Italy Foreign Policy

What were Mussolini’s 5 main aims in foreign policy?

• End Italy’s minor role in European diplomacy

• Revise the Mutilated Victory

• Dominate Mediterranean & Balkans

• Gain an Empire (spazzio vitale)

• Spread fascism abroad

What 4 factors constrained Mussolini at this time?

• GB and France’s dominance

• Military weakness

• Lack of allies

• Economic weaknesses

When was the Corfu incident?

August 1923

Corfu incident - cause

5 italians on the albanian/greek border were assasinated by greek terrorists

Corfu incident - response

• M demands apology & 50m lire compensation

• Greeks refuse

• M orders bombardment & invasion of Corfu

Corfu - outcome

• Greece appeals to LoN

• Italy leaves Corfu in Sept

• Greeks pay 50m lire BUT no apology

In what ways was Corfu a success for M?

• Got compensation

• Propagandised at home

• Clear difference from old republic

In what ways was Corfu NOT a success for M?

showed his weakness and impulsiveness - forced to back down to LoN

When was Fiume gained?

1924

In what ways was Fiume a success for M?

• Seizure of land

• Boosted prestige in europe

• distracted from corfu

How was the success of Fiume limited?

Gained through diplomacy - still relatively weak (compared to d’annunzio too!!)

When were the Locarno Treaties?

1925

How was M’s role in the Locarno treaties a contradiction?

He posed as a peacemaker!!

What impacts did Hitler’s chancellorship pose to Italy?

• exploit GB & Fr need for an ally

• Threat posed by Germany

• Gin concessions in Med & Afr. through fear

• M could act as senior statesman in Europe

Why did M’s foreign policy become more expansionist after 1933?

Internal:

• ideology - Cult of Duce requires military success

• Coroporate state had brought economic gains

  External

• GB & Fr distracted!

M gains depedning on outcome of Anschluss

If Germany went in:

• Able to “save” austria and extract territorial conscessions & potential ally

If they didn’t:

• Shows M to be a threat - respect from GB & Fr (awwww his senpais will notice him 🥰)

Why was the Stresa Front a high point for M?

• At the heart of European diplomacy (senpais noticed him!!!!)

• Trust from GB & FR = finally a blind eye to imperial actions (?)

What event sparked the Conquest of Abyssinia and when?

Dec 1934 Wal Wal Oasis incident - Italians fired upo, 30 killed

How did M initially respond to the Wal Wal Oasis incident?

M asks for apology - LoN fail to respond)

Why did M believe he could get away with Abyssinia?

• Percieved trust from Stresa

• Precedent with Machuria

When did M invade Abyssinia?

Oct 1935

Why did GB & Fr not condemn M? What secret pact did they make?

• Stresa Pact unity + hope for support against Nazis & USSR

• Hoare-Laval pact to give italy territory - HUGE PUBLIC BACKLASH AT HOME so abandoned

Why were LoN sanctions against M weak?

Traded mostly w USA and Germany, both non-members

Successes/Failures of Abyssinia

+: FINALLY conquered something - Pope, King, Public loved it; Greater ties w Germany

-: Fell completely out of favour w GB & Fr -THROWING AWAY ALL PROGRESS OF THE 20s WTF MUSSO D:

no more senpais…😞

How did M’s blunder strengthen Germany? What policies in Italy did this lead to?

• Hitler able to remilitarise Rhineland in 1936 as senpais are distracted

• German influence over italy = anti-semitic laws by M and sanctions from Gb-Fr (bro really got ghosted by his exes 🫢)

Why did M aid Franco?? (did he want another senpai??????🤭)

• hated socialist nerds 😡😡

• make friends with fascists (threesome!!!!!😊)

• weaken britain through gibraltr, put pressure on france through border (revenge on exes)

How many troops (in Dec 1936), rifles, artillery, tanks did M send? how much did it all cost?

50,000 troops, 250,000 rifles, 2000 artillery, 950 tanks - 12-14 BILLION LIRE - 2 YRS MILITARY SPENDING!! (does not have) (he broke (so real 😞✋)

WHY WAS HELPING FRANCO A SHIT DECISION FOR M???

• fucking sucked in the military (Guadalajara damn that’s a lotta a)

• SAlty GB and FR (snobs)

• REJECTED by Franco :0, ABANDONED in WW2 (bro got ghosted AGAIN 😭)

• Becomes Germany’s little cock-sucker

• 8 BILLION LIRE OF THE FOREIGN CURRENCY RESERVE USED UP THAT’S 50% BRO WHYYYYY

• DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH FUCKING EQUIPMENT FOR WW2

when was the Rome Berlin axis made, what promise and secret agreements (omg so cutesy they made secret pacts🥰)

1936

• Hitler promised to leave Austria alone (🤨)

• M dropped objection to Nazis influencing Austria (whispering in their ear ahh)

• Secret agreement to let each other do whatever in MEd and Eastern Europe respectively

What pacts with GErmany followed (did they kiss????)

Nov 1937 Anti comintrn pact

MAy 1939 PAct of Steel - mutual support in war (so wholesome 🥰)

What signs were there that the relationship was toxic? (so sad for Musso 😞)

• only let M know about Anschluss a few hrs before

• NO notice for occupation of Czechoslovakia or the NAzi-Soviet pact (M is heartbroken by the latter)

WHY did M invade Albania 🇦🇱???

• “ummmm look Hitler-senpai I can invade sovereign nations too!!!!!🥺does this mean we’re equals now?? pls????🥺🥺🥺”

• in reality albania was already a satellite state from 1926 so offered little resistance

• base for more attacks (brother u already had it)

what did M have to do at thje start of WW2 and why??

• thought hitler didn’t wanna start war till 1943 (ghosted yet again…😞)

• had to go “ummm Hitler-senpai im not ready to fight yet!!!! here’s my list of stuff i need pls buy 🥺”

• germany doesn’t give enough (the scraps off their table) M: “u-um i still can’t fight yet.. i-i think we need some time apart..” leaves the pact of steel temporarily.. (humiliation) (beta move)

When did M finally get his shit together and join the fray

June 1940 cos the Nazis had conquered France and he thought the war was over LMAO u poor stupid soul

SUMUP ITALY’S FOREIGN POLICY BETWEEN 1939 AND 40

ABSOLUTE SHITSHOW because bro got cocky and thought he was big.. truly the most tragic downfall in history 😔😔😔