Italian Expansionism

1930s Italy

1. Fascism = Imperialism & Anti-Diplomacy

   • Italy hates French influence in North Africa/Balkans.

2. Great Depression: 2M unemployed, Bank of Italy collapsed.

   • Distracted public of economic problems with “inspirational" wars, but goal of autarky was unattainable with costly wars.

3. Changing Diplomacy: Before 1935, Italy allied with GB/F to stop Germany’s rise.

   • Austria (7/1934): Italy mobilized against Germany on her first annexation attempt.

   • Stresa Conference: GB/Italy met to resist future breaches of ToV by Germany

     • Nazis assasinated Austrian Chancellor, had intention to build airforce, increacse army to 500k, and introduce conscription.

   • In private, Italy told GB of Abyssinian invasion. GB’s silence=consent.

After 1936:

1. Italy allies with Germany

2. Invades Abyssinia

1930s GB

• Appeasement: Policy of making concessions to avoid war.

Factors of Appeasement:

1. Voting Laws: By 1928, women could vote → politicans held accountable.

   • Public was anti-war, favored LoN’s colelctive security.

2. Harsh ToV: GB felt G’s hopes to revise it were justified. WWI not fully fault of Germany.

3. Conservatives in Charge: Communism worse than facism.

   • Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain hated war, thought he could negotiate with Mussolini/Hitler, had little faith in LoN and was allied with USA/F. Did not trust USSR.

4. WWI costly, 3M unemployed.

   • No stomach for rearmament until axis powers united.

5. Global commitments: Difficult to defend half of Asia/Africa. Priorities:

   • GB versus air attacks

   • Trade routes for resources

   • Empire

   • Allies

1930s France

• Suffered the most from WWI.

  • 10% of land destroyed

  • 70% of army wounded/killed

  • Prevent resurgent Germany at all costs

• France felt abandoned:

  • Anglo mistrust: USA did not ratify ToV or join LoN. GB sympathetic to Germany.

  • Failed Ruhr occupation in 1923 led to appeasement.

    1. 1924 Powers Plan

    2. 1925 Locarno Agreements

  • France found new allies via bilateral agreements.

    1. 1920s: Belgium/Poland

    2. 1921: Czsl, Yugoslavia, Romania

  • Developed a strong defensive posture to prevent German aggression. France sought security alliances as deterrence against a future war. Entirely defensive military blanking, emphasized maginot line.

• By 1930s, France was dependent of GB offensive capability, must follow GB.

US/USSR 1930s

USA:

• Isolationist, Neutrality Acts

• No LoN, GB/F alone to force axis to cooperate

USSR:

• 1917: Wewst cut ties with Russia after Bolshevik Revolution

  • Supported white army but lost

  • Red scares in USA/GB

  • Communist International: Support revolutions in Germany/Italy/Serbia/Hungary/Czekosloviakia

  • Revoultions killed by white terrors

• 1924: Lenin dies, Stalin announces “socialism in one country”

  • Needed west because of Japan’s expansion and Germany’s aim of Lebensraum.

• 1934: USSR joined LoN and signed mutual assistance pacts with France/Czsl

Causes of Italian Invasion in Ethiopia

1. Ethiopia was the only uncolonized country in Africa.

   • Neighbored Entrea and Somaliland (already Italian colonies)

   • Ancient Roman Empire controlled Africa.

2. Ethiopia was not modernized → easy victory → rally support behind Ita’s regime

   • Gain new colonial troops

   • Territory for emigration, market for Italy’s goods, hoped for oil.

3. After Stresa front, Italy no longer feared a German invasion. Wants to demosntrate its power to Germany.

   • Convinced GB would not object to Ethiopia’s invasion.

4. Walwal incident: In 1930, Italy purposefully build a fort in Ethiopia’s territory.

   • 1934: Skimish kills 30 Italians and 100 Ethiopians, Italy demands and apology and money.

Course:

• On January 1935, emperor Haile Selassie calls League of Nations to investigate. Italy sends 500k troops.

• 03/1935: Ethiopia protests military build up on border.

• 06/1935: Italy declares that any arms sales to Ethiopia are an unfriendly act.

  • GB/F impose an embargo on both sides (does not include oil/coal/steel).

  • Ethiopia begs for embargo to be lifted

• 08/1935: Italy rejects GB/F’s offer of significant Ethopian territory to avoid war.

• 09/1935: LoN resolution: neither side responsible for Walwal

• 10/1935: Italy invades Ethiopia. LoN declares Itlay is the agressor → imposes economic embargo BUT

  • Suez Canal was not closed for Italy

  • Embargo didn’t include coal/oil/steel

  • Italy used chemical weapons

• 05/1936: Ethiopia’s capital is captured. Italy merges colonies → Italian East Africa

Results

• 10,000 Italians & 275k Ethiopians killed, Italy’s government is known for brutality.

• Selassie flees to GB

• LoN ended Italy’s sanctions by 07/1935

• Costly: In 1936, Italy’s budget was 6x as much (2.5B lira to 16B Lira)

  • Continued cost of 250k occupying troops.

  • Liro devalued 40? by 10/1936

• LoN was inffective

• Ended Stresa Front between GB/F & Italy

  • Italy now closer to Germany

International Reaction:

• Ethopia’s emperor begged LoN for help

Axis Powers:

• Germany ignored embargo and remilitarized the Rhineland (03/1936) while GB/F were distracted.

• Japan recognized Italian East Africa, Italy recognied Manchukuo.

Allies:

• Hoare-Laval Pact 12/1935: GB/F secret offer to give most of Ethopia for peace.

  • After France’s media leak, Pierre Laval/Sam Hoare resigned.

Spanish Civil War

From 1936 to 1939, Italy supported Fascist rebeliion in Spain because:

1. Left wing government was support by USSR

2. Mare nostrum

3. Church supported

4. France could have a two front war

5. To distract public of costly Italy-Ethiopia war

• Rebels won and Spain was fascist until 1975. Consequences for Italy:

  1. Intervention cost 14B Lira, making them co-dependent on Germany

  2. 1/3 of arms stockpiles were consumed.

  3. Exposed weakness: Won the war, but lost battles

  4. Spain remained independent

  5. Rome-Berlin Axis Alliance 10/36: After Germany and Italy independently supported Spain, Germany invited Taly to Berlin. They both committed to equal foreign policy, then:

     • Italy joined Anti-Comintern Pact 1937

     • Left LoN 1937

     • Accepted Germany’s Austrian takeover (1938)

Invasion of Albania

Causes:

1. 03/1939: Germany invaded Czsl. Italy wanted to imitate Germany’s success.

2. Fulfill Mare nostrum.

3. Albania (Italy’s puppet since 1926) “asserted independence” by making trade agreements with neighbors. In response, Italy sent warships.

Course: 100k Itlaians vs 15k Albanians.

• 4/1939: King Zong calls for resistance. Italians agents sabotage Albanian defense, tkaing ports. The king flees, and Albania is annexed.

End of Appeasement: GB/F promised to protect Germany & Romania.

• GB’s Navy concentrated on mediterranean (vs. Italy) instead of far east (vs. Japan).

Pact of Steel: 5/1939

• Germany and Italy create a 10 year alliance and union of economic/military policy + shared propaganda.

  • Japan wanted anti-USSR focus so not included.

  • Italy warned that she’s not ready for war for the next three years.