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TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > History > Mussolini - Foreign Policy

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Contents 1 Aims 2 Problems 3 Timeline 4 Comments

Aims

• Acquire territory rich in resources – this gives Mussolini more cash and power. Especially needed iron ore and oil.

• Acquire new lands for cultivation – grow grain, make bread – Autarky.

• Unify lands they already have.

• Increase military.

• Expand the Empire! Take Abyssinia – restore pride after Italy was beaten in Adowa in 1886.

• AUTARKY – major point! Mussolini wanted Italy to be “free from the slavery of foreign bread”, so wanted to make Italy self-sufficient.

Problems

• Italy was the only Fascist country – everywhere else was democratic.

• British forces controlled the Mediterranean.

• Lack of natural resources.

• Mussolini needed resources to build up the army, but needed an army to seize resources – Catch 22 situation!!

Timeline

• 1924 – Hitler tried to ‘put down the rebellion’ in Austria – in reality, he wanted to invade. To protect South Tirral, which was under Italian control, Mussolini placed the army at the Brena pass, forcing Hitler to back down. This earned him a lot of international prestige.

• 1935 – Italy invades Abyssinia under the impression that Britain said it was OK, and that deserved an African colony due to the Treaty of Versailles. However, the British decide that they said no now, and Abyssinia went to the League of Nations. However, no sanctions were imposed, since the British were scared of the Italian airforce assaulting their navy.

• 1936 – Spanish Civil War. Mussolini supported Franco – Hitler was also supporting Franco, and so this brought the two dictators closer together. But Italian troops were still there in 1938!!

• 1937 – Anti-comintern pact. Basically allied Germany, Italy and Japan together against the ‘threat of communism’.

• 1938 – Anschloss. Germany invades Austria, just like in ’24. This time, though, Mussolini welcomes Hitler.

• 1938 – Munich Crisis – Hitler makes demands or he’ll invade Czechoslovakia. Chamberlain gets them. Hitler wants them within 10 days. Chamberlain mobilises. Mussolini organises meeting, sorts it out. Lots of prestige for Mussolini.

• 1939 – Pact of Steel – military alliance between Germany and Italy.

Comments

These notes are aimed at A Level history students.

Originally written by Forgotmytea on TSR Forums.