This article is part of the series The Road to World War II .

Unlike the Rome-Berlin Axis, the Pact of Steel was an offensive, military alliance, in which Hitler and Mussolini committed to fight together in case of war. Italy, though, would not have to fight before 1942.

As a result the military lines were drawn, Europe was divided into two camps. The Pact of Steel set down the war time alliance.

The Soviet Union was now the critical power. It was not yet in any of the camps and was in a position to tip the scales of power in either direction. Hitler was once again swift to act and pushed for the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact — the alliance between Germany and Russian that made war with Poland inevitable.