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Italy > Mussolini during WW2 > Flashcards

Mussolini during WW2 Flashcards

1
Q

When was the Pact of steel?

A

22nd May 1939

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2
Q

When/what was the Nazi-Soviet pact?

A
  • 23 August 1939
  • made it clear that invasion of Poland was inevitable
  • M linked fascism to militarism and so would look hollow if he avoided war
  • M knew he did not have the military strength needed to join a war
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3
Q

What happened on the 26 August 1939?

A
  • M asked H for 170m tonnes of goods

- H released M from pact of steel in return for psychological support

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4
Q

What happened on 3 September 1939?

A
  • Br and Fr declare war on Gr

- M does not join, but declares “non-beligarance”

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5
Q

When did Mussolini enter the war?

A
  • 10 June 1940

- entered on side of Germany. Based on idea of parallel war’

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6
Q

What happened with France?

A
  • they requested an armistice on 17 June 1940, before Italians had even attacked French territory
  • M demanded various territories (e.g. Corsica and Somalia) but was not invited to the armistice signing so only got two small French towns
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7
Q

What happened in North Africa 1940?

A
  • campaign launched September 1940
  • Italian forces in Libya attacked the British in Egypt
  • Had some early successes
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8
Q

What happened in North Africa 1941?

A
  • January: 30,000 Br troops defeated almost 250,000 Italian troops
  • by May they had lost Abyssinia, Somalia and Eritrea
  • 380,000 Italian troops surrendered and taken prisoner. Huge blow to propaganda
  • Germany forced to intervene in February
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9
Q

What happened in North Africa 1943?

A
  • forced to retreat after battle of El Alamein

- May 1943: surrender, and allies prepare for invasion of Italy

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10
Q

What happened in the Mediterranean?

A
  • poor coordination. Italian planes bombed own ships in July 1940
  • Italian navy crippled by air attack on port of Taranto in Nov 1940
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11
Q

what happened in Greece?

A
  • launched attack on 28 October 1940
  • did not tell Hitler
  • assumed Greece only had 30,000 soldiers, so attacked with 60,000
  • -> Greece actually had 300,000
  • air force and navy not coordinated
  • weather conditions bad
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12
Q

what were the effects of the Greek invasion?

A
  • Greeks invaded a quarter of Albania
  • 32,000 Italians killed
  • 100,000 wounded
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13
Q

how would you summarise Italian involvement in WW2?

A
  • Mussolini said “we are incapable of doing anything”
  • failed to achieve aims of parallel war
  • propaganda couldn’t hide truth from people
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14
Q

how did military unpreparedness contribute to Italian failure during WW2?

A
  • army was small and outdated
  • 1,500 armored cars and light tanks, not enough for campaign in North Africa
  • USA could produce more planes in a week than Italy could in year
  • only had 1000 effective planes
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15
Q

how did leadership of the military contribute to Italian failure during WW2?

A
  • generals steeped in defensive traditions of WW1
  • language problems led to low morale
  • training academies were outdated. Still trained in old tactics
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16
Q

how did Mussolini’s leadership contribute to Italian failure during WW2?

A
  • only prepared for a short war
  • made himself minister of war, navy and air force, but did not consult experts
  • promoted officers for obedience rather than merit
  • spent more time learning German and with mistress than meeting generals
17
Q

how did economic weakness contribute to Italian failure during WW2?

A
  • autarky not achieved
  • food production fell. Rations fell to 1000 calories/day
  • economy only worked at 25% capacity during war
  • raw materials were in shortage
18
Q

What happened when the allies invaded Italy?

A
  • 13 May 1943: allies occupy Tunisia, giving them a route to Sicily
  • 19 July: M asked H to transfer troops from eastern front but he does not
  • -> allies bomb Rome, leaving 1500 dead
  • 17 August: have control of Sicily
19
Q

How did ideas of peace arise?

A
  • in late 1942, Grandi and Ciano raise idea of seeking peace with the allies
  • in 1943 the Vatican and king began secret peace talks with the allies
20
Q

How was Mussolini removed from power?

A

on 16 July 1943 M was convinced to call a grand council

  • motion to remove M was passed 19 to 7
  • M ignored vote
  • King told him he was replaced with Badoglio
21
Q

when was Mussolini taken to prison?

A

25th July 1943

22
Q

Why did the allies invade Rome?

A
  • 3rd September: Badoglio promised to surrender and base 60,000 troops around Rome
  • 8th september: had not done so. Confused army surrendered
23
Q

Why did Germany declare war on Italy?

A
  • they surrender
  • In Greece, 48000 Italian soldiers were shot for resisting the German army
  • 12th september: Italy was declared at war with Germany
24
Q

Why did it take 9 months for the allies to capture Rome?

A
  • poor weather and harsh terrain
  • April 1944: 6 divisions diverted to France for D Day
  • finally captured June 4th 1944
25
Q

When was Mussolini rescued from Gran Sasso?

A
  • 45 days between arrest and rescue by aerial raid
  • Germans took control of Rome
  • Mussolini rescued 12 September 1943
26
Q

What happened on the 15 September 1943?

A
  • The Salo Republic formed
  • had lost faith in M
  • Partisans and the conservatives (e.g. church) posed a threat
27
Q

what was it like to live in the Salo republic?

A
  • brutal regime with fearful militia. Like Fascisms 1919 manifesto
  • Verona manifesto classes all Jews as the enemy. Nearly 7000 executed
  • Brutal civil war between partisans and RSI forces
28
Q

What happened in the south of Italy after the war was over?

A
  • King established the kingdom of the south (AMG)
  • under control of allies but conservative elites kept their power. Moderate fascism
  • Badoglio replaced by Bonomi
  • 50,000 forced to join the army
29
Q

How did Mussolini die?

A
  • by 1944 the RSI were clearly losing
  • M was very ill, and attempted escape on 27th Dec 1944
  • Arrested by Partisans
  • Him and Petacci shot on 28th April 1945
  • displayed outside petrol station in Milan
30
Q

What happened with the Civil war in Italy once Mussolini was dead?

A
  • civil war continues until 2nd May 1945
  • -> economy and infrastructure ruined
  • -> half a million Italians killed
  • majority of fighting in North - widened divide
31
Q

What happened in peacetime Italy (1946)?

A
  • Jan 1946: voted to become a republic by 2m votes (12.7 to 10.7)
  • Christian democrats won 207 seats
  • Italy lost lands in Africa and had to give Fiume back

-Italy was now a liberal democracy with a king as the head of state

Italy (8 decks)

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