FP 1935-39 Flashcards
who was leader of Spain in 1936?
General Franco
what were the 2 sides of the Spanish Civil War?
Franco = right-wing military dictatorship backed by Germany + Italy
Government = Republicans backed by France + USSR
what were the reasons M got involved in the Spanish Civil War?
- to secure concessions from Britain and France
- to gain a strategic ally in the Med in Spain which would give them greater control in the area
- to promote authoritarianism in Europe
- enhance the cult of il Duce in Italy
- to increase relations with Germany
when was the Battle of Guadalajara?
March 1937
what happened at the Battle of Guadalajara?
- M ordered his troops to push for Madrid
- Italian troops were stopped at Guadalajara which was 50 km away from Madrid
- the Garibaldi Brigade led by the Rosseli brothers fought against Italian forces
HUGE embarrassment for M
what were the Balearic islands?
Ibiza
Mallorca
these were important for Italy
what political impacts did the Spanish Civil War have on Italy?
- Franco did not concede to M and would not become a satellite state for Italy
- M revealed no concessions which he hoped for
- the war was not popular amongst the Italian people
- looked like Italy was under Nazi control
- complete breakdown in relations with Britain and France
what military impacts did the Spanish Civil War have on Italy?
- 3266 soldiers killed
- 11,000 wounded
- Italy focussing on Spain meant that it’s hold on Abyssinia was lost
- weakened Italian army which was not good for WW2
what socio-economic impacts did the Spanish Civil War have on Italy?
- the war costed 14 billion Lire
- increased taxes set by the govt to pay for the war
- Lira was further devalued
- Italian currency reserves halved
- Italian economy became reliant on Germany
what was the Anti-Comintern pact?
November 1937
agreement against communism
was first agreed between Germany and Japan
seen as a ‘litmus test of loyalty’ for Axis members
what impact did the Anti-Comintern pact have on British, French and German opinions of M?
Italy had now joined a formal alliance with Germany which reinforced it’s ambitions to join the Axis powers
British and French would see this as an act of aggression HOWEVER they both were also against communism so the idea of an anti-Comintern pact was not a threat to them
Germans would see this as an increase in strength for their side
what impact did the Anti-Comintern pact have on M opinions of Britain, France and Germany?
M would now have a more closer relationship with Germany as it was now politically aligned with it against communism
what was the anti-Comintern pact an example of?
Italy moving towards Germany
when did Italy withdraw from the LoN?
December 1937
what impact did Italy leaving the LoN have on British, French and German opinions of M?
marked the end of the Stresa front
Italy followed Germany in leaving the LoN so it was clear that these two were together
the British and French would not have been happy because they were the only great powers left in the LoN so they would have to carry a greater economic weight
what impact did Italy leaving the LoN have on M opinions of Britain, France and Germany?
M still hoped he could get concessions from Britain and France
M hoped to use his relationship with Germany as a bargaining tool in getting these concessions
what was Italy withdrawing from the LoN an example of?
Italy moving away from Britain + France
what was Anschluss?
German reunification with Austria
what was the result of the Anschluss plebiscite?
99% yes
however it was very likely it was rigged
why did M allow Anschluss 4 years after the first attempt?
M was now clearly under control of Hitler so he had no power to stop the Nazi invasion
what impact did Anschluss have on British, French and German opinions of M?
Britain + France would have been very unhappy as they would have expected M to intervene however the ‘policy of appeasement’ meant that they did not fight back
Germany would have been glad that M did not intervene
Hitler knows that he is above M and holds power over Italy
what impact did Anschluss have on M opinions of Britain, France and Germany?
M has made Italy inferior to Germany
Italy was now in the hands of Hitler and M knew this
what was Anschluss an example of?
Italy moving towards Germany
why did M get involved with the Sudetenland crisis?
he immediately saw the possibility of being the mediator and the man in power
he proposed the Four Power Conference in Munich which hoped to create peace
HOWEVER M was just a smoke screen fro Hitler’s ambitions to annex all of Czechoslovakia
what was Albania to Italy?
it was pretty much under complete Italian control
Italy had exclusive rights to mining operations and oil exploration as well as having control over the banks
when did Italy invade Albania?
April 1939
what was a reason for invading Albania?
- to make up for ‘losing’ Austria to Germany
- the fascists convinced themselves that Albania was a rich country and that it could hold 2 million Italians
it was more to do with PRESTIGE than economic benefits
what was the invasion of Albania like?
very poorly planned however was very one sided with King Zog being exiled and Albania under complete Italian control
what was the Pact of Steel and when was it signed?
a formal alliance between Italy and Nazi Germany
signed in May 1939
what were M’s reaction to the Pact of Steel
M wanted to keep his options open so he was more cautious
what was Germany’s reaction to the Pact of Steel
they were pushing for it since early 1938
Hitler knew that he was going to invade Poland in 1939 and knew that he needed an alliance with Italy to stop the British and French advancing in the Med
who was sent by Hitler to convince M to sign the Pact of Steel?
Hermann Goring
Ciano and Ribbentrop handled the agreement
who was Joachim von Ribbentrop?
Reichminister of Foreign Affairs
who was Galeazzo Ciano?
M’s son-in-law
Foreign Minister of Italy
when did M think Italy would be ready for war by?
1943
