The United States fought against the Axis powers in World War II, primarily battling Japan, Germany, and Italy. The U.S. entered the war after Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which led to a formal declaration of war against Japan. Shortly after, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States, bringing America fully into the conflict on the side of the Allies
. The main Axis powers the U.S. fought were:
- Japan, in the Pacific Theater, following the attack on Pearl Harbor and subsequent Japanese expansion in Asia and the Pacific
- Germany and Italy, in the European and North African theaters, where the U.S. fought alongside the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and other Allies to defeat Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy
The U.S. was part of the Allied coalition, which included the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, and other nations, collectively opposing the Axis powers during the war
. In summary, the United States fought the Axis powers—Japan, Germany, and Italy—in World War II as part of the Allied forces after entering the war in late 1941.
