PAPER 1: ITALY; ABYSSINIA CRISIS 1935-36
factors impacting Italy’s foreign policy in the 1930s
1) Impact of fascism
- Mussolini: ‘’the character of the Italian people must be moulded by fighting.’’
- Mussolini pursued a more clearly Fascist policy from the mid-1930s: pursuit of imperial expansion,
glorification of war, move away from diplomacy and international cooperation
- More assertive and aggressive diplomatically
- Moved away from Britain, fostering closer ties with Germany —> series of Italo-German agreements (Rome-
Berlin Axis, Pact of Steel)
2) Impact of domestic economic issues
- Affected by the Great Depression
- Economic problems posed by overvaluing the lira
- Investment from the USA was withdrawn
- Italian farmers badly affected by the collapse in grain prices
- Unemployment grew to 2 million
o Government responded with more intervention —> Italy developed the largest public sector in
Europe, excluding the Soviet Union
- The economic crisis (though not as bad as elsewhere in Europe) meant that Mussolini needed to distract the
Italian public from Italy’s internal economic problems by fostering ‘revolutionary’ spirit that he and fascism
espoused —> more dynamic and aspirational foreign policy
- From 1936: economy further undermined by Mussolini’s emphasis on autarky, and the cost of Il Duce’s wars
- Thus; domestic economic factors may have been a factor in Mussolini’s decision to invade Abyssinia, but
these wars came at high price for the Italian economy
3) Changing diplomatic alignments in Europe after 1933
- Mussolini’s intention: develop an alternative to the LoN for European diplomacy
o Four Power Pact: signed on 15 July 1933, Britain, France, Italy, Germany (French parliament never
ratified)
Allowed for further ‘’Great Power’’ cooperation; though in reality, the pact had little meaning
- In 1934, Mussolini’s actions were seen as significant
o His opposition to Anschluss —> sufficient to deter Germany and Hitler did not intervene
o Because Hitler’s rearmament (by 1935) was alarming the rest of Europe, Italy was now perceived to
be key to guaranteeing the status quo in Europe
o Stresa Front – Italy, Britain, France: together, protested against Hitler’s violation of the Treaty of
Versailles, agreed to work to prevent any future changes to the European settlement
The agreement was vague, did not specifically name Germany, no methods to uphold their
aims were agreed
None of the signatories would sanction an actual invasion of Germany (Italy was keener than
Britain to adopt a firm stance regarding Germany)
o Mussolini got the impression during the Stresa talks that, in working with Britain and Fr, he had
gained their consent to expand Italian control in Abyssinia
- Only 2 months later (June 1935) Britain (apparently) broke the principles agreed at Stresa when it signed the
Anglo-German Naval Agreement with Hitler’s Germany —> condoned German naval rearmament and had
done so without consulting its Stresa Front Allies
o Mussolini believed this ended the Stresa agreement
factors impacting Italy’s foreign policy in the 1930s
1) Impact of fascism
- Mussolini: ‘’the character of the Italian people must be moulded by fighting.’’
- Mussolini pursued a more clearly Fascist policy from the mid-1930s: pursuit of imperial expansion,
glorification of war, move away from diplomacy and international cooperation
- More assertive and aggressive diplomatically
- Moved away from Britain, fostering closer ties with Germany —> series of Italo-German agreements (Rome-
Berlin Axis, Pact of Steel)
2) Impact of domestic economic issues
- Affected by the Great Depression
- Economic problems posed by overvaluing the lira
- Investment from the USA was withdrawn
- Italian farmers badly affected by the collapse in grain prices
- Unemployment grew to 2 million
o Government responded with more intervention —> Italy developed the largest public sector in
Europe, excluding the Soviet Union
- The economic crisis (though not as bad as elsewhere in Europe) meant that Mussolini needed to distract the
Italian public from Italy’s internal economic problems by fostering ‘revolutionary’ spirit that he and fascism
espoused —> more dynamic and aspirational foreign policy
- From 1936: economy further undermined by Mussolini’s emphasis on autarky, and the cost of Il Duce’s wars
- Thus; domestic economic factors may have been a factor in Mussolini’s decision to invade Abyssinia, but
these wars came at high price for the Italian economy
3) Changing diplomatic alignments in Europe after 1933
- Mussolini’s intention: develop an alternative to the LoN for European diplomacy
o Four Power Pact: signed on 15 July 1933, Britain, France, Italy, Germany (French parliament never
ratified)
Allowed for further ‘’Great Power’’ cooperation; though in reality, the pact had little meaning
- In 1934, Mussolini’s actions were seen as significant
o His opposition to Anschluss —> sufficient to deter Germany and Hitler did not intervene
o Because Hitler’s rearmament (by 1935) was alarming the rest of Europe, Italy was now perceived to
be key to guaranteeing the status quo in Europe
o Stresa Front – Italy, Britain, France: together, protested against Hitler’s violation of the Treaty of
Versailles, agreed to work to prevent any future changes to the European settlement
The agreement was vague, did not specifically name Germany, no methods to uphold their
aims were agreed
None of the signatories would sanction an actual invasion of Germany (Italy was keener than
Britain to adopt a firm stance regarding Germany)
o Mussolini got the impression during the Stresa talks that, in working with Britain and Fr, he had
gained their consent to expand Italian control in Abyssinia
- Only 2 months later (June 1935) Britain (apparently) broke the principles agreed at Stresa when it signed the
Anglo-German Naval Agreement with Hitler’s Germany —> condoned German naval rearmament and had
done so without consulting its Stresa Front Allies
o Mussolini believed this ended the Stresa agreement
