On June 10, 1940, Italy declares war on Great Britain and France, and officially aligns itself with Nazi Germany.
At the start of the war, Italy chose to remain neutral, fearing defeat at the hands of Britain's great military power and content with England and France's promises of receiving territory in Africa in exchange for staying out of the war.
But attitudes began to change after Hitler had successfully infiltrated France and took command of Paris, giving Italy the hope that England, too, could fall. Hoping to obtain some of the extra spoils of war, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini joined Hitler in the quest to defeat the Allies and become a dominating global power.
