Which countries had Nazi Germany formed alliances with in the lead up to WWII?

Nazi Germany, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, formed alliances with several countries in the lead up to World War II. Here are the key alliances:

1. Italy: The first major alliance formed by Nazi Germany was with Italy. This was formalized with the signing of the "Pact of Steel" in 1939. Italy, under the fascist rule of Benito Mussolini, was seen as a natural ally to Hitler's Germany.

2. Japan: The Tripartite Pact of 1940 established the Axis Powers, which were primarily made up of Germany, Italy, and Japan. This pact was a defensive alliance, meaning that each country agreed to assist the others if they were attacked by another country not already involved in the war.

3. Soviet Union: The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, signed in 1939, was a non-aggression pact between Germany and the Soviet Union. This pact included a secret protocol dividing Northern and Eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence. However, this pact was broken when Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941.

4. Other Axis Powers: Several other countries either joined the Axis Powers or were coerced into alliance with Germany. These included Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Finland.

It's important to note that many of these alliances were based on coercion or shared opposition to common enemies, rather than shared ideologies or goals.