Foreign Policy

Question 1

What happened with the Triple Alliance?

Answer 1

The Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary still held but there were signs of strain by 1911

Question 2

Why were there signs of strain?

Answer 2

Italy’s key interest in the Balkans clashed with Austria who also held territory that many Italians believed as rightfully theirs

Question 3

What did national forces pressure Giolitti to do?

Answer 3

Nationalist forces pressured Giolitti to take a more aggressive stance towards Austria, but Giolitti resisted such moves

Question 4

What was Giolitti ready to do in 1911?

Answer 4

In 1911, Giolitti was prepared to placate the nationalists by expanding Italy’s colonial empire

Question 5

Why did the war with the Ottoman Empire over Libya occur? Give 2 reasons.

Answer 5

1. Italy signed a deal with France in 1902 in which Italy would support French expansion in Morocco in return for the French backing Italian expansion in Libya. In 1911, France began to cond=solidate their control over Morocco and Giolitti feared that it was prepared to expand into Libya
2. The invasion of Libya would gain the support of the Catholic Church, who had considerable financial interests in Libya and had been encouraging the govt to secure Libya. The invasion appeared to be a way of gaining the support of nationalists and Catholics.