CAMBRIDGE AS HISTORY: MUSSOLINI DIPLOMACY BETWEEN 1923 AND 1934. Contains: Mussolini main policy aims, methods and strategies 1920-1924, 1925-1935, 1936-1945, key successes and failures, judgement and effect of policies, homework.

1. HISTORY CAMBRIDGE AS (PAPER 2)
PRESENTATION 4 - HOMEWORK
1933-1939 MODULE

2. Mussolini's main foreign policy aims: were these consistent or did they
develop and change over time?
1) Mussolini wanted to establish a modern Roman empire in the
Mediterranean
2) A successful foreign policy might distract Italians domestic problems
3) Mussolini was disappointed with the small territorial gains from
WW1, and the humiliating Treaty of Versailles
4) Fascist ideology preached national glory

3. 1920s Tries to achieve foreign policy aims by diplomacy, more
cautious compared to foreign policy
1923 Corfu incident. A number of Italian officials who were situated
in Corfu were assassinated. As a result, Mussolini demands the
Greek government to pay compensation and give an apology.
Greece refuses and appeals to LoN. In the meantime, Mussolini
invades the island. Under pressure from Britain and France, he
withdraws but gets the compensation and the apology.
1924 The pact of Rome was signed between Italy and Yugoslavia,
and Italy got the long-disputed town Fiume.

4. 1925 Locarno treaty signed
1928 Kellog-Briand pact signed. Mussolini signed these peace
promoting treaties as he thought that in order to reverse treaty of
Versailles, he had to improve his relations with Britain and France.
1930s More aggressive foreign policy as Mussolini moves closer to
Hitler
1935 Abyssinia (today’s Ethiopia). Mussolini invaded the Abyssinia
in 1935 as he used border conflicts in 1934 to provoke the war and
used the previous year to build up his army. Then he invaded the
next year.

5. 1936 Rome-Berlin axis (Pact with Hitler)
1936 Involvement in Spanish civil war
1938 Munich conference
1939 Pact of steel (alliance between Germany and Italy) Italy and
Germany had to support each other militarily in the event of a war.
1940 WW2- Heavy defeats in Africa
1943 Mussolini forced to resign
1945 Mussolini assassinated by freedom fighters

6. 1923 Corfu (Greece), boosted Mussolini’s image.
1924 Pact of Rome Town of Fiume
1926-27 Albania
1934 Succeeded in preventing Hitler from taking Austria
1936 Spanish civil war must be considered as a success even
though the Italian military suffered big losses. SCV boosted
Mussolini’s prestige, further fascism in Europe (rise of Franco) and
contributed to the creation of the Rome-Berlin axis, which was an
alliance between Germany and Italy.

7. Mussolini fails to reverse humiliation in WW1 and TOV
1935 Abyssinia
Even though Mussolini acquired more territory and achieve some
of his foreign policy aims (establish Italy as dominant power in
Mediterranean), the invasion of Abyssinia was a failure. It was a
huge cost for Italy to invade the country, and Italy did not get any
economic gains from the invasion. Only 2 percent of trade with
through Abyssinia in 1939.
1938 Munich conference, Mussolini was largely ignored, and this
highlighted how he was Hitler’s sidekick.

8. Since Mussolini’s ultimate foreign policy aim was to increase his
power, he was in the end a complete failure. WW2 brought fascism
to an end, and even before 1939, Mussolini had only succeeded to
increase his power superficially.
He had expanded his empire in Africa by taking Abyssinia, which
was a huge cost for the country, and made some other minor
territorial gains in Europe. He had not been successful in
overturning TOV, and he was constantly overshadowed by Hitler.
Italy did not have the economic or military strength to compete
with the great powers such as France, Germany and Britain.
Therefore, Mussolini failed his foreign policy aims.

9. Exam Style Essay
Why did Mussolini adopted a diplomatic approach to foreign
policy in the period from 1919 to 1934?