Challenges To, And The Fall Of, The Fascist State (1935-46) Flashcards
What was Mussolini’s key goal
Strong foreign policy and assert Italy’s position as a world power and assert greater power for Italy in Mediterranean sea
Where did Mussolini want to assert power?
Mediterranean sea
Where did Mussolini first have to travel in relation to foreign affairs?
Switzerland and London
What happened with Greece in august 1923?
Mussolini attacks Greece in revenge for killing Italian officer. Demanded 50 million lira as an apology otherwise they would invade corfu
What happened on 31st August?
Italy bombarded corfu without warning and occupied island
Mussolini’s success in January 1924
Yugoslavia recognised Fiume as a part of Italy
Locarno treaty 1925
Saw Germany take its place in the League of Nations and accept the pre-first world war borders between itself and Belgium and france
Who was Italy expanding its economic links and political interference with
Albania
How many people were killed or starved to death in Libya
Around a third of population
Pacification of Libya
Ongoing colonial war in Libya , Badoglio took control for Italy and enforced brutal policy of starvation, execution, chemical warfare and concentration camps
What was Mussolini’s relationship with Britain, France and Germany driven by?
Driven by the contrast between the realities of Italy’s military and diplomatic position and the aims of Mussolini’s foreign policy
How did Mussolini try to undermine British power?
By supporting pro-Italian groups in Malta
How was Italy’s relationship with France affected
The majority of anti fascist exiles from Italy had settled there
What country were the French worried about?
Tunisia
What was Mussolini concerned about in Germany?
That a nationalist German government might seek to unite Austria and Germany (severe danger to Italy)
Anschluss
Political union between Austria and Germany
Who was involved in the Four Power Pact
Britain, France, Germany and Italy
What did Mussolini hope for the in the four power pact
To appease and control Germany at the same time
When was the four power pact signed
15 July 1933
When was the Austrian chancellor assassinated?
(Englebert Dolfuss) July 1934 Austrian Nazis assassinated him as they wanted to take over and pursue Anschluss with Germany
What did hitler do in March 1935
Openly announced germanys military rearmament that had secretly been going on for 2 years = direct threat to treaty of Versailles
What happened at Stresa
Mussolini met with British and french foreign ministers and prime ministers to discuss what to do
What did the stresa front do?
Issue a resolution stating the three countries’ Desiree for peace and continuing their commitment to the League of Nations
What was the stresa front
a coalition formed between Britain, France and Italy to oppose the foreign policy actions of Hitler
Why did Mussolini want to invade Abyssinia?
They were the last African country free of colonial rule, it would help the economy, linked to the idea of autarky hoping it would provide raw materials, was hoped south Italians would move there and take up farming land
What were the immediate consequences like for Mussolini in Abyssinia
Positive
What did hitler do in March 1936
Marched German troops into the demilitarised zone of the Rhineland
What side did Italian troops join in Spanish civil war
General Franco
What did Mussolini hope for with his foreign policy?
He hoped Italians would be transformed into a more militant, aggressive race who would claim Italy’s position as a dominant European power
Corfu incident
August 1923 = Enrico Tellini murdered while leading an inter-allied commission on drawing the border between Greece and Albania. Mussolini used to attack Greek government, demanded they attend a funeral service at a Catholic Church in Athens = publicly honour Italian flag and pay 50 million lira to Italy otherwise Italian army would invade corfu