Intervention in the Spanish Civil War and its consequences Flashcards
From 1936, Italy’s relationship with Germany was the…
- central facet of Italian foreign policy
How did Hitler go against ToV in March 1936
- In March 1936, Hitler marched German troops in to the demilitarised zone of the Rhineland, thus defying one of the key elements of the Treaty of Versailles.
What was the international reaction to Hitler’s invasion of the Rhineland
- Neither the League, Britain nor France made any real attempt to stop Hitler which strengthened Mussolini’s view that Britain and France were weak
- Mussolini believed that moving towards Germany may draw concessions on Africa and the Mediterranean from the British and French governments in order to draw him back to them
The Abyssinian war had shown Mussolini the…
domestic benefits a successful foreign war could have
What did Mussolini do in July 1936
- In July 1936, Mussolini committed Italian troops to the Spanish Civil War on the side of General Franco who was leading the right wing forces against the Republican government who were backed by France and the USSR.
Italian Consequences of involvement & consequenced
How many troops & planes did Mussolini send
- 50,000 troops and 600 planes to fight in the Spanish Civil War
Italian Consequences of involvement & consequenced
Describe the outcome of the Spanish Civil War for Mussolini
- Republican resistance finally collapsed in 1939 and General Franco was victorious thanks to help from his right-wing allies
- However, the war had none of the positive consequences that Mussolini had been hoping for.
Italian Consequences of involvement & consequenced
How many casualties
- 3,266 soldiers killed and around 11,000 wounded
Italian Consequences of involvement & consequenced
economic struggles
- The war led to severe disruptions in the Italian economy, costing around 14 billion lire and required an increase in taxes for the Italian people.
- The trade issues pushed Italy further towards further economic dependence on Germany.
Italian Consequences of involvement & consequenced
Italy made ………………. as a result of supporting Franco.
no territorial gains
Italian Consequences of involvement & consequenced
What was the Italian public’s reception to the war
- Unlike Abyssinia, the intervention in Spain was not popular with the Italian people who didn’t see it bringing any benefits to them or Italy
Italian Consequences of involvement & consequenced
Strength of the Italian army
- Significantly, the Italian army was weaker in 1939 than it had ben in 1936
- This had been highlighted with the defeat of an Italian force by a Republican army made up of antifascist volunteers at the battle of Guadalajara.
Italian Consequences of involvement & consequenced
Italy’s relationship with Britain and France continued to ………
deteriorate
Describe the British public’s political attitudes towards Mussolini
- Once the Hoare-Laval pact came out in the press there was public outcry and Eden, the new British foreign secretary was clear in his disike for Mussolini
- Public and political attitudes in Britain were becoming more anti Mussolini - pushing him towards Nazi Germany
Describe Franco-British naval relations in the Meditterranean
- During the Spanish Civil War Italian ships, pretending to be Spanish, sank neutral vessels in the Med, angering the British Moreover, in the summer of 1938 an Italian bombing raid on a Spanish port sunk 11 British ships.
- Despite this however the British were stil trying to come to an agreement with Italy and signed a Gentleman’s Agreement in 1937 which preserved the status quo in the Mediterranean
Mussolini initiated talks on a ………. ……….. …… in 1936 - an informal agreement between the two nations
Rome Berlin Axis
Economic Impact of Rome Berlin axis
Germany was only too happy to have Italy more economically dependent on her for exports as well
In September 1937 Mussolini ………………. and was ………… This convinced him that …………
In September 1937 Mussolini visited Hitler and was impressed by Nazism. This trip convinced him that **Europe’s future should be fascist. **
Actions of Mussolini Nov 1937
In November 1937 Italy joined Germany and Japan in the Anti - Comintern Pact
What was the anti-comintern pact
- In practice this was a declaration that these countries would work together against the Soviet Union (although the reality was that the Pact was also aimed against Britain).
Mussolini then ………….. in December 1937.
withdrew from The League of Nations
Mussolini then withdrew from The League of Nations in December 1937. This showed Italy’s position as a nation who wished to…
overturn the Treaty of Versailles, and confirmed an end to the Stresa Front
How was Italy’s relationship with Hitler shown to be weak in March 1938
- However, Italy’s weakness was shown when Hitler began the process of Anschluss in March 1938 without consulting the Duce
- This was a blow for Mussolini and showed Hitler to be the senior partner is their loose alliance
- Moreover, Mussolini did not stop Hitler invading Austria which was unpopular in Italy and damaged his prestige at home.
By 1938, Italy was still rejecting…
a full scale military alliance with Germany and trying to negotiate a pathway between Britain and Germany
How was the Munich conference perceived vs what actually happened
- Although at the Munich Conference Mussolini was portrayed as the peace maker
- he worked with the Germans and came to the conclusion that Britain and France were weak and that a future Europe should be dominated by Germany
What did Mussolini do in November 1938
- In November 1938, the Italian Parliament was recalled and Mussolini instructed it to demand the annexation of Nice, Corsica, and Tunis from France.
- Mussolini had now made it clear he intended to dominate the Mediterranean
How were the Italian public perceiving Italian foreign policy in 1938
- The Italian people were becoming more disillusioned with the regime
- The domestic and foreign policy direction that Mussolini was now taking was causing concern
What economic issues domestically were Italian people upset with in 1938
- The quest for autarky meant that there were less consumer goods and living standards were in general decline
- A highly unpopular policy was put in place to transfer Italian workers to Germany which seemed to confirm Italy’s subservience to Germany
By 1938, Mussolini was now…
- 55 and not the youthful dynamic dictator he was still trying to portray
Where did the Italian army invade in April 1939
Albania
Why did Italy invade Albania
- In an attempt to restore his reputation at home and abroad, and give the Italian economy a boost
What are the strengths of the invasion of Albania
What are the strengths of the invasion of Albania
- As it was already a satellite state of the Italian’s, victory was achieved without any major fighting.
- Italy could now use the invasion of Albania to show his power to Germany
What are the strengths of the invasion of Albania
- However this invasion clearly showed the weakness of the Italian army with the army, navy and air force unable to work together and disorganised troops using weapons they had never been trained to use.
- This invasion was another step in pushing Italy away from Britain and France.
In May 1939 Italy and Germany confirmed their alliance by signing the ……….
“Pact of Steel”
Germany and Italy ………………….. in the Spanish Civil War.
German and Italian forces fought on the same side in the Spanish Civil War (beginning in July 1936)
Reconciliation between the two nations began in …………… when Hitler agreed ……………………………and in return, Mussolini promised to stop ……………………..
Reconciliation between the two nations began in January 1936 when Hitler agreed not to carry out an Anschluss and in return, Mussolini promised to stop his objection to Nazi interference in Austrian politics.
What was the Rome Berlin Axis
- This public declaration of friendship was cemented through a secret understanding that whilst Italy pursued her ambitions in the Med, Germany would seek to expand into Eastern Europe and the Baltic
March 1938, Hitler finally carried out his Anschluss. In response,….
- Mussolini signed an agreement with Britain guaranteeing the status quo in the Med. Relations soon recovered
What happened with Mussolini at the Munich Conference
- At the Munich Conference in September 1938 Mussolini secretly conspired to find a compromise favourable to his Nazi allies.
- The Sudetenland was handed over to the Third Reich.
How did Italian relations with Germany take a hit in March 1929
- when German troops marched into Czechoslovakia without notification. As with Anschluss, Mussolini was furious and contemplated changing sides
- However, he also had a great admiration for the Nazi regime
What was the Pact of Steel
It committed each nation to join the other in war even if the other country had caused war by an act of aggression.
What had happened with the Pact of Steel by the end of May
- By the end of May, the Fascist government had told the Germans that though Italy was willing to go to war, any conflict should be postponed for at least 3 years to allow Italy to rearm fully. Hitler did not even bother to reply.
After pact of steel, Italy and Germany’s realtions became that of ……….
Non-belligerence
Meaning of Non-belligerence
not engaged in conflict
Non-belligerence
Only at the end of August 1939, did Mussolini…
- repeat his earlier appeal that Italy required several more years of peace to be ready.
Non-belligerence
In response to Mussolini repeating his earlier appeal that Italy required several more years of peace to be ready, Hitler…
- demanded that Italy stand firm to the terms of the ‘Pact of Steel’
Non-belligerence
What did Mussolini think about possibilities of helping Germany at war in August 1939
- Mussolini realised that such a war would be unpopular in Italy, and that the war would not be fought for Italian interests
- He tried to wriggle free of his obligations by arguing that Italy would only join the war in the event that it was supplied with enormous and unrealistic quantities of war material
Non-belligerence
When ……………………… went to war over Poland in September, the Duce declared that his ally had been ‘……………… Ordinary Italians were greatly …………
When Germany and the Western democracies went to war over Poland in September, the Duce declared that his ally had been ‘treacherous’ and had made the pact null and void. Ordinary Italians were greatly relieved!
Why did Germany sign the Pact of Steel
- Mussolini understood that to realise his ambitions for the Meditteraanean he would need the support of Germany
What did the Germans write up in the Pact of Steel
- The Germans drafted the details including a clause which committed Italy to support Germany if it chose to go to war
- This went against all military alliances operated only in defensive purposes
What were the foreign secteraries throughts on the Pact of Steel
- Ciano the foreign secretary had concerns at signing such a pact making it clear Italy would not be ready for war until 1943
- but was told by Ribbentrop that Germany had no intention of waging war before this date
What happened with the Pact of Steel that trapped Italy in an extremely dangerous situation
- On 11 August 1939 Ribbentrop and Hitler told Ciano at a meeting in Salzburg that Germany was planning to attack Poland. He was horrified and disgusted
