2a.4 Foreign policy 1935-40

Question 1

What was the Stresa Front?

Answer 1

an alliance between Italy, Britain and France in retaliation with Germany’s decision to rearm in March 1935, directly breaking the treaty of Versailles
- M also claimed to have reached an agreement with both World powers to support Italy’s imperialist goals in Africa in return for Italy’s support

Question 2

Motivations for Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia (7 points)

Answer 2

• War plan had helped economy (war-related contracts helped fuel industry, especially clothing, arms, equipment had transportation
• Link to Autarky aim: Abyssinia would provide raw materials and areas for agricultural expansion (greater export market)

-Emigration of South Italian peasants to take up farming land and ease growing pressure for land reforms in south ( propaganda opportunity that Govt had provided them with a better life)

• Establishment of an Italian empire: M often spoke of the militaristic aspects of fascism

-growing concern in party that M should be more ‘fascist’ and demonstrate his rule as dictator ( victory= unification of Italian people with the glorification of fascism)

-M believed victory would add prestige to his dictatorship and wipe of any humiliations like battle of Adwa 1896

• M thought his foreign policy campaign would deter Hitler from committing to Anschluss

Question 3

Invasion of Abyssinia: how did it go?

Answer 3

Oct 1935: 400K troops set towards Abyssinia ( hoped for an easy victory)
- Italy seized Adwa but progress was slowed and by Nov, Emilio De Bono was replaced by Marshal Pietro Badoglio
-brutal war: mass aerial bombings, murder of POW, illegal use of poisonous chemicals
-Battle was on 5th May 1936

Question 4

Economic consequences of the Invasion of Abyssinia?

Answer 4

Lira devalued by 40% and budget deficit rose from 2.5 billion to 16 billion lire

Brutality lead to 500K Abyssinian’s death = illegal use of chemical weapons changed image of M especially abroad
- seen as danger to European peace
-

Question 5

Immediate consequences for M’s victory in Abyssinia?

Answer 5

very positive: Sanctions used as propaganda ( M portrayed as leader who stood up to the whole world and defy the attempts to limit Italian power)
- highest point of his dictatorship ( M had achieved true greatness for Italy and established itself as a great power)
- all aspects of Italy (Church, Monarchy, nation) proclaimed M’s greatness and how he fulfilled the imagery of Caesar

Question 6

Long term consequences of M’s invasion of Abyssinia?

Answer 6

Abyssinia had not been fully conquered (2/3 still remained occupied and costs associated with supplying 250K soldiers that needed to fight an ongoing guerrilla war were considerable

Only 130K Italians ever settled in Abyssinia= hope of colony providing oil and other materials to fuel autarky never occurred

Export markets never fully developed (only 2% of Italian trade ever went to Abyssinia)

Question 7

How did the League of Nations respond to the invasion of Abyssinia?

Answer 7

placed limited sanctions on Italy, banning weapons sales to Italy, sanctions on rubber and metal imports
Oil was left off list of goods banned for export to Italy and Suez canal was not closed

Question 8

How did the invasion of Abyssinia change Mussolini’s perception on foreign affairs

Answer 8

weakness of LoN and Britain + France encouraged him to be more aggressive
- thought it would enhance his powers domestically and internationally by challenging old balance of power in Europe

Question 9

Italy’s intervention in the Spanish civil war

Answer 9

July 1936, M committed Italian troops to spanish civil war, siding with General Franco (leader of right wing opposition against Spanish Republican govt
- Hitler also committed troops ( first time Italians and Germans fought together)

Question 10

What benefits did Mussolini think he would receive if they won the spanish civil war

Answer 10

Italy would gain strategic ally in Med while undermining France’s position
- Italy hoped to gain naval bases in Balearic islands

Rule of Franco would help the spread of authoritarian nationalist and antisocialist regimes (weakening of communism and socialism)

Question 11

Military sent to spanish civil war and costs associated

Answer 11

50K soldiers / thousands of artillery and tanks + 1400 pilots + 400 fighter planes and 200 bombers

3266 soldiers killed and 11000 wounded
- severe disruption of economy costing 14 billion lire (govt had to tax extra to pay for it)
- lira was further devalued and Italy’s foreign currency reserves halved

Question 12

How was Mussolini unsuccessful due to gaining nothing from the spanish civil war

Answer 12

General Franco was determined not to let Spain become a satellite state + naval concessions did not happen

intervention hampered Mussolini’s consolidation of Abyssinia
- not popular with Italian people ( resented economic costs)

Growing concerns that Italy was growing more dependant towards Germany

Question 13

humiliation at the Battle of Guadalajara

Answer 13

M pushed italian forces towards Madrid, believing that they could conquer the capital
- March 1937 Fascists faced defeat 50Km away from Madrid
- embarrassment since opposing army had antifascist volunteers (Garibaldi Brigade) who were organised by the Rosselli brothers

Great propaganda for antifascists (weakness of Italian army) + M committed more soldiers and refused to leave without Italian victory

Question 14

Hoare-Laval pact of December 1935 and how it pushed Italy away from Allies?

Answer 14

secret agreement between British and French foreign ministers Samuel Hoare and Pierre Laval
- 2/3 of Abyssinia to be given to Mussolini in exchange for maintaining Stresa Front
-British public was outraged and plan was dropped

M saw this as increased mutual antagonism from Britain, which worsened during Spanish civil war

Question 15

How was Germany able to get closer to Italy in 1936 and 1937

Answer 15

Rome Berlin Axis
- Treaty that strengthened ties between Germany ( Germany would have freedom to operate in Eastern Europe whilst supporting Italian attempts to change power in Mediterranean

1937 Sep: M visited Germany and 800K Germans to hear Mussolini proclaim that the values of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy were the same
- M impressed by Nazi Germany ( powerful military)

1937 Nov: Italy joined the anti-comintern pact with Germany and Italy

Question 16

How did the Spanish civil war worsen relations between England and Italy?

Answer 16

Italian submarines disguised as Spanish attacked and sank neutral shipping in Med, angering Britain
- 1938 Italian bombing rain sunk 11 ships

Gentleman’s agreement Jan 1937: Britains attempts at trying to make arrangements with Italy ( confirmed Italy’s status quo in med)
- M ignored the treaty completely

Question 17

When did Mussolini feel threatened by Hitler’s position

Answer 17

Anschluss completed March 1938, meaning Hitler was a stronger leader of the two now
- M failed to stand up against Germany and had people questioning his image as a leader)

At Munich conference of 1938 September, M was completely subservient to Hitler during negotiations, yet claimed that he played a crucial role to help broker the deal

Question 18

How were domestic tensions increasing in Italy?

Answer 18

1935-1939 Military spending accounted for 80% of massive increae in state deficit and the squeeze on middle class incomes/ savings to pay for the war was highly unpopular

Autarky meant consumer products became more expensive

Battle of Grain contributed to a worsening diet amongst population and general living standards of workers in agricultural, civil and industrial sectors declined
- Italy was becoming more reliant on Germany (Feb 1939 commercial treaty signed between two countries)

Question 19

What did the February 1939 treaty mean for Mussolini’s popularity

Answer 19

highly unpopular policy (transferred half a million Italian workers to Germany by 1945)
-workers treated poorly by Germans (policy contradicted M’s speeches which asserted workers should stay in Italy and that they would always be treated with respect
-transfer confirmed his weakness against Hitler

All this anger was accentuated by Anger and fear of Anschluss in 1938
- 1938 anti-semitic policy and ‘reform of custom’s was highly unpopular and appeared ridiculous

Question 20

How did the invasion of Albania 1939 April show the weakness of the Italian army

Answer 20

unorganised and using weapons with which they had never trained
- poor communication between army, navy and airforce
- invasion had little impact on economy or European affairs
- again highlighted the aggressive nature of Fascism= more distanced from Britain and France

Question 21

Pact of steal

Answer 21

22nd May 1939: military and economic alliance between Germany and Italy but most of the drafting was done by Germany
-Article 3: committed Italy to support Germany if they went to war ( went against diplomatic convention that nearly all military alliances operated only for defensive purposes)

-Ciano signed it and was told in August regarding Hitler’s plan to invade Poland ( returned to Italy horrified and disgusted by Germany)