b. It formed an early alliance between the Axis powers of Germany and Italy.
Explanation:
The Pact of Steel (or <em>Pact of Friendship and Alliance between Germany and Italy</em>) was a military and political alliance between these powers, which was signed on May 22, 1939 by foreign ministers Galeazzo Ciano of Italy and Joachim von Ribbentrop of Germany. This pact represented an early alliance between the Axis powers of Germany and Italy.
