Pact Between the Axis Powers Barring a Separate Peace with the United States or Great Britain

On December 11, 1941, four days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Italy and Germany declared war on the United States in sympathy with Japan. By this time Italy's invasion into Egypt from Libya had been repulsed, as had her invasion of Greece. In the spring of 1941 the British had taken Eritrea, Somalia, and Ethiopia. It was now clear that Germany was the dominant Axis power in Europe, as Germany had moved into North Africa and Greece to take control of the war from Italy. It was already evident that Italy had become a client state of Germany.
    ARTICLE I 

         Italy, Germany and Japan will henceforth conduct in common and jointly a war which has been imposed on them by the United
States of America and England, by all means at their disposal and until the end of hostilities. 

    ARTICLE II 

         Italy, Germany and Japan undertake each for himself that none of the parties to the present accord will conclude either armistice or peace, be it with the United States or with England without complete and reciprocal agreement [of the three signatories to this pact]. 

    ARTICLE III 

         Italy, Germany and Japan, even after the victorious conclusion of this war, will collaborate closely in the spirit of the Tripartite
Pact, concluded Sept. 21, 1940, in order to realize and establish an equitable new order in the world. 

    ARTICLE IV 

         The present accord is effective immediately on its signature and remains in force for the duration of the Tripartite Pact, signed
Sept. 27, 1940. The high contracting parties of this accord will at an opportune moment agree among themselves the means of
implementing Article III above of this accord.

December 11, 1941

The Avalon Project  at the Yale Law School
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/wwii/tripart.htm

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