Mussolini's Feistier Foreign Policy Flashcards
What added to Mussolini perception of a weak Britain and France?
- Allowed remilitarisation of the Rhineland in 1936
- Hitler openly defied T of V
- M believed if he moved towards Germany, Britain and France might offer him some concessions in Africa and the Med
When did Mussolini decide to join the Spanish civil war and on what side?
- July 1936
- Committed on the side of General Franco’s right wing forces against Spanish republican government
- Backed by France and the USSR
What had Mussolini hopes for in the Med?
- Gain a strategic ally in the Med and undermine France
- Wanted naval bases in the Balearic Islands
What were some motivations for M’s intervention in the Spanish civil war?
- Promote fascism through fighting alongside Germany and weaken left wing ideas
- Enhance the cult of Il Duce at home (Abyssinian success)
- Move more towards Germany (Rome-Berlin axis 1936)
Name some key stats of Italy’s intervention in the Spanish Civil War?
- 50,000 soldiers
- Thousands of artillery and tanks
- 1,400 pilots, 400 fighter planes and 200 bombers in Spain
What was Blitzkreig warfare?
- Lightning war
- Bombing Spain then using tanks then soldiers
- Germany rearming their airforce
What painting by Pablo Picasso emphasised the brutality felt by the people during the Spanish Civil War?
Guernica
- Bombed by Hitler April 27 in 1937
- Had no strategic military value and showed the brutality of Lightning Warfare
When did Franco win the Spanish Civil War?
- March 1939
- Went onto dominate until 1975
What were the political implications for Italy after the Spanish Civil War?
- M visited Berlin and saw 800,000 militaristic individuals cementing the dream of fascism
- Franco determined to disallow M to take Spain
- No one at home wanted to go to war, note economic impacts
- Pushed more towards Germany
What were the military affects on Italy after the Spanish Civil War?
- 3,266 killed, 11,000 wounded
- Weaker in 1939 than 36
- Failed to consolidate Africa due to troops tied up in Spain
- Loss at Battle of Gudalajara showed military weakness
What were the socio-economic implications for Italy after the Spanish Civil War?
- 1935+1939 80% of spending was on military
- Lots of middle class workers incomes went down
- Quest for autarky drove up prices
- Poor diets due to the Battle for Grain
- Discontent for involvement
- 1/2 million left to Germany by 1945
How did Italy attack Britain. in the Med?
- Italian submarines pretending to be Spanish attacked and sank neutral shipping in the Med
- Early summer of 1938 Italian bombing raid on Spanish ports sunk 11 British ships
What was the ‘Gentlemen’s Agreement’ ?
- January 1937
- Confirmed the status quo in the Mediterranean and limited Italian intervention in the Spanish civil war
- In April 1938 Britain recognised Italys rule over Abyssinia
How did Italy’s economic reliance on Germany change?
- 1936 onwards Italian exports became more reliant on German markets
- They were happy to take over
- Feb 1939 a new commercial treaty was signed (reliance on Germany)
When did Mussolini visit Berlin?
September 1937
- 800,000 Germans came out to see him proclaim fascist values
- He was impressed by the militaristic society that were behind the Führer
What was the Anti-Comintern Pact?
November 1937
- A pact with Germany and Japan for mutual support against an invasion from the Soviet Union
- Aimed at Britain as much as it was aimed at the USSR
What were the effects of the Anti-Comintern Pact?
- Mussolini still bargaining with both sides and wanted Med concessions from Britain
- He wanted a radicalised society like Germany
When did Italy withdraw from the League of Nations?
December 1937
- Showed he was evidently becoming more radicalised
- A breakdown of the Stresa front
- M believed the league worked against Italy and did not coincide with fascism
When did Hitler begin Anschluss and how did this affect Mussolini?
March 1938
- Mussolini allowed this to happen and domestic unpopularity of having Germany on border to Italy
- Italy losing independence and becoming German satellite state
- Hitler was now the more powerful leader and was celebrated when he visited in May 1938
How were Italian relations after Anschluss?
- Still trying to negotiate between Britain and France
- Denied a full scale military alliance w/ Germany
- Foreign minister Galeazzo Ciano discussed possible Italian neutrality when Hitler wanting to invade Czechoslovakia
When was the Munich conference and what did Italy do?
September 1938
- Mussolini played an important role to broker the deal that gave Germany the Sudetenland
- Made Mussolini a hero of peace (despite fascism being about militancy tf?)
- Weakened democratic powers and secured future of Europe as fascist
When did Italy invade Albania and why?
April 1939
- Albania was practically in control by 1939
- They were reliant on loans from Italy and
- Compensate Italy for Anschluss
- Ciano thought Albania was good economically and settling 2 million Italians there
What were the troops like in Albania?
- Troops were disorganised and using weapons they did not train with
- Poor co-ordination between the army, navy and air force
When was the Pact of Steel signed and what was it?
22nd May 1939
- Accepted full support for Germany
- Gave up on the Med as it would raise conflict
What were the terms of the Pact of Steel?
- Drafted by Germany, it was about military and economic co-operation
- Article 3 stated they would commit to helping German in a time of war
- Ciano told Ribbentrop he doesn’t think that they’ll be ready for war before 1943
- 11th August at Salzburg conference they were shocked when Germany wanted to invade Poland
What was the impact of the Pact of Steel?
- Confirmed and cemented the move towards Germany
- He knew the allies could not offer anything so he moved towards Germany
What did Hitler do to contravene the Anti-Comintern Pact?
- 23rd August 1939 Nazi-Soviet Pact
- Nazi and Soviet spheres of influence in eastern Europe
Why was Intervention a troubling issue for Mussolini?
- He could not afford a costly war
- He hated the neutrality from the liberal government
- Contrary to fascism being about militarism and fighting
What were the requests from Mussolino to Hitler to get involved in the war?
26th August:
- 170 million tonnes of goods
- 2 million tonnes of steel and 6 million tonnes of coal
- 150 anti-aircraft batteries
- Would need 17,000 trains to transport this all
When did Hitler relieve Mussolini of his duties in the Pact of Steel?
27th August
- Asked for psychological support and military measures when necessary
What term did Mussolini use instead of neutrality?
- Entire Fascist Grand Council and General Franco told him to stay neutral
- He used the term non-belligerence
- As Germany swept across Europe, Roosevelt sent his envoy Sumner Wells to encourage neutrality
When Mussolini did want to intervene what choices did he struggle with?
- Unsure about siding with Britain and France
- May 1940 Germany conquer Holland and Belgium making his options more limited
- 26th May he met with Marshall Badoglio and informed he believed Germany would win by September
When did Mussolini decide to enter WW2?
- 10th June 1940 joined on the side of Nazi Germany
- Ciano was very upset, he wrote “May God help Italy”
