Italy Booklet 8- The Fall of the Fascist State 1940-1946 Flashcards
Why did Mussolini choose to join the war alongside Nazi Germany in 1940?
There were very few risks as Germany appeared close to victory as France was about to collapse. He could gain land from Britain and France in peace treaties and as a nationalist, he didn’t want to stay neutral in the war. Importantly, he didn’t want to betray a German alliance for the second time as Hitler might then try and take back Austrian lands that Italy gained after WW1.
What events affecting Mussolini personally would have shaped his decision to enter the war?
He had openly criticised neutralists in WW1 and fascism itself was born on the battlefield so he would be a hypocrite to not get involved. The Pact of Steel also meant that Mussolini would be betraying a formal binding agreement which would anger Hitler. There was also an increase in opposition in Italy so he would want to appear strong.
Why couldn’t Mussolini side with Britain and France?
Italy had previously been ‘stabbed in the back’ by them for the humiliating Treaty of Versailles, France was on the brink of collapse, he had poor relations with them and Germany was now next door so Italy would be a direct target for Germany.
What did Italy do in France in WW2?
Italian troops advanced into the French Alps when France was very weak but the troops were completely unprepared and they only managed to capture 13 unimportant villages at the cost of 631 men.
When did France sign the armistice and why was this significant for Italy?
On 22nd June 1940 and Mussolini could claim it was because of Italy’s involvement but in reality the armistice saved Italy from further humiliation.
What happened in Africa between 1940 and 1941?
In late October 1940, Italian forces in Libya crossed into Egypt and towards the Suez Canal (British territory) however the British counter-attacked in December and in the first weeks of 1941, an Italian force of 250,000 were defeated by 30,000 better equipped British troops. By May 1941, Italy had lost Eritrea, Somalia and Abyssinia.
What halted the British advance in Libya and what did this end?
German troops were sent in to reinforce the Italian forces and this showed an end to the concept of a parallel war where Italy fought in the Mediterranean and Northern Africa while Germany fought in northern, central and eastern Europe. This was because Germany was having to get involved in areas where Germany hoped Italy would do the fighting.
Why did the invasion of Greece by Italy on 28th October 1940 fail?
Mussolini assumed Greece only had 30,000 troops when it actually had 300,000 so he only sent 60,000 Italian soldiers. Mussolini didn’t coordinate the attack with the navy or air force even though this was crucial for the seaborne invasion. The date chosen was poor because the weather conditions were extremely wet and freezing which bogged down the Italian forces.
What were the impacts of the invasion of Greece?
32,000 soldiers were killed and over 100,000 wounded. Greece counter attacked and took over a quarter of Albania. After 6 months, Mussolini had to ask Hitler for help and the Germans defeated the Greeks within weeks which was humiliating for Italy. Mussolini’s dictatorship was viewed as weaker than Greece, which wasn’t considered a European power. This helped to undermine Italian faith in the government and the Germans viewed the Italians with contempt.
How did Mussolini’s leadership cause Italy’s intervention in the war to be such a failure?
- Mussolini’s multiple positions as head of different ministries meant they functioned less effectively.
- Mussolini often took all major decisions without consulting military experts.
- The government couldn’t make decisions if Mussolini wasn’t present- paralysed government.
- Spent too much time in trivial matters like what was going to be included in the Rome opera season and he preferred to spend time with his young mistress.
- Gave vague instructions.
- Didn’t coordinate the army, navy and air force.
How did military weakness cause Italy’s intervention in the war to be such a failure?
- Italy only had enough equipment to adequately arm 35 out of 75 divisions.
- Many weapons used were from WW1 and so were outdated.
- Rations and clothing were even worse than in WW1.
- Language barriers between officers and peasant conscripts and low morale.
- Outdated tactics, some from 19th century which were virtually suicidal by WW2.
How did economic weakness cause Italy’s intervention in the war to be such a failure?
- Still had tens of thousands of unemployed workers.
- Lacked fuel and raw materials- depended on Romanian oil and German coal.
- Industry in the USA could produce more aircraft in a week than Italy could in a year.
- Steel production actually decreased during the war to 1.7 million tonnes compared to Britain’s 14 million tonnes a year.
- Germany estimated that the Italian economy was only operating at around 25% of its potential.
What did economic issues, rationing, shortages and Allied bombings lead to?
Italy saw its first strikes in over 18 years with 100,000 workers going on strike in Turin in 1943 which was organised by communist workers. The government agreed to increase the money for evacuees forced to leave their homes and it showed that communism and socialism were still influencing Italian workers.
What was the significance of anti-fascist groups resurfacing?
The illegal communist newspaper L’Unita reappeared in 1942 and new opposition groups were formed secretly- ‘Party of Action’ and ‘Christian Democrats’. Over 14,000 political arrests took place between March and June of 1943 alone. In April 1943, all groups, except for republicans agreed to work together against fascism which was the first time that the communists, socialists and Catholics had agreed to collaborate. None of these groups had the potential to overthrow fascism but the discussion of the removal of fascism was emerging.
What was the most significant opposition that Mussolini faced?
The conservative elite like the Vatican, military leaders, industrialists and the police began to consider how Mussolini might be deposed and Italy removed from the war. Although no action took place after 6 months of discussions because they didn’t want to provoke the Germans, it showed that Mussolini was becoming isolated as they were the groups that used to support him and the King did have the constitutional power to remove Mussolini. They also had the most power in Italy and so posed the greatest threat to him.
