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The Rise And Fall Of Fascism In Italy c1911 - 46 > Impact of Entry into WW2 > Flashcards

Impact of Entry into WW2 Flashcards

1
Q

What happened on 17 and 18 Jun?

A

17 Jun:
- FRA requested armistice w/ GER even before ITA troops had attacked FRA territory
18 Jun:
- Mussolini met w/ Hitler
- Set out ITA’s demands for Savoy, Nice, Tunisia, Sudan, Somalia, Cyprus and Crete
- Hitler said he did not want to punish FRA too harshly as he feared FRA troops would defect to Britain
- Mussolini was afraid of pushing ITA claims when they hadn’t done anything

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2
Q

What concept was Italy’s entry alongside GER based on and what was this?

A
  • Parallel war
  • ITA would concentrate on Mediterranean basin and hinterland and N Africa
  • GER would concentrate on N, C and E Europe
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3
Q

What happened on 20 Jun and what is a possible reason for this?

A
  • ITA troops advanced into French Alps
  • Possibly to strengthen ITA’s territorial claims
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4
Q

What went wrong with this advance?

A
  • Lacked proper clothing needed for alpine war
  • Lacked bombs needed to destroy FRA fortifications
  • Used tanks inadequate for terrain
  • Slow
  • 13 unimportant villages captured w/ loss of 631 men (many from frostbite)
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5
Q

What happened on 22 Jun and what did Fascist papers claim about this event?

A
  • French gov signed armistice w/ GER
  • Claimed it was due to ITA’s intervention
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6
Q

What did Hitler say on 7 Jul when Ciano met w/ him and how did a previous decision he had made backfire on him?

A
  • ITA must wait until defeat of GBR before territorial claims could be discussed
  • Partially demobilised believing war was basically over
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7
Q

What happened in late Oct?

A
  • ITA forces in Libya ordered to attack GBR positions
  • Some early successes crossing Egypt and Suez Canal, but it was simply tactical British retreat
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8
Q

When did GBR counterattack, what happened to ITA and give stats to show this:

A
  • Dec
  • Fell into mass retreat
  • First weeks of 1941 –> ITA force of nearly 250,000 defeated by 30,000 much better equipped GBR troops
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9
Q

By May 1941, what had ITA lost and how many troops had surrendered and been taken prisoner?

A
  • Eritrea
  • Somalia
  • Abyssinia
  • 380,000 troops
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10
Q

When was the only time the British advance into Libya was halted?

A

Feb –> German troops (led by General Erwin Rommel) sent to reinforce ITA forces (end of parallel war)

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11
Q

How did the fight in Libya go after this?

A
  • Some early victories
  • By Oct 1942 –> Retreating after defeat at El Alamein
  • May 1943 –> Surrendered in N Africa, Libya was lost
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12
Q

In what ways did Mussolini fail with strategy in Mediterranean?

A

Strategically important GBR base at Malta/Gibraltar or Alexandria faced no sustained attack

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13
Q

What was the state of the ITA navy?

A
  • Nov 1940 –> Crippled by GBR air attack
  • Poor coordination between air force + navy (Jul 1940 –> air force bombed its own ships)
  • Lacked aircraft carriers
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14
Q

Why did ITA launch an attack on Greece?

A
  • ITA aims in Yugoslavia had been rejected by GER, who occupied Romanian oil fields instead
  • Seen as attempt to push GER influence into Balkans disregarding agreement on separate spheres of influence
  • Moving into Greece would increase ITA’s strategic position in Balkans
  • Power game between Hitler and Mussolini by deciding not telling GER about invasion
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15
Q

When did ITA launch an attack on Greece?

A

28 Jun 1940

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16
Q

In what ways was the invasion a disaster?

A
  • Mussolini assumed Greece only had 30,000 troops so sent 60,000 ITA men, however they actually had 300,000
  • Believed Bulgaria would join ITA (they did not)
  • Didn’t coordinate navy or air force even though it was crucial for the seaborne invasion
  • Poor choice of day due to extremely wet and freezing weather conditions
  • Little mechanical support
  • Uniform disintegrated in heavy rain
  • Greece took 1/4 of Albania
  • Half mil ITA soldiers deployed w/ 32,000 killed + over 100,000 wounded
  • After 6 months –> Had to ask help from GER who defeated Greeks w/in weeks
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17
Q

What was the effect of the ITA defeat against Greece?

A
  • ITA given administration over Greece
  • Fascist propaganda could not hide truth of defeat from public
  • Undermined faith in fascist rule
  • Confirmed subservience to GER
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18
Q

Who did Mussolini blame ITA’s defeats on and what was the true reason?

A
  • Weakness of the people who had not transformed into true fascists
  • Inadequacies in economy, military prep + Mussolini’s leadership
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19
Q

How did Mussolini’s leadership contribute to ITA’s defeats?

A
  • Held positions of Minister of War, Navy, Air Force, Supreme Commander of armed forces + head of 5 ministries so gov would shut down w/out him
  • Often decided w/out asking military experts
  • Unable to distinguish between trivial + major decisions eg. May 1940 –> spending time on what should be included in Rome Opera Season rather than focusing on war
  • Bored by detailed discussions
  • Called meetings and gave vague instructions
  • Promised to meet w/ Chief of General Staff, Ugo Cavallero, every day, however did not
20
Q

Describe the poor state of ITA army at start of war:

A
  • ITA had 75 divisions but only enough equipment to adequately arm 35 of them
  • Lacked tanks and vehicles required for mechanised fighting in Africa
  • Outdated WW1 rifles and canons, tactics + airforce
  • Few aircraft carriers
  • Naval ships had no radar equipment and very little oil
  • No long-range bombers to attack GBR in Egypt/Gibraltar
  • Low rations
21
Q

In what way was the Italian economy inadequate for war?

A
  • By 1942 –> USA industry could produce more aircraft in 1 week than in a yr
  • Lacked fuel and raw materials
  • Imported 1.5 mil tonnes from Romania, which was only half of what was required
  • 1943 –> Steel production fell to 1.7 mil tonnes (GBR producing 14 mil a yr)
  • Low armoured vehicle production –> only 2550 vehicles in 1 month in 1941
22
Q

Italy was the only country to …

A

Not increase its GDP between 1940 and 42

23
Q

How many unemployed workers did ITA have and compare this to other countries?

A
  • Tens of thousands
  • Other countries moved to 100% employment in war
24
Q

How many calories a day were adults allowed when food was rationed and what kind of items were in short supply?

A
  • 1000
  • Heating, shoes and soap
  • Difficult to get bread/pasta
  • Coffee became luxury item
25
Q

How many workers in what areas went on strike, in what week, what did they demand and when did the strikes end?

A
  • 100,000 workers
  • Week of 5 Mar
  • Turin, Milan and other areas
  • Communist workers demanded better pay for people forced to evacuate their homes
  • Ended when gov agreed to increase money for evacuees
25
Q

By 1943, what had all these problems caused?

A

First strikes in 18 yrs + first mass protest w/in Axis controlled Europe

25
Q

What different covert and illegal antifascist grps began to reemerge in ITA and who were their members?

A
  • 1942 –> L’Unita
  • Party of Action (republicans, radicals, left-leaning liberals)
  • Mid 1942 –> Christian Democrats (Catholic Action members w/ Church backing)
26
Q

How many political arrests took place between Mar and Jun 1943 alone?

A

1400

27
Q

Who agreed to work together against fascism and when?

A
  • All grps except republicans
  • Apr 1943
28
Q

For Mussolini, who did the greater danger come from at the end of 1942, what were these people considering and for how many months did discussions continue?

A
  • Conservative elite eg. Vatican, military leaders, industrialists, police
  • How to extract ITA from war + overthrow Mussolini w/out provoking GER, who could easily occupy ITA
  • 6 months
29
Q

When did Axis troops in N Africa surrender to Allied forces and under which General did this happen?

A
  • 13 May 1943
  • General Montgomery
30
Q

When did the Allies mount an invasion into Sicily, who did this and why was this an option for them?

A
  • 9 Jul 1943
  • British, American and Commonwealth troops
  • Due to occupation of Tunisia
31
Q

How much opposition did they face from the Italian forces, how much of Sicily had they conquered and after how long?

A
  • Little opposition
  • Western half
  • 1 week
32
Q

What did Mussolini’s Chief of Staff recommend, when did he meet with Hitler, what did he ask him and what was his reaction?

A
  • Surrender Sicily + pull Italian forces back to defend mainland
  • 19 Jul
  • Asked Fuhrer to transfer troops and arms from USSR to Mediterranean to help ITA, but he refused
33
Q

How long did Allied planes bomb Rome for and how many people were killed?

A
  • 2 hrs
  • 1500 people
34
Q

In what situation was Mussolini’s leadership inadequacies displayed?

A

Asked General Ambrosia if there was any plan in place to defend Sicily, even though he was in charge of whole military campaign

35
Q

What had happened by 17 Aug?

A
  • Allies had control of island
  • GER and ITA forces had conducted successful retreat allowing them to reinforce strategic positions on Italian mainland
36
Q

When did the plan to depose Mussolini and why did this idea come about?

A
  • Late 1942
  • Grandi and Ciano raised idea of ITA seeking peace w/ Allies
  • Allies made it clear they would not offer an armistice w/ Mussolini still in power
37
Q

Who was the only person that could dismiss Mussolini and what did Grandi discuss with him?

A
  • King
  • Through early part of 1943 –> Discussed plans for monarchy to take constitutional and military powers + replace Mussolini w/ new gov that would open up negotiations w/ Allies
38
Q

Through the Vatican, who did the King open up secret talks with, what did Roosevelt’s negotiator make known and when?

A
  • Allies
  • 29 May –> USA would negotiate peace deal w/ ITA military gov if King dismissed Mussolini
39
Q

What did the invasion of Sicily force fascists to do and between the days (how many were there), what did he do ?

A
  • 16 Jul –> Deputation of fascists met Mussolini + convinced him to call Grand Council meeting for 24th Jul
  • Spent 8 days drafting resolution for Mussolini’s removal, gov to be placed in hands of King + canvassed support from other fascist leaders to support resolution
40
Q

Which key people were informed of the plan and how did the King appear to be before the meeting?

A
  • King’s advisors
  • Army generals
  • Police heads
  • Appeared to be totally accepting
41
Q

Why was Grandi very nervous about the result of the meeting and as a result, what did he do?

A
  • Last Grand Council meeting was Sep 1939 –> No authority
  • Power to order arrest of any opposing fascists
  • No need to accept any vote from council
  • Brought two hand grenades to meeting
42
Q

How many hours of discussion was there in the meeting, what was debatable about its significance and how many votes did Grandi’s resolution pass by?

A
  • 9 hrs
  • Possible Mussolini did not understand meeting’s significance
  • 19 to 7 votes
43
Q

When did Mussolini meet the King and what did he believe?

A
  • 5 o’clock
  • Royal agreement to shuffle his ministries + possibly give up his military command to King, but remain as head of gov
44
Q

What actually happened?

A
  • King interrupted him
  • Explained he had decided to dismiss Mussolini + replace him w/ Marshall Badoglio
  • Mussolini attempted to leave meeting
  • Admiral Franco Maugeri put him into back of

The Rise And Fall Of Fascism In Italy c1911 - 46 (15 decks)

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