Foreign policy Benito Mussolini

from left right, chamberlain, daladier, hitler, mussolini , italian foreign minister count ciano prepare sign munich agreement

mussolini s foreign policy took dramatic turn after abyssinia crisis of 1935–1936, when italy invaded ethiopia following border incidents occasioned italian inclusions on vaguely drawn border between ethiopia , italian somaliland. historians still divided reasons attack on ethiopia in 1935. italian historians such franco catalano , giorgio rochat argue invasion act of social imperialism, contending great depression had badly damaged mussolini s prestige, , needed foreign war distract public opinion. other historians such pietro pastorelli have argued invasion launched part of expansionist program make italy main power in red sea area , middle east. middle way interpretation offered american historian macgregor knox, argued war started both foreign , domestic reasons, being both part of mussolini s long-range expansionist plans , intended give mussolini foreign policy triumph allow him push fascist system in more radical direction @ home. italy s forces far superior abyssinian forces, in air power, , victorious. emperor haile selassie forced flee country, italy entering capital city, addis ababa proclaim empire may 1936, making ethiopia part of italian east africa.

confident of having been given free hand french premier pierre laval, , british , french forgiving because of opposition hitler s revisionism within stresa front, mussolini received disdain league of nations economic sanctions imposed on italy initiative of london , paris. in mussolini s view, move typically hypocritical action carried out decaying imperial powers intended prevent natural expansion of younger , poorer nations italy. in fact, although france , britain had colonized parts of africa, scramble africa had finished beginning of twentieth century. international mood against colonialist expansion , italy s actions condemned. furthermore, italy criticized use of mustard gas , phosgene against enemies , 0 tolerance approach enemy guerrillas, authorized mussolini. between 1936–1941 during operations pacify ethiopia, italians killed hundreds of thousands of ethiopian civilians, , estimated have killed 7% of ethiopia s total population. mussolini ordered marshal rodolfo graziani initiate , systematically conduct policy of terror , extermination against rebels , population in complicity them. without policy of ten eyes one, cannot heal wound in time . mussolini ordered graziani execute entire male population on age of 18 in 1 town , in 1 district ordered prisoners, accomplices , uncertain have executed part of gradual liquidation of population. believing eastern orthodox church inspiring ethiopians resist, mussolini ordered orthodox priests , monks targeted in revenge guerrilla attacks. mussolini brought in degree law 880, made miscegenation crime punishable 5 years in prison mussolini made absolutely clear did not want soldiers , officials serving in ethiopia ever have sex ethiopian women under circumstances believed multiracial relationships made men less kill ethiopians. mussolini favored policy of brutality partly because believed ethiopians not nation because black people stupid have sense of nationality , therefore guerrillas bandits . other reason because mussolini planning on bringing millions of italian colonists ethiopia , needed kill off of ethiopian population make room italian colonists had done in libya.

the sanctions against italy used mussolini pretext alliance germany. in january 1936, mussolini told german ambassador ulrich von hassell that: if austria in practice become german satellite, have no objection . recognizing austria within german sphere of influence, mussolini had removed principal problem in italo-german relations. american historian barry sullivan wrote hitler-mussolini relationship:

a.j.p. taylor erred in asserting british , french drove mussolini alliance hitler. ironically, mussolini responded germany, britain , france in inverse proportion degree of dishonesty , threat italy: germany, consistently treated italy worse did other 2 countries, rewarded mussolini s friendship; france, offered italy highest level of co-operation , true partnership, rewarded rebuffs , abuse. british policy , mussolini s reaction it, fell between these extremes .

on 25 october 1936, axis declared between italy , germany.

on 11 july 1936, austro-german treaty signed under austria declared german state foreign policy aligned berlin, , allowed pro-nazis enter austrian cabinet. mussolini had applied strong pressure on austrian chancellor kurt schuschnigg sign treaty in order improve relations hitler. after sanctions against italy ended in july 1936, french tried hard revive stresa front, displaying sullivan called humiliating determination retain italy ally . in january 1937, britain signed gentleman s agreement mussolini intended limit italian intervention in spain, , seen british foreign office first step towards creating anglo-italian alliance. in april 1938, britain , italy signed easter accords under britain promised recognise ethiopia italian in exchange italy pulling out of spanish civil war. foreign office understood spanish civil war pulling rome , berlin closer together, , believed if mussolini persuaded disengage spain, return allied camp. mussolini out of spain, british prepared pay such prices such recognising king victor emmanuel iii emperor of ethiopia. american historian barry sullivan wrote both british , french wanted rapprochment italy undo damage caused league of nations sanctions, , mussolini chose ally hitler, rather being forced...

reflecting new pro-german foreign policy on 25 october 1936, mussolini agreed form rome-berlin axis, sanctioned cooperation agreement nazi germany , signed in berlin. furthermore, conquest of ethiopia cost lives of 12,000 italians , 4,000 5,000 libyans, eritreans, , somalis fighting in italian service. mussolini believed conquering ethiopia cost 4 6 billion lire, true costs of invasion proved 33.5 billion lire. economic costs of conquest proved staggering blow italian budget, , retarded italian efforts @ military modernization money mussolini had earmarked military modernization instead spent in conquering ethiopia, helped drive mussolini towards germany. cover huge debts run during ethiopian war, mussolini devalued lire 40% in october 1936. furthermore, costs of occupying ethiopia cost italian treasury 21.1 billion lire between 1936–1940. additionally, italy lose 4,000 men killed fighting in spanish civil war (a number adjusted italy s population proportionally twice american losses in vietnam) while italian intervention in spain cost italy 12 14 billion lire. in years 1938 , 1939, italian government took in 39.9 billion lire in taxes while entire italian gross national product 153 billion lire, meant ethiopian , spanish wars imposed economically crippling costs on italy. 28% of entire military italian budgets between 1934–39 spent on military modernization rest being consumed mussolini s wars, led rapid decline in italian military power. contrast, reflecting far larger size of german economy, total italian military expenditure in 1936 equal 27% of total german military expenditure 1936. greater size of german economy allowed hitler both modernize wehrmacht , intervene in spanish civil war @ same time, option mussolini did not have. between 1935–39, mussolini s wars cost italy equivalent of $500 billion dollars in 1999 values, sum proportionally larger burden given italy such poor country. 1930s time of rapid advances in military technology, , sullivan wrote mussolini picked wrong time fight wars in ethiopia , spain. @ same time italian military falling behind other great powers, full scale arms race had broken out, germany, britain , france spending increasingly large sums of money on militaries 1930s advanced, situation mussolini privately admitted limited italy s ability fight major war on own, , required great power ally compensate increasing italian military backwardness.

from 1936 through 1939, mussolini provided huge amounts of military support nationalists in spanish civil war. active intervention on side of franco further distanced italy france , britain. result, mussolini s relationship adolf hitler became closer, , chose accept german annexation of austria in 1938, followed dismemberment of czechoslovakia in 1939. in may 1938, during hitler s visit italy, mussolini told führer italy , france deadly enemies fighting on opposite sides of barricade concerning spanish civil war, , stresa front dead , buried . @ munich conference in september 1938, mussolini continued pose moderate working european peace, while helping nazi germany annex sudetenland. 1936 axis agreement germany strengthened signing pact of steel on 22 may 1939, bound fascist italy , nazi germany in full military alliance.

members of tigr, slovene anti-fascist group, plotted kill mussolini in kobarid in 1938, attempt unsuccessful.