FOREIGN POLICY 1935-40

Question 1

What evidence is there that M invaded Abyssinia due to the previous power of Italy?

Answer 1

M believed colonies were a part of Italys historic destiny. After all Italy was a descendant of the Roman Empire that had controlled huge areas of North Africa and dominated the med

Question 2

Why did M want an expanded empire?

Answer 2

It would enhance Italys claim to be a great power

Question 3

What evidence is there that the invasion of Abyssinia and the pursuit of a great power status was influenced by opportunism?

Answer 3

M recognised that the rise to power of hitler had transformed the European situation. Britain and Frances pre-occuption with responding to German FP opened the door for Italian ambitions

Question 4

Why would expansion in Abyssinia be convenient given Italys colonies?

Answer 4

the neighbouring colonies of Somaliland and Eritrea provided convenient places from which to attack and expand Italian influence

Question 5

What would be a benefit of an aggressive FP for M?

Answer 5

An aggressive foreign policy would satisfy those in the PNF who thought M needed to pursue a more ‘fascist’ direction

Question 6

What evidence is there M invaded Abyssinia to distract from economic problems?

Answer 6

Domestic policies such as the corporate state, battle of the births and battle of the grain had been producing disappointing results. M recognised that foreign success may distract public attention away from home

Question 7

How else was the occupation of Abyssinia arguably motivated by economic factors?

Answer 7

M hoped that Abyssinia would provide an export market for Italian goods, fuel autarky, drive the production of raw materials and thus alleviate discontent

Question 8

How can the invasion of Abyssinia be seen as motivated by a propaganda victory for Fascism?

Answer 8

The invasion was seen as a way of showing the dynamism of fascism and bringing about the transformation of the Italian people into a more warlike people

Question 9

What did M believe about how a great FP with regards to Italys historical influence in Africa would affect his dictatorship?

Answer 9

He believed that it would add to the prestige of his dictatorship. The Italian defeat by Abyssinia at Adowa in 1896 was still remembered by Italians; M believed avenging this humiliating defeat would boost the cult of il duce

Question 10

What about Abyssinia’s undeveloped status was appealing?

Answer 10

Abyssinia lacked the means to fight a modern war. This offered the prospect of military glory on the cheap

Question 11

Describe the pretext for war

Answer 11

In December 1934 a military confrontation took place in the Wal Wal oasis whereby 150 Abyssinians and 50 Italians were killed

Question 12

What was M’s response to the confrontation at Wal Wal? How many troops were utilised?

Answer 12

He built up his forces through out the summer of 1935

By October he had 222,000 troops on the Abyssinian border

*The Abyssinian emperor Haile Selassie sought support from the LofN, but the league refused to intervene

Question 13

When did M authorise the invasion?

Answer 13

3 October 1935

Question 14

Describe the Italian advance?

Answer 14

Although Wal Wal was captured on 6 October, the sight of a humiliating military defeat in 1896, after this the advance was slow.

In 1936 the Italians finally won the war with a massive military buildup involving 600,000 troops and airpower. The final assault on the capital Adis Ababa resulted in Sellassies exile and the end of the war - May 1936

Question 15

Why did Italy attain a reputation for brutality?

Answer 15

De Bono was replaced by Badoglio who pursued militant action, with the use of mustard gas. There was a deathtoll of 500,000 Abyssinians

Question 16

What was the ramification of the invasion of A on relations with Britain and France?

Answer 16

Tensions grew with Britain and France, they didn’t want to push M towards Nazi Germany but recognised the need to prevent further aggression by him. They supported only limited sanctions against Italy.

Question 17

What did the Hoare Laval pact state?

Answer 17

1935

The HL pact was a secret agreement between foreign ministers of Britain and France that proposed handing over 2/3 of Abyssinia to M. YET this was put to an end by the public outcry

Question 18

What was the significance of the HL pact on M’s policy?

Answer 18

It appeared to Mussolini that both countries were desperate to avoid having fascist Italy as an enemy

Question 19

What can be said about the attitude of Italians during the Abyssinian wars outbreak?

Answer 19

As the war began, many Italians remained unenthusiastic, despite orchestrated press campaigns

Question 20

How many Italians listened to M’s radio broadcast? When?

Answer 20

It is estimated that 20 million Italians tuned in to M’s public radio broadcast on the 9 May, proclaiming Italy had gained its fascist empire

Question 21

How many troops were needed to fight in Abyssinia? What is the significance of this?

Answer 21

The cost associated with supplying 250,000 troops that needed to fight an ongoing guerilla war was considerable

Question 22

What was the response of the league to the invasion of Abyssinia? What was a weakness of this?

Answer 22

The league placed limited economic sanctions on Italy, banning weapons sales to Italy and placing limits on imports of Italian metal and rubber

HOWEVER oil was left off of the list of products banned for Italy to import and the Suez Canal was not closed- Had Britain chosen to close the canal, Italys vital supply route to its colonies in east africa would have been cut off

Question 23

What had M hoped Italys Abyssinian colony would provide? Was this fulfilled?

Answer 23

The hope that the colony would provide oil & other raw materials necessary for autarky were never met

Question 24

What can be said about Italy’s exports to Abyssinia?

Answer 24

they never materialised, with only 2% of Italian trade ever going to Abyssinia

Question 25

How were the economic sanctions beneficial to M?

Answer 25

The sanctions were a propaganda coup for the PNF- M was portrayed as a leader standing up to the world and defying attempts to limit Italian power

Question 26

What historical image to M appear to fulfil following the invasion of Abyssinia?

Answer 26

He appeared to be fulfilling the image of a modern caesar who was expanding the Italian empire. For M & for many Italians, Italy had now established itself as a great power

Question 27

What dire economic ramifications followed the Italian invasion of Abyssinia?

Answer 27

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

Question 28

What evidence is there that the cult of il duce expanded following the invasion?

Answer 28

The Italian people, the royal family and the church all supported the invasion while proclaiming M’s greatness

Question 29

How did the brutal invasion of Abyssinia subvert Italian perception over seas?

Answer 29

The brutal methods employed during the war led to a clear subversion in perception. Before M was seen as a dictator beneficial to Italy; now he was seen as a threat to peace

Question 30

What mass campaign that took root during Abyssinia elucidates the transformation of the Italian people? When was it?

Answer 30

The Gold for Patria campaign (December 1935)

Queen Elena presented her wedding ring to be melted down in order to help the campaign against the economic sanctions. Blessed by the church, thousands of women followed the Queens actions. In return they were given steel rings that symbolised their marriage to the nation - This seemed to show that the true transformation of the Italian people was taking place

Question 31

What can be said about Italys relationship from 1936?

Answer 31

From 1936, Italys relationship with Germany can be seen as the central facet of Italian foreign policy. M believed moving closer to Germany may draw concessions from the league.

Question 32

When did Mussolini intervene in the Spanish civil war? Whose side?

Answer 32

July 1936

M committed Italian troops to the Spanish civil war on the side of General Franco, who was leading right-wing forces against the republican government who were backed by France and the USSR

Question 33

How many troops and resources did M commit to the Spanish civil war? What was the outcome

Answer 33

M sent around 50,000 troops and 600 planes to fight in the Spanish civil war.

Republican resistance finally collapsed in 1939 and General Franco was victorious. Yet the war didn’t precipitate the consequences M had hoped for

Question 34

How many casualties did Italy suffer during the Spanish civil war?

Answer 34

Casualties were relatively high with 3266 soldiers killed and 11,000 wounded

Question 35

What was the effect of the Spanish civil war on the Italian economy?

Answer 35

It led to severe disruptions in the Italian economy, costing around 14 billion lire and required an increase in taxes for the Italian people

Question 36

What did trade issues brought about by the Spanish civil war push Italy to do?

Answer 36

It pushed them to further reliance on Germany

Question 37

Was the Spanish civil war popular among Italians?

Answer 37

Unlike Abyssinia, the Spanish civil war wasn’t popular with the Italian people who didn’t see it as bringing any benefits to Italy

Question 38

How did the Spanish civil war demonstrate Italian weakness?

Answer 38

In 1939, the Italian army was weaker than it had been in 1936.

This can be highlighted when focusing upon the defeat of an Italian force by a republican army made up of anti-fascist volunteers at the battle of Guadalajara

Question 39

What was the effect of Italys involvement in the Spanish civil war on its relations with Britain and France?

Answer 39

They continued to deteriorate

Question 40

How many British ships did an Italian bombing raid sink?

Answer 40

In the summer of 1938, an Italian bombing raid sunk 11 British ships

Despite this the British were still trying to come to an agreement with Italy and signed the Gentlemen’s agreement in 1937 that preserved the status quo in the med

Question 41

When was the Rome-Berlin axis?

Answer 41

1936, it was an informal agreement between the two nations that brought them closer ideologically and economically - Germany was happy about Italian reliance

Question 42

When did Mussolini visit Hitler? What was the effect?

Answer 42

M visited H in 1937 and was impressed by Nazism. The trip convinced him that Europes future should be fascist- In 1937 Italy Germany and Japan joined the anti-comintern pact

Question 43

When did M withdraw from the league of nations?

Answer 43

December 1937; re-affirming Italy as a country that wanted to overturn the treaty of versailles