Italy in WW2

Question 1

what socio-economic problems did Italy face before the war?

Answer 1

• little done in the economy in general
• battle grain was too dependant on imports of fertilisers which may not be available if Italy went to war
• imports of oil would be disrupted by war
• money was spent on fascist building projects instead of the military

Question 2

what was the number of armed Italian soldiers?

Answer 2

1 million

Question 3

what was the war economy GDP in Italy compared to Germany?

Answer 3

25% in Italy
64% in Germany

Italy were not willing to focus completely on the war

Question 4

when was there a labour shortage of Italians and why?

Answer 4

1942-43

1000s of skilled Italian workers were sent to Germany

Question 5

what was Italian industrial output?

Answer 5

25% of its capacity

Question 6

was Italy ready for a long term war?

Answer 6

no they were in it for the short term

Question 7

what food shortages occurred during the war?

Answer 7

December 1940- lack of olive oil, dried fish and rice

January 1943- lack of milk production in rural areas

Question 8

how much did allied bombing hurt Italian production?

Answer 8

cut by 20%

Question 9

what was the average calorie intake?

Answer 9

1/5 of pre-war levels