Mussolini's foreign policy 1938-39

The following five cards will asses how succesful Mussolini's foreign policy was.

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Mussolini accepts Hitlers invasion of Austria, Ans

March 1938 Germany was much more powerful than Italy.

Mussolini didn't really have any choice about whether he was going to let Germany Invade Austria.

Hitler gave Mussolini twelve hours notice of his invasion of Austria and Mussolini had to succumb to this and accept Anschluss.

This however was highly unpopular with the rest of Italy because Austria was right next to Italy.

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Munich agreement, September 1938

Mussolini acted as a peacemaker and took a high profile.

He officially introduced the agreement even though the plan had been prepared in the German foreign office.

Mussolini gave the Czech sudetenland to Germany to avdert the threat of a European war because hitler wanted to invade Czechoslovakia.

The Czech army promised to stay back from the 'german' areas and Britain and France promised to support them incase of a future attack.

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Mussolini Invades Albania. March 1939

Just like Hitler and Czechoslovakia, Mussolini followed this idea and invaded Albania.

Mussolini vertually controlled Albania anyway and so there was little resistance against the invasion.

King Zog did not want to succumb to the Italian ways and so he and his family fled.

The albainian government decided to forget King Zog and Unite with Italy.

It was a great success.

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Pact of steel, May 1939

In May 1939 Mussolini proposed a pact with germany which was named the 'Pact of Steel'

The two coutries joined together and agreed to cooperate when faced with war.

Italy was not going to be ready to fight in the war untill 1943 but this however was not written into the agreement.

The pact was intended to last for 10 years with neither of them being able to  make peace unless the other agreed.

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Italy decided to stay out of the war. September 19

In 1939, in the face of war, it seemed that Mussolni knew that the miliary would not be ready for war and so accepted that Italy would not be able to fight.

Italy therefore stayed out of the Second World War.

Italy declared herself non-Belligerent.

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