Diplomacy: To what extent was Italian foreign policy successful in the interwar years? Flashcards
Intro/thesis
- Only major success was alliances with Hitler
Paragraphs
-Successes in 1920s
-Failures in 1920s
-Successes in 1930s
-Failures in 1930s
Successes in 1920s- examples
-Corfu Incident 1923: After an Italian General was assassinated in Greece, Mussolini occupied and bombed Corfu. Mussolini agreed to withdraw, on the condition that Greece paid it financial compensation + did not obey the LoN
-In 1924, Mussolini was able to gain control of Fiume, having sent a military commander to rule over it.
Successes in 1920s- explanation
-Although it became clear that Mussolini could bully smaller countries, the Council of Ambassadors was still able to force Italy out of Corfu.
-This allowed him to expand (talk about Roman empire and territorial desires)
Successes in 1920s- counterartgument
-Although Mussolini learned that he could bully smaller states, he could not intimidate powerful states such as Britain. In fact, Mussolini went on to have a good relationship with the British Foreign Minister (Chamberlain).
Failures in 1920s- examples
-Mussolini failed to get an Italian border with Austria included in the Locarno Treaties of 1925
-Mussolini signed a treaty of ‘friendship’ with Abyssinia in 1928, despite his long-term ambitions of conquest there.
-By the end of the 1920s, Mussolini was frustrated with the concessions he had to make, but he had to support the disarmament efforts of the League of Nations due to the weakness of the Italian armed forces.
Successes in 1930s- examples
-In the 1930s, once the failing of his state became apparent, and after Hitler came to power in Germany, Mussolini’s foreign policy became more assertive.
-Invasion of Abyssinia (1935): Italy invaded Abyssinia to conquer new territory. Mussolini employed severe military tactics, such as chemical warfare, which had been outlawed after WW1. Italy was able to utilize the region for economic gain, extracting its raw materials.
-Invasion of Albania in April 1939 to emulate Hitler’s success in Czechoslovakia in March and to pursue his goal of controlling the Adriatic sea
-The signing of the Rome-Berlin Axis in 1936 and the Pact of Steel in 1939 gave Italy more security and made it an ally with the very militarily powerful Germany. These successes not only increased Italian control over Libya and Somaliland but also provided a new source of troops for future conflicts.
Successes in 1930s- explanation & historiography
-The invasion of Abyssinia increased Mussolini’s prestige in Italy (wanted to return Italy to Roman Empire) and this showed that the could fulfill his promises of returning Italy to its former glory.
-By taking over Albania, Mussolini was able to pursue his expansionist policy. This was largely fueled by the knowledge of the likely reactions of other European nations (appeasement and Great Depression)
-Denis Mack Smith: Mussolini’s foreign policy style was that of a bully rather than a negotiator. He was not concerned with reducing international animosities and his involvement in the Treaties was performative.
-Patricia Knights: Mussolini’s methods were impulsive and inconsistent and he valued prestige more than anything (including territory)
Failures in 1930s- examples
-The League placed sanctions (although these were limited) on Italy after the Wal Wal incident and its expansion into Abyssinia in October 1935.
-The invasion of Abyssinia caused tensions between Italy and Britain. The Italian navy was incomplete and it could not take on the British navy.
-The Italian economy also suffered due to its invasion of Abyssinia and there was the continued cost of maintaining 250,000 troops. Italian trade had to shift to Germany due to the sanctions imposed by the league.
-Italy’s intervention in the Spanish Civil War in 1936-39 led to Italy’s military weaknesses being exposed and Italian submarine attacks led to increased tension between Italy and France/Britain.
