Final answer:
Japan was concerned with the rise of Communism in the Soviet Union and China, leading to the Anti-Comintern Pact with Germany against the Soviet Union. This ideological alliance eventually formed the Axis powers in World War II. Russia was the country initially prevented from industrializing due to a lack of free laborers.
Step-by-step explanation:
Japan was foreshadowing conflict with the Soviet Union (b) by joining Germany in fighting against them. The Japanese militarists were concerned about the rise of Communism in the Soviet Union, particularly since it was fueling a civil war in China. They viewed the spread of Communist influence in Asia as a threat.
Hence, in 1936, Japan and Germany signed the Anti-Com intern Pact to pledge mutual assistance against the Communist International (Com intern), an agency created by the Soviet Union to promote the worldwide Communist revolution. This alliance with Germany and Italy laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the Axis powers during World War II.
Regarding the question about a country initially prevented from industrializing due to a lack of free laborers, the answer is d. Russia. The other options, Germany (a), Italy (b), and Britain (c) do not fit the description as they had different socio-economic issues that influenced their respective paths to industrialization.