On December 11, 1941,

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

declared war on the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The declaration followed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor four days earlier, and came the same day as Germany's declaration of war against the United States.

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...

publicly made the announcement in Rome on December 11. Shortly before Mussolini's speech, Italian Foreign Minister

Galeazzo Ciano Gian Galeazzo Ciano, 2nd Count of Cortellazzo and Buccari ( , ; 18 March 1903 – 11 January 1944), was an Italian diplomat and politician who served as Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Minister in the government of his father-in-law ...

delivered the news to the head U.S. diplomat in Italy, George Wadsworth II. The Italian, German, and Japanese governments had all signed the Tripartite Pact in 1940, formally allying the three powers with one another. Italy and Germany also signed the

Pact of Steel The Pact of Steel (, ), formally known as the Pact of Friendship and Alliance between Germany and Italy (, ), was a military and political alliance between Germany and Italy, signed in 1939. The pact was initially drafted as a tripartite milita ...

military alliance in 1939. Italy had declared war on the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

on June 10, 1940, as Mussolini implemented the Pact of Steel and leveraged the German alliance to win advantages for Italy. Prior to Hitler's declaration of war against America there was little, if any, doubt that Italy would once again "follow Germany's lead." The

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

immediately responded by declaring war on Italy and

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, bringing the United States into the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and involving it in both the European and Pacific theaters of the conflict.

Background

On December 7, 1941, 353 aircraft of the Empire of Japan attacked the U.S. naval base at

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...

, inflicting mass destruction on American life and property, and drawing the United States into the Second World War. On December 8, the United States declared war on Japan in response to the attack. Three days later, at 2:45 PM on December 11, 1941, Italian dictator

announced—from the balcony overlooking the Piazza Venezia in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

—that Italy and Germany would "participate from today on the side of heroic Japan" against the United States.

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

made his war announcement at the Reichstag in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

that same day, stating that while he had tried to avoid direct conflict with the U.S., Germany was obliged to join with Italy to defend Japan under the Tripartite Pact of 1940. Hitler also stated, "After victory has been achieved, Germany, Italy, and Japan will continue in closest co-operation with a view to establishing a new and just order." A memo that U.S.

chargé d'affaires A (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a diplomat who serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassador. The term is Frenc ...

to Italy George Wadsworth II sent to the U.S. Secretary of State on December 9, 1941 confirmed that if Germany declared war, Italy would follow suit, stating: "Opinion in well-informed Rome circles is divided on the crying question of the day whether Germany will declare war on the United States. Italy, it is assumed without question, will follow Germany’s lead whatever it be as a matter of course." Just before Mussolini's speech, at 2:30 PM, Italian Foreign Minister

called for chargé d'affaires Wadsworth and revealed that Italy was at war with America, to which Wadsworth responded: "It is very tragic." Ciano recorded his thoughts on the speech, saying, “It was three o’clock in the afternoon, the people were hungry, and the day was quite cold. These are all elements that do not make for enthusiasm.”

Text of the declaration

Contrary to Hitler's nearly 90-minute tirade against America, Mussolini's war declaration lasted only four minutes. Even so, this made it only slightly shorter than President Roosevelt's " Day of Infamy" speech of December 8. Foreign Minister Ciano described the speech as "brief and cutting," noting its "very pro-Japanese setting." "News of the naval victories f Japanhas excited the Italian imagination," Ciano remarked. On December 11, the Axis powers also signed the " No Separate Peace Agreement," pledging each nation to not independently make peace with Britain or America, a decision that theoretically bound Italy, Germany, and Japan to a common fate. Mussolini "expressed no reservations about war with America," and laid responsibility for the conflict at the feet of President Roosevelt. The English-language version of his speech was published as follows:

References

{{Authority control Declarations of war during World War II 1941 in the United States 1941 in Italy December 1941 in Europe Italy–United States military relations 1941 documents Axis powers

Background

Text of the declaration

See also

References