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Italy: The Rise of Fascism 1915-1945 > Mussolini's Foreign Policy, 1933-1941 > Flashcards

Mussolini's Foreign Policy, 1933-1941 Flashcards

1
Q

What was foreign policy expected to be like under Mussolini?

A

Foreign policy was expected to be robust and aggressive under Mussolini to restore Italian national pride and show how powerful Italy was

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2
Q

What did Mussolini believe was the sign of a great nation?

A

Mussolini believed conquering foreign territory to be the sign of a great nation

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3
Q

What grievance did Mussolini share with many Italians?

A

Grievances about the Treaty of Versailles

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4
Q

What did Mussolini believe should be an Italian sphere of influence?

A

Mussolini believed that the Mediterranean Sea should be an Italian sphere of influence

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5
Q

Who dominated the Mediterranean with naval bases in Malta, Gibraltar and Cyprus?

A

The British dominated the Mediterranean Sea, with naval bases in Malta, Gibraltar and Cyprus

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6
Q

What happened in 1923 in Corfu?

A

In Corfu in 1923, an Italian general and four of his staff were assassinated in Greece

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7
Q

What did Mussolini demand from the Greek government after the assassination of an Italian general in 1923?

A

After the assassination of the Italian general in 1923, Mussolini demanded a full apology from the Greek government and a compensation payment of 50 million lira

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8
Q

What did Mussolini do after the Greek government refused to apologise and pay 50 million lira compensation, 1923?

A

Mussolini ordered the bombardment and occupation of Corfu

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9
Q

How did the European powers, led by Britain, react to the Italian occupation and bombardment of Corfu, 1923?

A

The European powers, led by Britain, demanded that Italy withdraw

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10
Q

What was Mussolini forced to do?

A

Mussolini had little choice but to withdraw from Corfu

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11
Q

What did Mussolini receive after the Corfu incident, 1923?

A

Mussolini received the 50 million lira compensation, but not a full apology - this was hailed as a great success for Italian Fascism

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12
Q

What brought Mussolini great prestige in 1924?

A

In 1924, Mussolini managed to convince Yugoslavia to accept Fiume as part of Italy

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13
Q

What did Mussolini establish in Albania in 1926?

A

Mussolini established an Italian protectorate over Albania in 1926, the first step in Italian imperial expansion

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14
Q

What treaties did Italy sign with the major European powers in 1925, allowing him to pose as a major European statesman?

A

Mussolini signed the Locarno Treaties in 1925 with the major European powers, allowing him to pose as a major statesman

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15
Q

What did the Locarno Treaties in 1925 agree?

A

The Locarno Treaties of 1925 agreed the permanence of Germany’s borders

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16
Q

What did Italy agree to in the Kellogg-Briand pact of 1928?

A

Italy signed the Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928, outlawing war

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17
Q

What did Mussolini aim to make Italy?

A

Mussolini aimed to make Italy ‘great, respected and feared’

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18
Q

When did Mussolini take full control of the North of Somalia?

A

Mussolini took control of the north of Somalia in the 1920s

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19
Q

What benefit did African conquered land such as Eritrea and the north of Somalia yield?

A

Neither Eritrea nor the north of Somalia yielded much benefit

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20
Q

Why did Mussolini move his troops to the Austrian border in 1934?

A

Mussolini moved his troops to the Austrian border in 1934 to discourage Hitler from pursuing his ambitions against Austria

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21
Q

When was the Stresa Front formed?

A

The Stresa Front was formed in 1935

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22
Q

What was the Stresa Front, 1935?

A

The Stresa Front was an agreement between the British, French and Italian against German rearmament

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23
Q

Why was Mussolini alarmed at the increasing power of Germany?

A

Mussolini thought the increasing power of Germany may threaten Austrian independence and therefore the security of the Italian border

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24
Q

Why did Mussolini become less worried about the increasing threat posed by Germany?

A

Mussolini felt that an increasingly aggressive Germany might occupy France, who would therefore be less interested in blocking his ambitions in the Mediterranean and Africa

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25
Q

What did Mussolini realise about Hitler’s territorial ambitions?

A

Mussolini realised that Hitler’s ambitions lay in northern and eastern Europe, clearing the way for Italian expansion into the Mediterranean, the Balkans and Africa

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26
Q

How did Mussolini view the failure of France and Britain to stand up to Hitler?

A

The failure of France and Britain to stand up to Hitler filled Mussolini with contempt for Western democracies

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27
Q

How many African colonies had Italy acquired by the late nineteenth century?

A

Italy had taken a few colonies in Africa in the late nineteenth

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28
Q

When were the Italians heavily defeated by the Abyssinians in 1896, at the Battle Of Adowa?

A

Battle of Adowa, 1896 - the loss of 6000 men against an African colony was humiliating

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29
Q

How did Mussolini begin the proceedings to attack Abyssinia?

A

In 1934, Mussolini accused the Abyssinians of agression at Wal Wal oasis on the Ethipian border with Italian Somaliland - several Italian soldiers were killed

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30
Q

What did Mussolini do after the supposed aggression at the Wal Wal oasis?

A

Mussolini ordered Italian troops into Somaliland and Eritrea to attack Abyssinia. Large amounts of ammunition and supplies had been stockpiled there

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31
Q

When did Italy invade Abyssinia with 400,000 men?

A

Italy invaded Abyssinia with 400,000 men in 1935

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32
Q

What did Italy use against Abyssinia in 1935?

A

Mustard gas and armoured vehicles were used against Abyssinia by Italy in 1935

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33
Q

When did Adis Ababa fall?

A

Addis Ababa fell in 1936

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34
Q

What action did Abyssinia take? (LoN)

A

Abyssinia appealed to the League of Nations for help

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35
Q

How did the League of Nations react to Italy’s actions against Abyssinia?

A

The League condemned Italy, and League members were ordered to impose economic sanctions on Italy

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36
Q

What was the problem with economic sanctions imposed on Italy by the League?

A

The sanctions didn’t include vital materials such as oil, and so didn’t hamper the Italian war effort
- They also took a long time to invoke

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37
Q

Why were Britain and France concerned about provoking Mussolini?

A

In case Mussolini attacked British bases in the Mediterranean Sea

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38
Q

How did the British foreign secretary and French Prime Minister try to end the war?

A

The British and French came up with the Hoare-Laval Pact in 1935 to try and end the Italian war in Abyssinia

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39
Q

What was the reaction to the Hoare-Laval Pact, 1935?

A

Mussolini accepted the pact, but in Britain there was an outcry that Britain was betraying the people of Abyssinia - causing the pact to be dropped

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40
Q

What had the Hoare-Laval Pact demonstrated?

A

The Hoare-Laval Pact, 1935, had indicated that teo major European League members were prepared to negotiate with a nation that had used aggression to control a weaker nation

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41
Q

What was the involvement of the League in the Abyssinia crisis?

A

The involvement of the League in the Abyssinia crisis was a disaster

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42
Q

What did Italian propaganda say about Abyssinia?

A

Italian propaganda claimed Abyssinia was a great success and great personal triumph for Mussolini

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43
Q

How did Italians feel about the League of Nations involvement?

A

Italians generally were encouraged to support Mussolini against the League, the venture being portrayed as a fight for national survival

44
Q

What was the outcome of the Abyssinian invasion?

A
  • The country remained under Italian control until 1941
  • It proved to be of little benefit to Italy
  • Encouraged propaganda and cult of personality in Italy
  • Cost Italy greatly, deficit of 2195 million lira
45
Q

Who did Italy look for as allies following the War with Abyssinia?

A

Italy looked to ally with Germany and Spain

46
Q

When did civil war break out in Spain between Republicans and Nationalists?

A

Civil War broke out in Spain between Republicans and Nationalists in 1936

47
Q

Who did Hitler and Mussolini send volunteers to support in Spain, 1936?

A

Mussolini and Hitler sent volunteers to support Nationalists in Spain in 1936

48
Q

How did Mussolini see Italian involvement in Spain?

A

Mussolini saw Italian involvement in Spain as another opportunity to increase his power and influence

49
Q

How was involvement in the Spanish Civil war received in Italy?

A

Italian involvement in the Spanish Civil War was deeply unpopular in Italy

50
Q

What effects did involvement in the Spanish Civil war have on Italy?

A
  • Damaged public finances
  • Damaged relations with Britain and France
  • Forced Italy closer to Germany
51
Q

Why did Italy and Germany grow closer after the war in Abyssinia?

A

Italy and Germany grew closer as Italy’s relationship with Britain and France deteriorated after they imposed League of Nation sanctions

52
Q

What brought Italy and Germany even closer?

A

Italy and Germany’s support of Nationalists in Spain brought them even closer

53
Q

When did Italian foreign minister Ciano visit Berlin to be assured by Hitler that German territorial ambitions did not extend into the Mediterranean?

A

1936

54
Q

What did Italy agree in exchange for assurance Germany did not have Mediterranean ambitions?

A

Italy acknowledged the German right to rearm and German influence in Austria. Within days, Mussolini announced the Berlin-Rome Axis

55
Q

When did Mussolini take Italy out of the League of Nations after it imposed sanctions on Italy following the invasion of Abyssinia?

A

Mussolini took Italy out of the League of Nations in 1937, following sanctions imposed on Italy after their invasion of Abyssinia

56
Q

What was the Rome-Berlin Axis, 1936?

A

The Rome-Berlin Axis was the declaration of friendship between Germany and Italy

57
Q

What was the Anti-Comintern Pact, 1937?

A

The Anti-Comintern Pact, 1937, was signed by Germany, France and Italy, and declared that they would work together against Soviet Russia

58
Q

When did Germany occupy Austria in the Anchluss?

A

Germany occupied Austria in the Anschluss in 1938

59
Q

Why did Germany’s occupation of Austria in the Anschluss bother Mussolini?

A

Germany’s occupation of Austria in the Anschluss in 1938 bothered Mussolini as he received no prior warning and could do nothing to prevent it

60
Q

How did Mussolini gain prestige despite Germany’s actions in the Anschluss?

A

Mussolini called the Munich Conference in 1938, for which he gained considerable praise and admiration

61
Q

Why did the German invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1939 anger Mussolini?

A

It appeared to Mussolini that Hitler was carving out his own empire with no regard for Mussolini

62
Q

When did Mussolini take over Albania?

A

Mussolini took over Albania in 1939 - a sign to the world of Italy’s ambitions in Europe

63
Q

What year did Germany and Italy strengthen their friendship with the Pact of Steel?

A

Germany and Italy strengthened their friendship with the Pact of Steel in 1939

64
Q

When did Germany invade Poland?

A

Germany invaded Poland in 1939

65
Q

What happened to the promises made between Germany and Italy made in the Pact of Steel?

A

Whilst Hitler fully supported Mussolini’s support, Mussolini decided Italy was not yet ready for war, breaking the promises made in the Pact of Steel

66
Q

Why did Italy enter the war in 1940?

A

Italy entered the war in 1940 as Mussolini was evidently jealous of Hilter’s successes and wanted his share of the victory

67
Q

Where did Mussolini order an invasion of?

A

Mussolini ordered an invasion of Southern France in 1940 - a small piece of land was sized but fierce French resistance meant it came to nothing

68
Q

Where did Mussolini order Italian troops to attack British troops, 1940?

A

Mussolini ordered the army to attack British troops in Egypt

69
Q

For how long did Italy fight alongside Germany in WWII?

A

Italy fought alongside Germany in WWII from 1940 to 1943

70
Q

What mistake did Italy make in regards to Malta?

A

Italy failed to make any move to capture the strategically important island of Malta - it remained a British naval base throughout the War

71
Q

What could Italy not do without aircraft carriers?

A

Italy could not command the Western Meditteranean without aircraft carriers

72
Q

What was another error in regards to Gibraltar?

A

Italy did not assault the British base at Gibraltar - it commanded the Western entrance to the Mediterranean

73
Q

What offer from Germany did Italy fail to take up?

A

Italy failed to take up Germany’s offer to occupy the defeated French colony of Tunisia with its modern naval base at Bizerta

74
Q

Where did Mussolini send 300 Italian aircraft to in 1940?

A

In 1940, Mussolini sent 300 aircraft carriers to Belgium - they all lacked the rage and speed to be of use, but could have been invaluable attacking British targets in the Meditteranean

75
Q

What were the consequences of Mussolini’s decision to invade Greece in 1940?

A

Mussolini’s decision to invade Greece in 1940 ended in the Greek army counter-attacking and invading Albania

76
Q

What were the problems with co-ordination and supply?

A

There was no co-ordination of the efforts of the attacking forces and supply lines through The Adriatic and Albania were totally inadequate

77
Q

When were the Italian navy defeated by the Greek army?

A

The Italian navy were defeated in 1941 at Cape Matapan

78
Q

Who did Mussolini declare war on, against German wishes, in 1941?

A

Mussolini declared war on the Soviet Union, against Germany’s wishes, in 1941

79
Q

How were equipped were the Italian army?

A

The Italian army were short of tanks and with inadequate motor transport, the force proved completely ineffective

80
Q

What did Italy’s defeat by Italy coincide with?

A

Italy’s defeat by Greece coincided with the defeat of Italian forces in Libya by the British

81
Q

What was the outcome of Italian attempts in North Africa to seize Egypt and the Suez Canal?

A

Italy’s attempts to seize Egypt and the Suez Canal failed

82
Q

What did Italy refuse, who had to intervene later?

A

Italy refused German help, but Germany had to intervene later to support them

83
Q

When did King Victor Emmanuel remove Mussolini from office?

A

In July 1943, the King removed Mussolini from office

84
Q

What failures had Italy suffered under Mussolini in WWII?

A
  • Defeat by Greece
  • Failure to seize Egypt and Suez Canal
  • Routed by British forces in Libya
85
Q

When did the King remove Mussolini from office?

A

The King removed Mussolini from office in 1943

86
Q

Why was the Italian military performance so disappointing?

A
  • Pre-war claims that Italy had an army of between 8 and 9 million soldiers, when in reality they had under 3 million
  • Poorly supplied
  • No overall strategy
  • Woefully inadequate intelligence netwrk
  • Occupation of Ethiopia and Spanish intervention used up much of Italy’s military resources
  • Italian economy was not strong enough to support major military campaign
  • NO co-ordinating ministry to organise the future war effort
  • Propaganda was removed from reality and there was no questioning of plans or figures
  • Mussolini was personally involved in all major policy decisions and majorly impaired progress
87
Q

How many were actually in the Italian army, when compared to claimed figures?

A

3 million were in the Italian army, rather than the 9 million claimed

88
Q

How well supplied were the Italian army?

A

The Italian army were poorly supplied - virtually no tanks, no aircraft carriers, too many bombers and too few fighters, no knowledge of radar

89
Q

Why did Italy perform so badly in the war?

A
  • Poorly supplied
  • No questioning of facts
  • Mussolini’s interference
  • Economy not strong enough
  • Army smaller than claimed
  • Poor intelligence
  • Resources drained by Ethiopia and Spanish intervention
90
Q

How did the War affect life on the Home Front?

A
  • There was no general call-up of men into the military
  • Rationing of food and consumer goods came very slowly
  • Private cars still used, luxury goods still available
  • Armaments industry didn’t exceed peacetime production until 1942
  • As shortages emerged, peasant farmers started hoarding food and a vast black market emerged
  • The Italian economy was unable to respond to wartime demand and suffered badly from shortages of fuel and raw materials
  • Steel production fell
91
Q

What was the consequence in the sharp decline of raw materials and adequate power supplies?

A

The lack of raw materials and power led to a sharp decline in armaments and military transport production

92
Q

How did the Italian economy run during the war?

A

The Fascist run economy failed to function effectively during the war

93
Q

When were shoes and clothing rationed, private cars banned and the heating of houses restricted?

A

Shoes and clothes rationing, the banning of private cars and restricted heating of homes began in 1942

94
Q

How did the Fascists deal with illegal trading of food?

A

Food markets were placed under Fascist control - harsh punishment, including the death penalty, was used to deal with those hoarding food

95
Q

Why did food shortages grow worse in 1941?

A

As young farmers and labourers were conscripted into the army, food shortages became worse

96
Q

What did Germany demand of Italy (foodwise)?

A

Germany demanded that Italy should continue to export food to Germany, making food shortages and the black market larger than ever

97
Q

How many civilian workers were sent to work in Germany in 1941, further disrupting the economy?

A

200,000 were sent in 1941 from Italy to Germany

98
Q

Which industrial workers suffered most from Allied bombing attacks which became more intense in 1942?

A

Industrial workers in Genoa, Milan and Turin suffered most from more intense Allied bombing in 1942

99
Q

What were normal working hours in April 1942?

A

12 - 14 hours a day were normal by 1942

100
Q

Who did the Fascist controlled press conduct virulent campaigns against by 1942?

A

The Fascist controlled press conducted virulent campaigns against defeatists and grumblers who were accused of links with the British and Communism

101
Q

What were there a series of short strikes about in 1943?

A

In 1943, there were a series of short strikes protesting at wage levels and living conditions

102
Q

What did defeats on the Soviet and North African fronts lead to?

A

Defeats on the Soviet and North African fronts in 1942 led to a serious loss of civilian morale as the propaganda machine became less convincing

103
Q

What did the worsening military news do to the Fascist party?

A

After the military defeats, the Fascist Party collapsed - initially at local level and then nationally. In 1942, with the war in South Africa being lost, public support was ebbing away

104
Q

What prompted the Fascists to persuade Mussolini to call a meeting of the Fascist Grand Council in 1943?

A

The ALlied landings in Sicily in 1943 prompted the Fascist Party to persuade Mussolini to call the Fascist Grand Council, 1943, for the first time since 1939

105
Q

What did the Fascist Grand Council of 1943 vote?

A

The Fascist Grand Council of 1943 voted by 19 votes to 7 to ask the King to return to them the power Mussolini had taken for himself

106
Q

How did Mussolini respond to the King stripping him of his powers in 1943 and returning them to Parliament?

A

The next day, Mussolini tried to override the decision

107
Q

How did the King react to Mussolini trying to override the decision, 1943?

A

The King stood up to Mussolini and was arrested the next day to be replaced by an aged soldier, Marshal Badoglio

Italy: The Rise of Fascism 1915-1945 (6 decks)

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