Foreign Policy intro Flashcards
what were Mussolini’s aims for his foreign policy?
- to maximise prestige
- stand up for Italy’s territorial claims
- expand Italian imperialism to Africa
- assert a greater power over the Med
why was Italy interested in Austria?
- Irredente lands which if reclaimed would make M more popular
- opens a border with Germany which allows for easier trade and closer ties
- gives Italy access to the rest of Europe
who might prevent Italy from taking Austria?
Germany
Austria-Hungary
why was Italy interested in land in the Med?
- the British had control over the Med with their massive Navy
- M wanted Italy to have control over its own waters
- it was a matter of prestige
idea of MARE NOSTRUM
why was Italy interested in Abyssinia?
- last country in Africa to not be colonised
- war would benefit the economy
- housed many raw materials
- greater prestige if Italy (the favourites) win th war
what were the problems with trying to achieve these aims?
- no Casus Beli for any war on conquest of land (unjustified)
- League of Nations was strict with land control and foreign activities in Europe
- great economic cost
- Italian institutions such as the RCC and Royal Family may oppose
evidence of cooperation in Italy’s relationship with Britain
- good relationship with Churchill and Chamberlain
- Italy was able to reclaim Albania in the Locarno treaties thanks to the British
- Italy helped Britain claim the oil fields in Mosul, Iraq
evidence of cooperation in Italy’s relationship with France
worked together on the Locarno treaty
evidence of cooperation in Italy’s relationship with Germany
good relations with Hitler
Hitler called for an Italian alliance in his election campaigns
evidence of tensions in Italy’s relationship with Britain
- British still had control over the Med
- M had tried to undermine the British in Malta but failed
- Italy was still far inferior to Britain in all aspects
- Italy was still reliant on the British economy
evidence of tensions in Italy’s relationship with France
- there were many anti-fascist organisations in France
- OVRA had infiltrated these groups (Roselli brothers)
- France was seen as a rival in Europe and Africa
- Tunisia was a French colony which looked to threaten Italian ambitions in Libya
- M was active in forming anti-French alliances with Germany, Spain and Hungary
evidence of tensions in Italy’s relationship with Germany
- M gave little to no support to the Weimar Republic
- Hitler wanted Anschluss but M instead threatened Hitler (who at the time was inferior to M)
- the Stressa Front was a clear act of aggression by Italy towards Germany
what was the aim of the Stresa Front?
to surround Germany and stop any expansion]
caused by Hitler’s call for rearmament in 1935
