The formation of the Axis powers was in the thirties of the 20th century, when the world was in a situation of economic crisis and political turmoil, and countries such as Germany, Italy, and Japan were facing serious difficulties and challenges.
Germany was defeated in World War I, forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles, took heavy reparations and responsibilities, the domestic economy collapsed, social unrest, popular discontent, and the Nazi Party took advantage of this to come to power, implement fascism, and pursue revival and expansion.
Although Italy was a victorious country in the First World War, it did not receive the expected benefits, and the country also fell into economic difficulties and political chaos, and the fascist leader Mussolini seized power, imposed ** rule, and sought to establish a new Roman Empire.
Japan was also a victorious country in World War I, but it was not respected and equal internationally, and it was also facing the problem of lack of resources and overpopulation at home. All three countries share common interests and goals, all have hostility and resentment towards Western democracies, and both want to change the existing international order by force, so they began a process of cooperation and alliance.
In 1936, Germany and Japan signed the International Agreement on Production, and Italy joined the following year, which was the prototype of the Axis powers. In the same year, Germany and Italy concluded a treaty of alliance to coordinate foreign policy, announcing the birth of the Berlin-Rome axis, the origin of the Axis powers. In 1939, Germany and Italy signed the Iron and Steel Treaty, a military alliance, which strengthened military cooperation between the two countries. In 1940, Germany, Japan, and Italy signed the Triple Alliance Treaty, which formalized the alliance between Berlin, Rome, and Tokyo, which was the maturation of the Axis powers.