Italian expansion 1933-40

Impact of domestic economic issues on the foreign policies of Italy- cause

• Italy depended on export of manufacture goods

• Trade barriers= erected in response to Great Depression. Severely affected Italy's ability to export goods.

• Italy compensated-> increased trade with countries in Eastern Europe

• Italy imported food and raw materials. Exported its manufactured goods

• Change in trading patterns impacted Italy's foreign policy:

  • Italy became less concerned with economic retaliation from France, Britain and USA

  • thus Italy having more freedom to act -on foreign policy goals

  • -> Italy less dependant on trade with Britain, USA and France

    -> government increased control of industry and economy

    -> Italy's military expanding in equipment and size

Italian expansion: Albania

• albania= small country with great resources including forests, fields, metals and petroleum→ relatively new state in european affairs, formed during balkan wars in 1912 and 1913

• italy siezed albania in 1915 so allies could use port Durrës (referred to in italy as Durrazo) to supply kingdom of Serbia (allies member)

• occupation= short lived and albania was siezed by autria-hungarian empire

• after ww1, italy worked to set out albania’s poorly defined boarders working to prevent greece from taking territory→ led to assasination of italian millitary officer & short military conflict between greece and italy

• italy assumed protected and controlled over albania whether they liked it or not and in the 1920s became more democratic

• 1926, president Zogu signed an alliance with italy

• president Zogu worked to increase his power and later became King Zog I of Albania in 1928 by careful manipulation of a parliament which called for revisions to the constitution

Italian expansion: entry into the Second World War

International response to Italian aggression (1935–1936)

International response to Italian aggression (1940)

• Brutality of Italian invasion and occupation caused domestic political problems in Britain and France:

-> Britain's national government faced elections in November 1935, most votes went towards economic sanctions against Italy

-> France= socialists supported the league and conservatives supported Italy