Is the term "Axis" a negative propaganda term used by the Western Allies to describe the enemy alliance, or did the "Axis" countries use the same term?
I just recently read a news article that described the newly growing Russian / Chinese alliance as an "axis" and I was wondering if that is simply another way to describe an alliance or if it carries a negative connotation (i.e. does its use hint at a biased portrayal of the alliance)?
In other words, is the term "axis" synonymous with "alliance" or does it imply "enemy alliance"?
Japan called the alliance the 日独伊三国同盟.
日 = ni, standing for Nippon, or Japan
独 = do, standing for Doitsu, or Germany
伊 = i, standing for Italy
三国同盟 = Three Countries Alliance
So, literally, it was "Japan-Germany-Italy Triple Alliance."
The term axis is derived from the original Pact of Steel between Germany and Italy, or the so-called Rome-Berlin axis, implying the similar political ideology of Germany and Italy.