Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Italy History A-Level > M4 - Foreign policy 1935-40 > Flashcards

M4 - Foreign policy 1935-40 Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
AP® U.S. History flashcards European History 101 flashcards AP® European History flashcards AP® World History flashcards World History 102 flashcards U.S. History 102 flashcards World History 101 flashcards U.S. History 101 flashcards
1
Q

what were the reasons for Mussolini’s planned invasion of Abyssinia?

A

boost economy/expand autarky

domestic prestige

expansion of Fascism

international prestige

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

boost economy

A

war-related industries were given government contracts to start production of arms, equipment and transport for war

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

expand autarky

A

Abyssinia would provide the raw materials which Italy needed for economic self-sufficiency

build up a stronger export market

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

domestic prestige

A

use of propaganda to show the Italian people the expansion of the Italian Empire

attempt to turn people’s attention away from the failures of the Corporate State and the overall economy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

expansion of Fascism

A

Mussolini was under pressure to take a more aggressive approach to spreading Fascism

war and conquest would unite the Italian people under Fascism as well as spread fascism into Africa

fascism = aggressiveness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

international prestige

A

revenge for the Battle of Adwa in 1896

boost the cult of il Duce abroad as Italy would be seen as a powerful expansive nation

Mussolini also wanted to show Hitler the strength of the Italian armed forces to try to put off another attempt at Anschluss

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

when was the invasion of Abyssinia?

A

October 1935

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

how many men did Mussolini send to invade Abyssinia?

A

400,000

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

what was the nature of the invasion?

A

Badoglio was put in charge after November

used aerial bombings, poison gas and mass executions to suppress the Abyssinians

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

when did Italian forces take Addis Ababa?

A

May 1936

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

what was the LoN response to the invasion of Abyssinia?

A

economic sanctions on weapons sales and rubber imports

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

in what way was the LoN’s response a major weakness?

A

Italy was still allowed to import oil

the Suez remained open (important in getting troops from Italy to Abyssinia by sea)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

what was the Italian public’s reaction to the invasion of Abyssinia?

A

they were in major support of the invasion

they rallied behind Mussolini after the condemnation from the LoN to defend Italian honour

key members of the elite and church pledged their support for Fascism

MAJOR DOMESTIC SUCCESS

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

when was the ‘Gold for the Patria’ campaign launched?

A

18 December 1935

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

what was the ‘Gold for the Patria’ campaign?

A

Queen Elena gave her wedding ring to be melted down to ‘help Italy with the economic sanctions’

thousands of Italian women followed the Queen and have their rings too

SHOWED THE MAJOR SUPPORT FOR MUSSOLINI AND FASCISM DUE TO THE WAR

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

what were the successes of Mussolini’s invasion of Abyssinia?

A

won a quick war of conquest with only 1000 casualties

obtained Abyssinia as a new colony, thus enhancing Italian prestige and status as a ‘Great Power’

won major domestic support for the Fascist regime

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

in what ways did the invasion of Abyssinia show Italy as a great power?

A

signing of the Hoare-Laval pact with Britain and France showed that Italy was now to be taken seriously and that Britain and France did not want to make an enemy of Italy

the acquisition of a colony and expansion of the Italian Empire

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

what were the failures of the Italian invasion of Abyssinia?

A

only 1/3 of the country had been taken

not many Italians settled in Abyssinia and oil and raw materials needed for autarky never materialised

major economic consequences

damaged Italy’s global reputation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

how much had the lira been devaluated by due to the invasion of Abyssinia?

A

40%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

how many Abyssinian’s were killed during the invasion and why did this damage Italy’s reputation?

A

500,000

use of brutal warfare through the use of gas and mass executions portrayed Italy as a warmonger

created tension between Italy and France/Britain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

what did the invasion of Abyssinia show Mussolini about the British and French?

A

showed major weakness in the two nations

they had no control or power over the invasion

the fact that they sanctioned Italy for the invasion annoyed Mussolini

1933 Oxford Union debate example of lack of patriotism in Britain - showed Mussolini that Britain was not the right ally

shifted Italian diplomacy away from Britain/France and towards Germany

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

what is evidence that the invasion of Abyssinia caused Italian diplomacy to shift towards Germany?

A

the signing of the Rome-Berlin Axis in 1936

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

when did Mussolini send Italian troops to fight in the Spanish Civil War?

A

July 1936

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

what were Mussolini’s aims with intervening in the Spanish Civil War?

A

put pressure on Britain and France and so force concessions from them

gain a strategic ally in Spain who could give Italy ports in the Med to enhance their position

another potentially swift war to enhance domestic support

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

how many troops were sent to Spain?

A

50,000 Italians

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

political consequences of the intervention in the Spanish Civil War

A

despite victory, Franco never conceded any land to Italy and so Spain never became the satellite state Italy hoped it would become

was incredibly unpopular amongst the Italian people, with many confused as to why Italy had any interests in Spain

shift towards subordination to the Nazis created resentment amongst Italians

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

military consequences of the intervention in the Spanish Civil War

A

3,000 soldier died

military focus on Spain meant that consolidation of power in Abyssinia was prevented

massively weakened the Italian army and showed major weaknesses (Battle of Guadalajara)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

economic consequences of the intervention in the Spanish Civil War

A

cost 14 billion lire

Italian currency reserve was halved

cuts to wages and increased taxes at home

Italian economy became more reliant on Germany’s economy (no autarky)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

what happened at the Battle of Guadalajara?

A

major Italian defeat to the Spanish republicans

many anti-Fascists fought alongside the republicans

was a major propaganda failure for Italy

showed huge weakness in the Italian army

3,000 dead

30
Q

how had Italy’s intervention in the Spanish Civil War damaged relations with Britain/France?

A

Italy was attempting to secure control over the Med, a region both France and Britain were strong in

the Italian navy submarines also sank many neutral merchant ships which angered Britain

31
Q

how many British ships were destroyed by Italian bombing in Summer 1938?

A

11

32
Q

what ways did Britain try to improve relations with Italy?

A

Gentleman’s Agreement in 1937

recognition of Italian Abyssinia

33
Q

when was the Rome-Berlin Axis signed?

A

October 1936

34
Q

how did the Italian economy become more reliant on Germany?

A

Germany started importing cheap Italian goods

meant that the Italian export market was heavily reliant on Germany

35
Q

when did Italy join the Anti-Comintern Pact?

A

November 1937

36
Q

when did Mussolini withdraw from the LoN?

A

December 1937

37
Q

what was the impact of the signing of the Anti-Comintern Pact and the withdrawal from the LoN?

A

major shift away from the French and British

major shift towards Germany

BUT not a formal alliance YET
Mussolini was ready to accept any concessions in the Med from Britain which would make him switch his mind

38
Q

when was Anschluss?

A

March 1938

39
Q

what was Mussolini’s reaction to Anschluss 1938?

A

nothing
did not prevent Hitler from invading

40
Q

what did Anschluss show?

A

MAJOR ITALIAN WEAKNESS

complete change from what happened in 1934

Italy was no longer superior to Germany

Hitler had made Mussolini his subordinate and there was no way Mussolini could usurp him

41
Q

when was the Munich Conference?

A

September 1938

42
Q

what role did Mussolini play at the Munich Conference in 1938

A

mediator

he brokered the deal which gave Germany the Sudetenland

prevented a war over a planned German invasion of Czechoslovakia

43
Q

what did Mussolini’s role at the Munich 1938 show?

A

he was a clear subordinate to Hitler

GAVE HITLER THE SUDETENLAND

was seen as a peaceful leader and Italy was seen as a nation of peace
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TO WHAT HE WANTED —-> nation of AGGRESSION and POWER

44
Q

what % of the increase in state deficit was due to military spending?

A

80%

45
Q

what had this increase in state deficit caused?

A

the govt to force the income of the middle-class down

was extremely unpopular

46
Q

what effect had the failures of Autarky have on the price of consumer goods?

A

they became more expensive for Italians to purchase

47
Q

when was a commercial treaty signed between Italy and Germany?

A

February 1939

confirmed the Italian economy’s reliance on the German economy

48
Q

what were the most unpopular policies introduced by Mussolini?

A

the transfer of Italian workers to Germany

the anti-Semitic decrees

49
Q

how many Italian workers were transferred to Germany by 1945?

A

500,000

50
Q

how were these Italian workers treated in Germany?

A

POORLY
they were heavily discriminated agaisnt

showed what the German people thought of Italians:
- made the concept of an German-Italian alliance hard to understand

51
Q

what did the transfer of Italian workers to Germany show about Mussolini?

A

his subordination to Hitler
Italy was a satellite state of Germany

growing discontent towards Germany

showed WEAKNESS and was a major aspect of Italian discontent

52
Q

why was support for Mussolini still present despite these unpopular policies?

A

the cult of Il Duce really worked

people loved him, not the PNF

people still gathered to hear his speeches

by 1939 there was now a generation of Italian adults who had grown up with only Mussolini as their leader

53
Q

when did Mussolini invade Albania?

A

April 1939

54
Q

what were the reasons for the Italian invasion of Albania?

A

end the growing Japanese economic influence in Albania

as compensation for allowing Hitler to take Austria
- hoped that it would be a domestic success to cover the failure with Anschluss

55
Q

what had the invasion of Albania show about the Italian military?

A

WAS POOR

were unorganised

used weapons without any training

poor coordination between army, navy and air force

could only defeat smaller powers:
stood no chance against Britain and France

56
Q

when was the Pact of Steel signed?

A

22 May 1939

57
Q

what did the Pact of Steel outline?

A

military and economic cooperation between Italy and Germany

58
Q

what was significant about Article 3 of the Pact of Steel?

A

clause which stated that if Germany went to war, Italy had to provide full military support

59
Q

what concerns did Ciano have with the Pact of Steel?

A

he knew that Italy would not be prepared to fight a war until 1943

60
Q

how did Ribbentrop reassure Ciano?

A

he said that Germany also did not intend to go to war until 1943

61
Q

when did Ribbentrop inform Ciano that Germany would invade Poland?

A

11 August 1939

62
Q

impact of the signing of the Pact of Steel

POSITIVE

A

strong military alliance with Germany

economic support from Germany would help Italy’s failing war economy

63
Q

impact of signing of the Pact of Steel

NEGATIVE

A

MAJOR DOMESTIC FAILURE
formalised Italy’s subordination to Germany

Hitler had now control over Italy’s military and power

also was incredibly unrealistic as Italy was not ready for an imminent war

Italy’s economy and military was nothing compared to Germany’s

64
Q

what impact did the signing of the Nazi-Soviet Pact have on Mussolini?

A

contradicted the Anti-Comintern Pact he had signed with Germany in 1937

65
Q

why was it difficult for Mussolini to choose neutrality over war?

A

staying neutral would go completely against the ideas of fascism being a force of aggression and war

would be making the same ill-fated decision as the Liberals did in 1914 which would lose him support

66
Q

when did Hitler release Mussolini from the Pact of Steel?

A

27 August 1939

expected psychological support from Italy

67
Q

what did Hitler expect of Italy?

A

Hitler hoped Italy would prevent a French and British invasion from the South

68
Q

what were the main reasons for Mussolini being neutral?

A
  • felt betrayed by the Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939
  • wanting to play the waiting game so he would not end up on the losing side
  • the Italian military and economy was not prepared
69
Q

what pushed Mussolini to decide to enter the war?

A

major German advances in Western Europe with Holland, Belgium and then France

showed that perhaps Germany would be the victor of the war

hoped that Italy would join at the right time so it would not suffer many casualties but still sit on the victory table

70
Q

why did Mussolini decide to stick with Germany instead of switching sides to the Allies or staying neutral?

A

allying against Germany would be a death wish as Blitzkrieg had shown it’s power in obliterating the French defences (which were supposed to be better than the Italian ones)

he did not want a post-war situation where a neutral Italy would be obliterated by a potentially successful Germany

71
Q

when did Mussolini declare Italy’s entry into WW2?

A

10 June 1940

Italy History A-Level (20 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions