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Why did Italy enter World War II in June 1940?

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Map showing the British and Axis military campaigns in North Africa during World War II, with labeled troop movements, key battles, and shifting front lines from Egypt across Libya to Tunisia along the Mediterranean coast. The map includes arrows and dates marking advances and retreats by both sides, and highlights major turning points and defensive lines. — North Africa campaigns Military drives, defensive lines, and key battles during the North Africa campaigns of World War II, 1940–43.

Italy entered World War II on June 10, 1940, primarily due to the opportunistic belief that the conflict was nearing its end and that Italy needed to act quickly to secure territorial gains.12

Although Italy had signed the Pact of Steel with Germany in 1939, Benito Mussolini initially remained neutral because the Italian military was unprepared for a major conflict following earlier campaigns in Ethiopia and the Spanish Civil War. However, as German forces advanced westward and France appeared on the verge of collapse, Mussolini felt he could no longer delay his entry. He feared that if he did not join the war immediately, Italy would be unable to derive any benefits from the alliance before Germany forced the Allies to sue for peace. By declaring war, Mussolini hoped to secure territory in the Mediterranean and Africa, aiming to fulfill his expansionist vision of mare nostrum ("our sea").132