The "soft underbelly of the Axis" referred to

a. Italy and the Balkans.

c. Turkey.

b. North Africa.

d. the Soviet Union.

The most accurate answer is A.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called Italy the "soft underbelly " of the Axis. This may have true politically but certainly not the case militarily.

The Axis powers were Germany, Italy and Japan. These three nations finished signing a treaty on September 27, 1940 which made them officially become allies in the war and were known as the Axis powers.

The name axis was coined by Benito Mussolini of Italy at the very early stages of the formation of the Axis alliance.