Mussolini and Hitler seek recognition as world powers with reach beyond Europe. Mussolini's Roman imperial ambitions and Hitler's vision of a thousand-year Reich give both dictators a reason to avoid being dismissed as regional powers. Germany's earlier support for the Chinese Nationalists, its need for Soviet or Atlantic trade and oil, and Japan's own resource dependence make an anti-Japanese intervention imaginable in this altered 1939. The Anti-Comintern alignment had ended German military support to China, yet Japan's immediate value to Germany remained limited. Joining the visible coalition would give Berlin and Rome influence during a war reshaping Asia.
Notable Point · 5:04-7:35
Why Berlin and Rome might intervene
Prestige, Chinese interests, and access to Soviet or Atlantic resources give Germany and Italy reasons to reconsider their alignment with Japan.