This was important to the alliance as both regimes mutually had claims on France: Germany on German-populated Alsace-Lorraine and Italy on the mixed Italian and French populated Nice and Corsica. In May 1939, a formal alliance with Germany was signed, known as the Pact of Steel. Mussolini felt obliged to sign the pact in spite of his own concerns that Italy could not fight a war in the near future.
It was important for the alliance because both regimes had overlapping claims on France: Germany on German-populated Alsace-Lorraine and Italy on mixed Italian and French populated Nice and Corsica. In May 1939, a formal pact with Germany was signed, known as the Pact of Steel. Mussolini felt compelled to sign the pact despite his own reservations about Italy's ability to engage in warfare soon.