6-Fall of Fascism 1940- 45

Question 1

What were the effects of WW2 on Italy?

Answer 1

-Disastrous for Mussolini and Italy
-Italian forces suffer string of military defeats
-Italian economy under massive strain
-Italy’s war effort increasingly dominated by Germany
-Public opinion against war

Question 2

What occurred in July 1943, resulting in Mussolini being removed from the throne?

Answer 2

July 1943- allied armies land in Sicily
25 July- King Victor Emmanuel suddenly removes Mussolini from power but war doesn’t end

Question 3

What were the parallel wars and why did this happen?

Answer 3

-One fought by Germany and Italy against allies
-Another fought by Italians against Italians in a civil war
-^Was a result of Mussolini entering Hitler’s war June 1940; only down when French armies close to defeat & seemingly no danger at long war

Question 4

What was Italy’s international position like by the end of 1939?

Answer 4

-Secure position
-Fascist aggression succeeded in Abyssinia & Spain, enhanced Mussolini’s prestige but made him enemies
-Western democracies appeared weak, committed to appeasement
-Invasion of Albania Apr extended Italian influence across Adriatic + allowed him to expand in Balkans at expense of Yugoslavia, Greece
-Pact of Steel; closely allied to Hitler’s Germany but not yet impossible to escape Hitler’s war

Question 5

What did Mussolini expect of Hitler’s 1939 war and the benefit of this to him?

Answer 5

-Expected war launched by Hitler in 1939 to be similar to WW1
-Thought another long-drawn stalemate like that in 1914-18 would give him time to keep options open
-Didn’t believe Hitler could gain total victory over France & GB; thought it’d weaken them and allow him to continue w/ ambitions in Africa & Mediterranean

Question 6

Why was Italy’s international position far weaker than it seemed?

Answer 6

-Mussolini accepted Germany’s Anschluss w/ Austria in 1938 only as there was no way to prevent it
-Anschluss made Germany stronger & bigger + ruined Mussolini’s key policy; maximise Italian influence over Austria
-Fear of Germany factor in Mussolini’s calculations; even talks w/ him & Ciano of Italy war against Germany

Question 7

-Were Italy’s armed forces as powerful as propaganda made it seem?

Answer 7

-Armed forces nothing like as powerful/as ready for war as fascist propaganda claimed or foreign powers believed
-Duce’s economic/military advisors told him Italy’s armed forces not yet military prepared for war
-Mussolini himself told Hitler they wouldn’t be ready for war until; 1943
-Why Italy remained ‘non-belligerent’ when European war began, Sep 1939

Question 8

Why was Italy & Mussolini disorganised during the early war years?

Answer 8

-Mussolini had no coherent strategy & armed forces nowhere near ready to fight major war
-Had generals make preparation but had no idea when/which country they’d plan to fight against
-Early months of 1940; Mussolini had no clear aims
-Mostly expected Italy to join Germanys side but unsure when was right
-Discussed possibility of long-term neutrality ‘while the lions tore each other to pieces’
-Leading fascists, eg Dino Grandi urged him to make change of policy & join war w/ France + GB

Question 9

TBC p112