Question

what caused hitler and benito mussolini to first associate with each other? they both supported spanish dictator francisco franco in the spanish civil war. they negotiated a treaty to divide up the nations of europe. they were fighting over territory and needed to sign a treaty to keep peace.

Explanation:

The first formal association between Hitler and Mussolini stemmed from their shared support for Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). This aligned their fascist regimes and laid groundwork for later alliances. The other options are incorrect: the treaty to divide Europe (Molotov-Ribbentrop, which involved Germany and the USSR, not Italy) came later, and they were not initially fighting over territory.

Answer:

They both supported Spanish dictator Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War.