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Italian declaration of war on the United States
| Declaration of war on the United States | |
|---|---|
 Mussolini announces the declaration of war | |
| Presented | 11 December 1941 |
| Location | Palazzo Venezia, Rome, Italy |
| Author(s) | Benito Mussolini |
| Purpose | Declaring war on the United States so that "Fascist Italy and Nationalist Socialist Germany" would "participate from today on the side of...Japan" |
| Full text | |
 Italian declaration of war on the United States at Wikisource | |
On December 11, 1941, Italy declared war on the United States. The declaration followed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor four days earlier, and was made the same day as Germany's declaration of war against the United States.[1] Benito Mussolini publicly gave the announcement in Rome on December 11.[1][2] Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano delivered the news to the head U.S. diplomat in Italy, George Wadsworth II, shortly before Mussolini's statement.[3]
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 military alliance in 1939. Italy had declared war on the United Kingdom and France on June 10, 1940, as Mussolini implemented the Pact of Steel and tried to use the German alliance to win advantages for Italy.[4] Prior to Hitler's declaration of war against America there was little, if any, doubt that Italy would once again "follow Germany's lead."[5]
The United States Congress immediately responded by declaring war on Italy and Germany, bringing the United States into the Second World War and involving it in both the European and Pacific theaters of the conflict.[2]
- ^ a b "1941: Germany and Italy declare war on US". BBC. December 11, 1941. Archived from the original on 18 December 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
- ^ a b Walser, Ray (December 2021). "Recalling Dec. 11, 1941: When World War II Truly Began". afsa.org. American Foreign Service Association. Archived from the original on 23 November 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:4was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "World War II: Italy's entry into the war and the French Armistice". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 19 December 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:3was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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