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What did Mussolini condemn following WW1?
Mutilated victory
What was Mussolini's general aim for Italian foreign policy?
To make Italy 'great, respected and feared'
How would Italy achieve Great power status?
-Military build up-Diplomatic intrigue-war
Why did Mussolini's plans lack detail until the 1930s?
-Mussolini not sure what colonies to expand-Didn't know how he would achieve dominance in Mediterranean-Not sure how much power he desired in Balkans
What did the Duce soon recognise foreign affairs could provide him with?
-Impress fellow countrymen with spectacles overshadowing foreign statesmen-Defend and promote Italian interests with unending success-Reap international prestige and domestic support
Why was Mussolini's foreign policy not a new era for Italy even though he believed this?
As the desire for Great Power status, high military expenditure and colonial adventures were also part of the Liberal regime
How did Mussolini exceed his Liberal predecessors in foreign policy?
Pursued his goals more relentlessly and recklessly
What was Italy's position in Europe in 1922?
Secure but unable to exert a great deal of influence either diplomatically or militarily
Why had Italys potential threat to its northern border been removed?
Friendship with France and dismemberment of Austro-Hungarian empire and had no powerful enemies
Who were the dominant powers of Europe in 1922?
Britain and France
Why did Britain and France dominate Europe?
-They enforced WW1 peace treaties-Their colonies dominated Africa-Fleets controlled Mediterranean
When was an Italian general and four of his staff assassinated in Greece?
August 1923
Who were the Italian general and his staff assassinated in Greece working for?
The international boundary commission set under terms of peace settlement advising on precise location of Greek-Albanian border
What did Mussolini do once hearing of the assassinations?
Blamed the Greek government and demanded a full apology with 50 million lire full in compensation
What did Mussolini do when the Greeks refused to agree to his terms?
Ordered the bombardment and occupation of the island of Corfu
What did Britain do in support of the league?
Demanded that Italy withdraw, backed by its Mediterranean fleet
What did the Duce do once Britain demanded they withdrew?
Duce had little choice but to agree, although he did receive the 50 million lire compensation, did not receive fully apology from Greeks
What was the Corfu crisis hailed as for Italy?
A great success for dynamic fascism
What did the Corfu crisis show about Mussolini and Italy?
They may be able to bully the smaller powers but they were unable to stand up to 'great powers'
What did the realisation that Italy was not able to stand up to the Great powers show to Mussolini?
Made him aware of the need to maintain good relations with Britain, at least for short term
Who was an early admirer of the Mussolini's Fascist regime?
Austen Chamberlain the British Foreign Secretary
When was the Pact of Rome?
1924
What did the Pact of Rome give to Italy?
Fiume, an Italian speaking town on the Yugoslavian coast, occupied by D'Annunzio in 1919 after Mutilated victory
What did Mussolini's success from Fiume bring him?
Great prestige and popularity as Italians believed it was unrightfully not ceded to them after WW1
What did the Duce's success in Fiume persuade him about?
That Yugoslavia could be pushed around
What did Mussolini resent in Yugoslavia?
French influence and he was keen to demonstrate that Italy was the dominant power of the region
What did he want to make clear to Yugoslavia?
That he could make life very difficult for Yugoslavia if they tried to resist Italian influence
What was an opportunity to promote Italian influence in Yugoslavia?
When Italian-sponsored chieftain, Ahmed Zog, managed to take power in Albania on Yugoslavia southern border
What did the Italian Fascist government supply Zog with?
-Money-Encouraged Italian companies to invest in Albanian economy-Employed Italian officers as advisers in Albanian army
When was the Treaty of Friendship signed with Albania?
1926
What was Albania to Italy be 1926?
No more than a Satellite state
What is a Satellite state?
A country that is heavily influenced or virtually controlled by another state
How did Mussolini emphasise his military threat to Yugoslavia?
His funding of ethnic minorities e.g. the Croats who wanted to break away from Yugoslavian state
How did Yugoslavia respond to Mussolini's military threat?
Trying it's best not to antagonise Fascist Italy but refused to be intimidated into subservience
When did Mussolini occupy much of Yugoslavia?
In WW2 after it was defeated by Nazi Germany
When was the Locarno Treaties?
October 1925
What was the Locarno Treaties?
An effort to ensure peace between Germany and France by stating borders between nations were effectively fixed
Did Mussolini read much of the legislation published?
No
What was Mussolini's policy going into Locarno?
To increase his hold on the Mediterranean to allow full of his navy
Why did Mussolini believe relations with Germany would be more successful for his Meditation aims?
As the British had a great hold their and had already made him withdraw Corfu in 1923
When did Mussolini join the Locarno treaties?
On the final day
What did Mussolini wish to achieve by arriving at Locarno on the final day?
Portraying himself as a major statesmen and a propaganda stunt
What did the Treaty of Friendship with Albania (1926) declare?
-Disturbance in Albania is contrary to their common political interests-Italian officers and ranking members and police oversee Albanian army-Both would provide economic and military support for the other-Both nations wouldn't pursue anything that harmed other nation e.g. politically-Pact would last 5 years
When was the Treaty of Friendship with Hungary?
1927
What type of state was Hungary?
A revisionist state
What is a revisionist state?
State that wishes to change peace treaties after WW1
What did Mussolini fund in Germany to hope of pro-Fascist government would come out there?
Right-wing groups
Which pilots did Mussolini train that breached the treaty of Versailles?
German pilots
What did Mussolini tell the Italian parliament in 1927 in regard to his air force?
He would create an airforce 'large enough to blot out the sun'
When was the Kellogg-Briand Pact?
August 1928
What did the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928 outlaw?
War
What did Mussolini again try and achieve at the Kellog-Briand pact?
Becoming a major European statesmen
How did Mussolini arrive to Locarno?
By speedboat across Lake Maggiore
What did Italian press state about Mussolini being involved in these major European pacts?
That he was treated as an equal with the leaders of the Great Powers and that his presence and contributions had been crucial for the final agreement.
Why was the idea that Mussolini a major contributor to the European treaties an exaggeration?
As he attended only one session of the conference and did not bother to read the final draft of the treaties
What did the British and Italians agree over their African colonies?
The location of their borders between Libya and Egypt
What did Mussolini have little interest in doing?
Reading pacts and treaties
What did Mussolini hope his aim to be a European statesmen maintaining peace would earn him from Britain and France?
Concessions
What did Mussolini do immediately after the Kellog-Briand pact outlawing war?
Dismissed it in a speech to the same parliament
Why did the regime adopt a more aggressive foreign policy?
To distract people from the failings at home e.g. Corporate state
What had the rise of Nazism done for Italian foreign policy?
Transformed European situation and opened way for Italian ambition
When was the four power pact?
1933
What was the four power pact an opportunity for?
Mussolini to demonstrate his importance for bringing together Britain, France, Germany and Italy
Why was the Four Power Pact called together?
As a means of better international security and giving smaller nations less of a voice in power politics
What was the Four power pact on the back of?
The Great Depression and Nazi rise to power
What did representatives sign?
A diluted version of Mussolini's first proposal
What was Mussolini's goal in Four Power Pact?
To reduce power of smaller states in League of Nations
What significance did the Four Power Pact have?
Little but was not completely devoid of merit
What did Mussolini realise a sting resurgent Germany seeking to revise the he Treaty of Versailles would do for Italy?
Frighten Britain and France and make them more amenable to Italian demands
Why was Mussolini apprehensive about Nazi Germany?
-Feared he would be overshadowed by the new Führer-Scared of Anschluss would put Germany on Italy northern border
What is Anschluss?
Union of Austria and Germany
What May Italy be threatened to give to Germany if Anschluss occurred?
German-speaking areas in north-eastern Italy gained at Paris peace conference 1919
What did the Austrian government fear of Anschluss?
That it would effectively be the takeover of the weaker military power (Austria) by a stronger power (Germany)
What did Austrian chancellor Dolfuss do?
Looked for outside support
How many times did Dolfuss visit Rome in 1933?
3 times
What was Dolfuss told from Italy?
That he should suppress the Nazi party in Austria and Italy would protect Austria from any German aggression
What did Mussolini encourage Dolfuss to do in February 1934?
Set up a right wing authoritarian regime partly modelled on Italian fascism but would be anti-Nazi
When was Dolfuss assassinated?
July 1934
Who assassinated Dolfuss?
Nazi sympathisers
Who was Engrlbert Dolfuss?
A Catholic conservative politician who came to power in 1932
Where did Dolfuss and Mussolini informally meet?
In the Italian Riveria with their wives
What did Italy pour into Austria?
Substantial financial support
What was the salaries of Austrian government officials and civil servants almost entirely dependent on?
Aid from Italy
How did Mussolini seize the moment following the assassination of Dolfuss?
He showed his commitment to Austria by stationing an army of four divisions on the Austrian border at the Brenner Pass
On hearing of Dolfuss assassination what did Mussolini call Hitler?
'a horrible sexual degenerate'
When was the Stresa Front?
April 1935
How did relations of Italy and Germany reach of low in March 1935?
Hitler revealed he had developed an air force, the Luftwaffe, in breach of Versailles and announced he was introducing military conscription
What size did Hitler introduce military conscription of the army over the Versailles limit?
Army five times the permitted amount in the peace settlement
How did Mussolini respond to Hitler breaching Versailles?
By agreeing to meet Britain and France in Italian town of Stresa to organise a joint response to German threat
What was Mussolini's attitude towards Britain and France?
Contradictory
What did Mussolini regard Britain as?
A colonial rival blocking his foreign policy ambitions
How was Britain useful to Italy?
A useful ally in countering rise of Germany
Who was Italy's ambassador to Britain?
Dino Grandi who was in favour of keeping good relations with them
How did Mussolini arrive to Stresa?
By speedboat across Lake maggiore
What did the final declaration of the Stresa front set out?
-Three powers underline their support for Locarno 1925-Maintain independence of Austria-Prevent further breaches of the treaties-Germany unnamed
Why did Stresa not bring the Western democracies closer together?
-Agreements vaguely expressed and avoided specific commitments-No effective way of stopping Hitler-Italy and France had hardline policy towards Hitler-Britain open to negotiationsMussolini actively planning invasion of Abyssinia
What would Mussolini's invasion of Abyssinia be against?
Covenant of the League of Nations
Why did Mussolini weaken the agreement at Stresa?
Careful to release his true intentions
What did Britain do in June 1935 without consulting Italy and France?
Negotiated the Anglo-German Naval agreement
What was the Anglo-German Naval Agreement?
Germany agreed to keep its navy 35% of the size of the British navy
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