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9: Foreign Policy 1935-40 - Coggle Diagram
9: Foreign Policy 1935-40
The Stresa Front April 1935
Called by Italy to criticise Germany's rearmament and the fact they have broken the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno traties
Involved Laval (French Foreign Minister) and MacDonald (GB PM)
Emphasised support for Austrian Independence (failed Anschluss 1934) and League of Nations at peace
High point in Italian cooperation with GB and France, he wanted concessions for land in Africa
Made Mussolini a key player in 1935 as he wasn't committed to either side
Foreign Policy 1935-40
Grew closer to Germany due to fascist ties and was more in Italy's national interest (made more sense when it cane to territory, Africa and the Med weren't in Hitler's interest but in GB and France's)
Lost trust in allies (Anglo-German naval agreement)
Abyssinia 1935-6
Reasons for invasion
Avenge Adowa after 1895
Build empire showing Italy's greatness
Show potential to Hitler
Increase popularity by pleasing radicals and good propaganda
Find new markets boosting autarky
Might help militarise Italian society
Allow colonisation by Southern peasants
After the Wal Wal incident (border clash over small region) in December 1934 Italy invaded in October 1935 with 400,000 men
Adowa was quickly captured but progress was slow (led change in Commander-in-chief
Had to use 600,000 troops, mustard gas and attack of capital led to Haile Selassie's departure and war ended on the 5th May 1936
Celebrations
20 million listened to Mussolini's celebratory speech
King made 'Emperor of the Italian Territories in East Africa'
Women gave wedding rings for the 'Gold for the Patria' including Queen Elena
Church happy with the invasion
Problems
Budget deficit increased from 2.5 billion to 16 billion lire
250,000 troops had to be stationed there
Only 130,000 colonists ever settled
Only 2% of Italian trade was with there by 1939
Lira devalued 40%
Britain takes it in 1941
Consequences
Some sanctions imposed by Britain and France in response (not oil and Suez Canal not closed)
Hoare-Laval pact exposed GB and France trying to compromise with Mussolini with a poor deal
Meant Mussolini became more bold with his future foreign policy
Pushed Mussolini towards Hitler (not what GB and France wanted to happen)
Spanish Civil War
Mussolini supported Franco, fighting against left-wing Republicans with Hitler (was also supported by France but non-interventionist due to GB)
Mussolini thought it could end with him getting a naval base in the Balearics
Mussolini provided 200 bombers, 400 fighter planes, 1,400 pilots, 75,000 soldiers and 150 tanks costing about 6 - 8.5 billion lire
Italy's resources contributed heavily to the bombing of Barcelona in 1938 but soldiers had limited impact (defeat of Italy in Guadalajara March 1937)
3,000 Italians killed (quite high)
Consequences
British and French public opinion turned against Mussolini
Brough Mussolini and Hitler closer
Franco's victory strengthened fascism in Europe
14 billion lire spent overall, became more devalued and trade was disputed
Led to Italy being more economically dependent on Germany
Wasn't as popular as Abyssinia and seen as a distraction for preparation for WW2
Breakdown on the Stresa Front and moving towards Germany
Mussolini saw 1935 Anglo-German Naval agreement as an excuse to abandon Stresa
Mussolini and Hitler first met in Venice 1934
Anschluss 1938
Unlike in 1934, Mussolini turned a blind eye but he was clearly the junior partner
No hope with GB and France after Abyssinia
Economic dependence of Germany since 1936
Mussolini was impressed by Hitler after a state visit to Munich in 1937
Rome-Berlin Axis Agreement was friendship agreement after fighting together in Spain
Italy withdrew from the League of Nations in December 1937
Mussolini suggested the 1938 Munich conference after Sudentenland crisis as he wanted to secure peace
Ciano and Ribbentrop started to develop a good friendship
Albania March 1939
Ultimatum to King Zog so Italy invaded
Planned to settle 2 million Italians
Victory took longer than expected and Italian armed forces weren't coordinated
GB and France gave guarantees to Greece and Turkey in response
Domestic tensions
Anti-semitism and possibility of war upset many due to general anti-German feeling and lack of trust in Mussolini
Military spending accounted for 80% of state deficit from 1935-39
Autarky had created high prices
Increasing reliance on Germany and in February 1939 deal meant thousands of Italian workers were sent to Germany
However, Mussolini did still seem secure in his position
Pact of Steel 1939
Formal alliance signed 22nd May 1939
Goring seemed to have persuaded Mussolini that Germany could beat GB and France, Italy also wouldn't have to enter for another 2-3 years
Ribbentrop reassured Ciano the Hitler wasn't planning on war before 1943
Germany and Italy would support each other in the event of war 'with all its military forces' even if they had started the war
However, Mussolini was not consulted when it came to the Nazi-Soviet pact and Hitler obviously invaded in only the September
Italian neutrality 1939-40
Neutral from the outbreak of war until June 1940 (when France was on the verge of defeat)
Mussolini claimed to be 'non-belligerent' therefore supportive but not fighting (Hitler said to accept this at this stage)
Fascist Grand Council, Vatican and the King all advised to avoid a declaration
Reasons
Nazi-Soviet Pact, Mussolini didn't approve of deals with Communists
Potential of a better offer from GB and France 'Phoney war' helped postpone this decision, Grandi (UK ambassador) encouraged deal
He was not ready with an incompetent military and lack of coordination (In 1930s still 6 million tonnes of coal being imported from Germany per year)
Propaganda did not match reality causing public discontent
In the process of being modernised by General Pariani who wanted more mechanised warfare