominated large portions of Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, but they were ultimately defeated in the end of World War II. Like the Allies, membership of the Axis was fluid, and some nations entered and later left the Axis during the course of the war.

Lesser Axis Nations

Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia joined on March 25, 1941, but a British-supported coup d'état two days later put Yugoslavia's participation in question (although King Peter II of Yugoslavia actually declared his adherence to the treaty), leading to a German occupation of Yugoslavia in April.

Related Topics:
Yugoslavia - March 25 - 1941 - Coup d'état - Peter II of Yugoslavia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy invaded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, several nationalist groups used this to their advantage. The territory roughly consisting of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina was made into a puppet state called the "Independent State of Croatia". Other parts of Yugoslavia were either annexed, governed directly by the coalition forces, or by other locals (e.g. general Milan Nedi? in Serbia).

Related Topics:
Nazi Germany - Fascist Italy - Kingdom of Yugoslavia - Croatia - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Independent State of Croatia - Milan Nedi? - Serbia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On April 10, 1941, the extreme-right nationalist Usta?e organization proclaimed the "Independent State of Croatia" on parts of occupied Yugoslav territory. The leader of the state was Ante Paveli?. The state was largely founded on nationalist aspirations due to the mistreatment of Croats and other South Slavic people within Yugoslavia because of the Royal Yugoslav government's policy of pro-Serb bias. Fascist forces subsequently sent thousands of Serbs, Jews, Gypsies and dissenting Croats and others to the concentration camps where most of them died.

Related Topics:
April 10 - 1941 - Usta?e - Independent State of Croatia - Ante Paveli? - Croats - South Slavic - Serbs - Jews - Gypsies

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1941 Ivan Mihailov's Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) welcomed Bulgaria's renewed control of Vardar Macedonia which was populated basically with ethnic Bulgarians. There was hardly any resistance in this area till 1944. In the beginning of September 1944, when the Bulgarian government left the Axis and declared war on Nazi Germany, Berlin offered Mihailov to declare Macedonia's independence with Berlin's support but he declined.

Related Topics:
Ivan Mihailov - Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - IMRO - Bulgaria - Vardar Macedonia - Bulgarians

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Yugoslav Partisan forces under the command of Josip Broz Tito, a Croat, fought a guerrilla war throughout Yugoslavia and the ISC since mid-1941. By 1943 they became a major opponent, and in 1945 they were joined by the Red Army and the Bulgarian army and expelled the fascists. Croatia and other territories were then reincorporated into the second Yugoslavia, and it would be another half a century before Croatia per se finally gained and celebrates independence.

Related Topics:
Yugoslav Partisan forces - Josip Broz Tito - Red Army - Bulgaria - Second Yugoslavia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Italian Social Republic

The Italian Social Republic (Repubblica Sociale Italiana in Italian) was established in 1943 following Italy's defeat at the hands of the Allies. On July 25, 1943, King Victor Emmanuel III stripped Benito Mussolini of his powers and had him arrested upon leaving the palace. Several months later, in a spectacular raid led by Otto Skorzeny, Mussolini was freed, declared his dismissal a coup, and proclaimed it put down on September 23, 1943. On that same date he assumed control in the northern half of Italy, which he proclaimed to be the Italian Social Republic with its capital at Salò. The Republic came to an end in 1945 when Allied forces ousted the Germans from Italy.

Related Topics:
Italian Social Republic - Italian - 1943 - Otto Skorzeny - Salò

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Middle East

Iraq under the control of Rashid Ali al-Kaylani tried to join the Axis but there was internal resistance. When Kaylani was again appointed prime minister in 1940, King Ghazi had just passed away and the new four-year-old King Faisal II assumed the throne, with his uncle Emir Abdul-Illah serving as "acting monarch." While Abdul-Illah supported the British in the war, Kaylani was strongly opposed to them and refused to allow troops to cross through Iraq to the war front. Kaytani was also opposed to those calling for him to break off ties with the Fascist government in Italy. He subsequently sent his Justice Minister, Naji Shawkat, to meet with the then German ambassador to Turkey, Franz von Papen, to win German support for his government. At a later meeting, in which the Mufti's private secretary acted as the representative for the Iraqi government, Kaylani assured Germany that his country's natural resources would be made available to the Axis Powers in return for German recognition of the Arab states' right to independence and political unity, as well as the right to "deal with" the Jews living in Arab lands. When Britain found out about these dealings, sanctions were immediately placed on Iraq. The last chance for Iraqi entrance on the side of Germany slipped away when the Italians began to lose control of their territory holdings in North Africa. On January 31, 1941, Kaylani was forced to resign from the post of Iraqi Prime Minister due to British pressure.

Related Topics:
Iraq - Rashid Ali al-Kaylani - King Ghazi - King Faisal II - Emir - Abdul-Illah - Turkey - Franz von Papen - Arab - Britain

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Japanese had some contact with Islamic leaders in Southeast Asia and Middle East areas, such as British Malaya, Dutch Indies, Afghanistan or Sinkiang, before and during the war. Among these leaders were the Sultan of Johore, Afghan Sardar Mohammad Hashim Khan, and Uiguir leader Ma Chung-ying. They coordinated some actions with Japanese agents, but these contacts did not result in significant action during the war. Certain Italian agents arrived to Persia and Afghanistan with similar purposes, but received little assistance..

Related Topics:
Malaya - Dutch Indies - Afghanistan - Sinkiang - Sultan of Johore - Sardar Mohammad Hashim Khan - Ma Chung-ying - Italian - Persia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

South East Asia

During Axis operations in French Indochina, Japanese agents mantained contact with the Vichy France governor, Admiral Decoux. At the same time, these agents kept in contact with local vietnamese

Related Topics:
French Indochina - Vichy France - Admiral Decoux

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

chief Mandarin Tran Trong-kim, installing him as prime minister of the Vichy puppet regime. This ended with the Japanese invasion of Vichy Indochina, which Germany decided to ignore.

Related Topics:
Tran Trong-kim - Germany

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Philippines was not officially or technically an Axis member.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

However, the Japanese military installed a puppet government which governed from 1943 to 1945. The government was compelled to cooperate with the Japanese. (However, the Philippine Commonwealth government-in-exile, led by President Manuel Quezon, and a significant Filipino guerrilla movement were opposed to the Japanese.) Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 the United States had declared war against the Empire of Japan. Japan had been annexing East Asian territory for nearly ten years before bringing the U.S. into the war. Following Pearl Harbor, the Japanese invaded the Philippine Islands. In 1943 most high government officials had fled off the islands but a justice of the Filipino Supreme Court by the name of José P. Laurel was instructed to remain in Manila by President Manuel Quezon. Quezon went into exile to Bataan and then to the United States. It is because Laurel was such a critic of the United States that he fell in favor with the senior members of the Japanese occupying force. He was appointed President of the Philippines on October 14, 1943. Attempts were made at Laurel's life by Filipinos trying to resist the Japanese. Laurel was shot on two occasions but recovered. Laurel was instrumental in intervening in protecting Filipinos against the harsh Japanese wartime rule and policies. During the Second World War, the Japanese massacred many Filipinos, and raped and molested Filipinas.

Related Topics:
Puppet government - Manuel Quezon - Pearl Harbor - Filipino - Supreme Court - José P. Laurel - Manila - Exile - Bataan - October 14 - 1943

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Burma before the conflict, Japanese agents maintained contacts with Ba Maw (Saw), the indigenous Prime Minister in Burmese British administration. For this, British authorities arrested him, but the Burmese leader was liberated when Axis forces arrived. He conformed one Autonomous Pro-Japanese Government in Burma with Japanese advisers and supported by Japanese forces until 1944-45 when arriving American, British, and Chinese forces invaded and liberated the country.

Related Topics:
Burma - Ba Maw

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In British Malaya (Malaysia), the Japanese sustained some contacts with the Islamic local leader, the Sultan of Johore. This leader visited Japan in 1934, received the Tenno, the Decoration of Rising Sun Great Cord and established relationships with the Japanese administration.

Related Topics:
Malaya - Sultan of Johore - Tenno

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Japanese Forces invaded Dutch Indies, during their 1942-45 occupation,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

they promised total political independence and proposed the organization of "Nation Defenders Army", under the guidance of Ahmed Sukarno, the local leader. He founded since 1927 the "Indonesian Nationalists Party", which during Japanese occupation received ideological support.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~