MUSSOLINI HAD JOINED THE ALLIES?

Driven by ambition, Italy's participation in the Axis war effort led to the collapse of its empire, the fall of the Fascist Party and Mussolini's death Interview

- David Williamson

Stuck in the power politics of the Great War, Italy was enthusiastic to join the German war effort following the defeat of France, believing it would significantly grow its African empire. This aim contradicted the German fanatical and pseudo-scientific war goals and Italy soon became isolated as Germany shifted its army towards Operation Barbarossa in the East. Italy burned with humiliation as its treasured empire fell, Mussolini was ousted and the Wehrmacht took control of Italy. Could aligning with the Allies instead in 1939 have saved the Italian Empire, Mussolini and the Fascist Party?

What was Mussolini’s motivation for joining the war on the Axis’ side in June 1940?

It wasn’t Nazism that drove Italy, but imperial ambition. It is easy to make coloured shirt and Holocaust parallels between fascist Italy and Nazi Germany dictators, but there are plenty of reasons to instead consider Italy as a belated European imperial power. After 1860, Italy was dogged by the fact it was elevated to a great imperial power but remained the least economically advanced of its contemporaries. Italy was forced to be overambitious and overcommitted itself economically and militarily to its empire. It took until after 1945, when Italy became a small but reasonable player on the stage of international politics, for Italy to reduce the scale of its imperial ambitions. For example, it hasn’t invaded Ethiopia despite having a prime minister who admired Mussolini in her girlhood.