The only possible way I could see this sort of happening would be through having a USSR so aggressive that Nazi Germany is seen as a lesser evil, but even then I can't imagine France and Britain actually allying with them. It'd be a neutral pro-German relationship, think of it as similar to USA and Britain before Pearl Harbor.
So nothing good comes out of Britain joining the Axis, and it wouldn't have happened. End of story.
The problem with that is even a pact between the USSR and Japan above the OTL pact would never happen.the USSR and Japan sign a pact instead of Germany-USSR and the Soviets host and support Chandra Bose to overthrow the British in India?
this (insane) version of USSR decides they can defang Germany by capturing or destroying the oil of Poland and Romania? when Germany and UK look to be aligning, they invade Iran (a source of oil for both?)
still think you need an English-speaking Goering as leader of Germany, with maybe a surviving von Seeckt as ambassador to smooth any collaboration?
it would happen if the Soviet leadership felt that the Germany-UK axis was enough of a threat.The problem with that is even a pact between the USSR and Japan would never happen.
The USSR had no qualms allying with the US to serve its goals - why would they be unable to make a deal with Japan? Ultimately, safeguarding their European portions takes precedence. I don't think the alliance would last too long - but it's definitely possible Japan and the USSR split the difference and focus on their common enemies. In a world were Germany-UK is happening, Japan-USSR is likely happening too.Exactly. A Germany-UK Axis wouldn't happen either. Japan also considered Russia its biggest enemy at that point because of the history of conflicts dating back to 1820. And this is the biggest Communist nation on Earth making a pact with an old rival with a history of what could be called "bourgeoisie aristocracy" we're talking about. Also their sphere of influence in Asia would still collide against each other. The USSR was founded on a basis of revolution against their emperor so I don't know why they would ally or even make a pact.
2) Australia and New Zealand would do the same as they would have to seek protection from Japan.
4) Britain would have to return Germany's African colonies to it.
So nothing good comes out of Britain joining the Axis, and it wouldn't have happened. End of story.
Britain would've avoided an exhausting war that ultimately cost it its colonies.
Fashoda (and potential ITTL aftershocks of it), and the conflicts in Manchuria, and tensions in the Balkans all neatly align in regards to timing here...Britain like many countries sought allies to protect itself from its greatest threat. Thus Germany needs to be small threat and somebody else needs to be a big threat. Britain also preferred not to ally with megalomaniacs who were likely to start a war - ruling out Hitler and the Nazis.
Germany building a high seas fleet and being generally beligerant filled that threat niche very well pre-WW1, so you would need a weaker and peaceful Germany and a strong aggressive France and Russia for the UK to be a natural ally to Germany.
The POD of departure for such an environment needed to have been laid in the 19th century (perhaps Germany badly lost the Franco-Prussian war) and there probably needed to have been no Great War. Britain, Germany, Austria and Japan could in theory be aligned against an alliance led by France and Russia.