The Anti-Comintern Pact means an agreement concluded first between Germany and Japan on November 25, 1936, and then between Italy, Germany, and Japan on November 6, 1937. It was targeted supposedly at stopping the spread of Communism around the world and against the Communist International (Comintern). However, the pact, in fact, was directed squarely against the Soviet Union.
Explanation:
Despite the strong and productive bond between Germany and China, Adolf Hitler firmly aimed at befriending Japan that was unofficially waging war against China. The German foreign ministry developed a common anti-communist agenda to deal with this problem and potentially unite these three nations together. However, the Germans did not succeed in convincing the Chinese to sign the treaty, but Germany and Japan kept pursuing the work and target goals.
Two mighty nations entered in an agreement on 23 October 1936 and officially signed it on 25 November 1936. At first glance, the pact was entirely directed against the Comintern (Communist International).
However, there was a secret clause, which indicated that should any of the signatories, become engaged in a war against the Soviet Union, the other party would remain neutral, and that neither of the signatories would make political alliances with the Soviet Union. In addition, Germany also officially acknowledged the puppet state of Manchukuo that Japan created in northeastern China in terms of this pact. Italy joined the agreement on 6 November 1937.
The Anti-Comintern Pact was violated by Germany in August in 1939 when it signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with Russia. Nevertheless, the agreement was renewed on 25 November 1941, after the beginning of the Russo-German war, and involved a more significant number of participants. The new pact included Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Japanese puppet regime in Nanjing China, Japanese puppet regime in Manchukuo, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain.