Chapter 8 - Mussolini's foreign policy

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What is the phrase to describe his FP despite not having a master plan
to make italy 'great, respected and feared'
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How was italy to gain great power status
become the dominant power in the meditteranean, develop a colonial empire in african and have the balkans as sphere of influence
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What would italians be transformed into in the process?
aggressive and energetic people
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How did Mussolini recognise he could use foreign affairs to his advantage?
could be used to impress fellow countrymen - overshadow foreign statesmen - avoid foreign office to conduct foreign affairs himself. Foreign affairs took up more and more time.
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Describe diplomacy 1922-32
Britain and France dominant powers, enforced Versailles settlement, dominated Africa and fleets controlled the Med. France also had control in central and eastern europe eg the Balkans
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What triggered events in corfu, august 1923
italian general +4 staff assassinated while in Greece whilst advising on location of the greek-albanian border.
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How did M react
dmenaded full apology and 50mil lira in conpensation. Greeks refused so M bombarded Corfu. European powers (britain led) demanded italy withdraw so they did. got compensation but no formal apology
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What did Corfu show (outcomes)
success for dynamic fascism, could bully smaller powers but not stand up to the great powers, Made M aware of need for good relations w Britain
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What was the pact of rome
1924, italy received Fiume
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What did the pact of rome convince M to do
push yugoslavia around - make it clear he could make life difficult to them if they resisted italian influence in the reigon.
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What actions were taken when Ahmed Zog took power in albania?
gave money + encouraged italian companies to invest in the albanian economy
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What showed policy towards albania/ yugoslavia a success?
treaty of friendship signed 1926 - albania no more than a satellite state. Also funded croats who wanted to break away from the Yugoslav state.
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How did Italy try to maintan good relations with britain and france
Remained in league of nations
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what were the lacarno treaties?
confirmed permanence of germanys western borders
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What was the kellog-briand pact?
1928, outlawed war
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Name a further agreement made with Britain and France?
agreed over borders of their north african colonies (libya and egypt)
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What was M's view on the situation
enjoyed being taken seriously + change to raise prestige/ power at home. Raced across lake maggiore in Locarno which was covered lots in the press - emphasised equal to great powers (really only went to one session/ not read final treaty draft)
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Why did the 1930s see M become more ambitious in the balkans and africa?
He wanted to distract from domestic problems and bolster the regime, disappointed at limited gains made via diplomatic means in 1920s. aims always expansionist though even if disguised in front of britain and france. Nazis also transformed europe
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What were the aims for going to war with Ethiopia in 1935?
enhance great power status, would provide lots of colonial troops to enhance military strength, prestige at home + distract from failures (corporate state/grain/births).
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Describe german italian relations 1933-5? (anschluss)
didnt want to be overshadowed by the fuhrer, scared of an anschluss (annexation of austria by germany, lose security of northern border
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go into more detail on the anscluss?
dollfuss (austrian chancellor) visited rome x3 1933, M said italy would protect austria from germany, 1934 encouraged him to set up right wing regime based on fascism - failed. M outraged when D assassinated by Nazis july 1934 so sent troops2 border
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What was the pretext for war in ethiopia? (Stresa Front conference, march 1935)
M agreed to meet w britain and france as Hitler announced luftwaffle which broke terms of peace treaty.
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What were the benefits of the stresa front?
added protection against anschluss, showed western powers anxious germany would ally w other states to revise the peace settlement so a possible friendship w germany would scare B+F and make them more sympathetic to italian ambitions overseas
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Describe the war itself
wal-wal incident sparked the conflict (30 italians killed), october attacked ehtiopia using poision gas and aerial bombing, defeated april 1936, may addis ababa captured (capital), only 1000 italian casualties so popularity soared
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How did the war impact relations with Britain and France
outraged by tactics used and widespread support for league of nations economic sanctions- no arms to be sold to italy and no italian goods imported
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Why did the sanctions never really work
no ban on commodities like coal, oil and steel. Suez canal remained open which would have cut off supply route to east africa.
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What was the Hoare-Laval pact, december 1935?
Agreement which would have given italy most of ethiopia, public outcry in britain and france stopped this from happening so M saw them as weak and in search of a comfortable (1933 oxford uni union debate)
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What was the Rome-Berlin axis, 1936?
Hitler said he wouldnt carry out an anschluss and in return M said he would drop objection to nazi interference in austrian politics, public declaration of friendship, secret agreement italy look towards the med while germany towards europe/ baltic
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Describe Italy's intervention in the spanish civil war, 1936
fought w germany, only sent transport planes at first but 2 crashed in french controlled morocco so m criticised in french press so intervened expecting victory swif
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what was the result of the spanish civil war for m
over 40k troops but victory not quick, forced withdrawn 1939 after republicans collapsed, 4000 italians dead and over 8bil lire spent. Didnt improve relations w britain/ france as they remained neutral
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What was the anti-Comintern Pact with Germany and Japan?
said 3 countries would work together against soviet russia
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How did m respond when the anscluss happened in march 1938
signed an agreement w britain declaring their status quo in the mediterranean but soon reconciled with germany - admired dynamism of Germans despite not being informed of anschluss
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Describe the Munich conference?
M asked to act as mediator at conference by British PM about Hitlers demands over Sudetenland. received lots of publicity. secretly agreed w Hitler resulting him gaining the Sudetenland
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Describe something else germany did which annoyed M
Invaded Czechoslovakia march 1939 w/o being informed. started to fear germany properly as well as admire it. Better to be friends with the regime as likely to be victorious - so pick up some rewards etc.
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What were mussolini's intentions for territorial gains 1938-9
demanded annexation of nice, corsica and tunis from France. He was convinced of the weakness of britain and france. planned to dominate the med - 'great power status'
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Describe the invasion of albania 1939?
put m back in limelight, victory without any major fighting - ignored the fact it had been a satellite state for over 10yrs at this point.
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Describe the pact of steel 1939 - italy and germany
said each nation to join the other in war if other country had caused war by act of aggression - M not take seriously but backtracked when gov realised seriousness - said give 3 years to allow to prepare for war - ignored by Hitler
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Describe events under the title non-belligerance.
M not attempt to stop until poland invasion imminent, reasserted claim Italy needed more time, H demanded Italy stand firm to pact of steel terms. M knew war unpopular/ not for italy's interests to argued would only join if supplied with unrealistic
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CONTINUATION>>
qualities of war material. When germany and western democracies went to war in sept M declared his ally had been treacherous and had made the pact null and void. Many relieved
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What prompted M to realise he had to join the war
Hitler launched Blitzkrieg against france and the low countries, threw western allies into dissaray eg dunkirk - looked as if they were on the brink of defeat.
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What was the view from rome about joining the war?
if italy remained neutral and germany dominated it would be faced with germanys anger as their refusal to honour the pact of steel. would lack great power status and under physical threat from nazis
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What would happen if Italy allied w Germany?
they would be friends, sharing europe w Italy possibly having a free hand in the med, could redeem lost honour and win military glory
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When did Italy declare war on britain and france?
June 1940
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

How was italy to gain great power status

Back

become the dominant power in the meditteranean, develop a colonial empire in african and have the balkans as sphere of influence

Card 3

Front

What would italians be transformed into in the process?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

How did Mussolini recognise he could use foreign affairs to his advantage?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Describe diplomacy 1922-32

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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