Joachim von Ribbentrop

Joachim von Ribbentrop may not have fought on the front lines of World War II, but he was nevertheless a pivotal part of the Nazi war machine. He was the mastermind behind such diplomatic coups as the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact, which forged an unlikely alliance between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. He was also the driving force behind the Pact of Steel with Fascist Italy and the Anti-Comintern Pact with Japan that cemented the alliance between the Axis Powers and brought Germany, Italy, and Japan together in their shared aspirations for world domination.

Interestingly, Ribbentrop's rise to such a consequential position right under Adolf Hitler was not the result of a carefully planned career, but rather a series of unlikely coincidences. Prior to being a globe-trotting diplomat for the Nazis, Ribbentrop was a dealer of fine wine and champagne. He was then introduced to Hitler by chance, and when Hitler rose to power, a combination of timing and circumstance managed to catapult this former wine merchant to the world stage. Hungry for war and driven by a deep belief in Germany's destiny, Ribbentrop saw his position as foreign minister as the perfect tool to pave the way for his country's expansion. This is the startling story of Hitler's diplomatic henchman, Joachim von Ribbentrop.