The Axis powers in World War II, of Germany, Japan, and Italy, showed great determination in their beliefs that they would be the dominant world power in their respective parts of the globe. However, their failure to do so was a product not just of Allied response, but also was due to their own shortcomings in how and why they waged the war against the Allies. The leadership of the Axis powers initially showed that it may be able to bring its ideologies to fruition. This will be shown by the plans that were put into action after World War I by Hitler, Japan’s discomfiture at being subordinate to China, and expansionist plans for Italy by Mussolini. Unfortunately, the leadership capabilities ultimately showed themselves to be weak in all
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Initially, the Japanese were confident that they would be able to form a pact with the United States that would keep them from entering the war18. Their massive overconfidence in regards to this cost them critical time during the war in which they could have devoted their energies to other pursuits. Even more critically, they grossly misinterpreted the events leading up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, including the response that this would elicit from the United States. In spite of information from their own officials that an attack on the United States would cause an escalation of the war, they military decided to disregard this information19. Instead, they took a hard line of demands to the Unites States government with a specific date for the agreement to be made, and in the process did not read the situation correctly. Instead of causing the United States to withdraw from the conflict, they galvanized the war efforts in the United States leadership, as well as the United States citizens. The leadership failures of the Axis powers also include Mussolini. He did not correctly read either his importance in the Axis powers or the will of his own people. Although he was aware that his own army was not prepared to enter the war, his hand was forced when the
Initially, the Japanese were confident that they would be able to form a pact with the United States that would keep them from entering the war18. Their massive overconfidence in regards to this cost them critical time during the war in which they could have devoted their energies to other pursuits. Even more critically, they grossly misinterpreted the events leading up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, including the response that this would elicit from the United States. In spite of information from their own officials that an attack on the United States would cause an escalation of the war, they military decided to disregard this information19. Instead, they took a hard line of demands to the Unites States government with a specific date for the agreement to be made, and in the process did not read the situation correctly. Instead of causing the United States to withdraw from the conflict, they galvanized the war efforts in the United States leadership, as well as the United States citizens. The leadership failures of the Axis powers also include Mussolini. He did not correctly read either his importance in the Axis powers or the will of his own people. Although he was aware that his own army was not prepared to enter the war, his hand was forced when the