italy foreign and colonial policy

what were mussolini’s aims? (2)

‘I want to make Italy great, respected, and feared’

‘a place in the sun’

mussolini foreign policy 1925

Locarno, discuss borders

mussolini foreign policy 1927

Kellogg-Briand, non-aggression pacts

mussolini foreign policy 1933

Four Powers Pact, European affairs between Italy, Germany, Britain, and France

what happened, corfu

1923

1. italian official killed in greece

2. italy invaded greece until reparations were paid

3. league of nations condemned

what happened, fiume

1924

1. yugoslav government handed over fiume

2. fiume was no longer an important port to yugoslav

what happened, locarno

1925

1. mussolinis attempts to get italian borders included in the pact failed

what happened, albania

1926

1. became italian protectorate

what happened, kellogg-briand

1928

1. pledge to renounce war

2. italy broke the treaty (1935, abyssinia)

mussolinis reasons for invading abyssinia

1. avenge adowa (1896)

2. empire

3. economic aspirations

4. divert attention from domestic problems

what was the reaction to the invasion of abyssinia?

league condemned, economic sanctions

what did the invasion of abyssinia prove about propaganda?

it was both the strength and weakness of the regime

what was the cost of the spanish civil war?

8.4-14 billion lire

casualties of the spanish civil war?

dead - 3,000

wounded - 12,000

how long did it take, from the launch of the operation to the taking of the capital, for the abyssinian invasion to take place?

9 months (October 1935 - May 1936)

how did mussolinis son describe the invasion?

‘magnificent sport’

‘exceptionally good fun’

how did the invasion of abyssinia directly lead to italy’s alignment with germany?

Hoare-Laval Plan destroyed remaining credibility of the League of Nations

Italy lost her international credibility

Mussolini agreed to Rome-Berlin Axis (November 1936)

SPANISH CIVIL WAR: how many planes wasted?

750

SPANISH CIVIL WAR: how many light tanks wasted?

160

SPANISH CIVIL WAR: how many trucks wasted?

6,700

SPANISH CIVIL WAR: how many machine guns wasted?

3,400

was the spanish civil war popular in italy?

no - 50,000 fighters, most selected

effect of spanish civil war, historian

‘it helped to cement the relationship between Hitler and Mussolini’ - Pollard

relationship between italy and germany, historian

‘fruit of realism’ - Bosworth

italian imports from britain and france, change over time

1932 - 15%

1928 - 8%

italian imports from germany, change over time

1932 - 14%

1938 - 27%

which agreement led to germanys effective control over italy

Pact of Steel - May 1939

what were some of the reasons Mussolini did not enter war in 1939?

1. no support from Ciano/King

2. unprepared army

3. italian sentiment

fascism and war, historian

‘War should have been the apotheosis of Fascism. In fact, it was its nemesis’ - Morgan

why did italy invade france in june 1940

Mussolini thought the war was ending, wanted to be on the winning side

1943 - wages

declined by 30%

1943 - food

pasta + bread rationed

food prices from index of 100 in 1940, to 172 in 1942

consumption of food halved 1939-1943

strikes - 1943

130,000 workers in war production factories in northern cities

when did the king order mussolini arrested?

July 22nd, 1943

what were the key issues facing italy during the war?

1. inflation

2. fall in calorific consumption

3. fall in standard of living

4. food prices/supply - black market

5. agricultural/industrial production fell by 25%

6. growth of dissent

7. industrial action

8. invasion, july 1943