Axis powers, the coalition headed by Germany, Italy, and Japan that opposed the Allied powers in World War II.
The "Axis powers" formally took the name after the Tripartite Pact was signed by Germany, Italy, and Japan on 27 September 1940, in Berlin.
The pact was subsequently joined by Hungary (20 November 1940), Romania (23 November 1940), Slovakia (24 November 1940), and Bulgaria (1 March 1941) and these were the nations that fought in World War II against the Allied forces.
