Libya (1933) Flashcards
Why conquer Libya?
- In Italy’s sphere of influence.
- To BM, a superior F people required living space and this was always going to be to the cost of Africa, the nearest colonial residence.
What did BM hope the conquest of Libya would yield?
1) hoped that millions of Italians would patriate the territory.
2) predictions of wealth that would flow into Italy as a result.
3) would also allow Italians to engage in a war they were capable of winning.
4) “road test” the 2 new rising stars in their army command, Graziani and Badoglio.
5) it’d give the F state an empire to begin to justify their newfound status by 1933.
What was a key theme of F ideology?
The idea of living space for the expanding population.
Instead of the millions emigrants predicted by F propaganda, how many Italians patriated the territory?
50,000
Did the predictions about the wealth that would flow into Italy as a result of developing the colonial empire come to fruition?
- No
- Were wildly unrealistic
- The cost of running the colonies were always GREATER than any economic returns.
Did these realities have any impact on BM’s policies & propaganda?
No. Throughout the 20s, his regime gave a high priority to the N. African empire.
Why did BM use the army in the “pacification” of the native population?
Because developing the agriculture and economy weren’t enough.
When did this pacification occur?
Between 1928 and 1933.
Who was in overall command of the army?
De Bono
But who actually carried out the pacification?
the 2 rising stars, Badoglio and Graziani.
Both of whom would later play prominent roles in all of BM’s wars.
De Bono, Badoglio and Graziani all gained big reps in Libya despite what?
They didn’t get on with each other and were obsessed with personal and petty rivalries.
How was the pacification carried out?
via brutal methods that nowadays would be described as “ethnic cleansing”.
How much of the native population were expelled to concentration camps?
100k. Death rates were high.
What did Badoglio openly encourage his men to be like?
“firm” and “ferocious”
What did the army use when putting down a native rebellion in 1931?
poisonous gas
