Italy’s Road to WWII

Italy’s Road to WWII

1. Italy’s WWII Story-Benito Mussolini-Il Duce 1919-1945

2. Italy after WWI Italy was very displeased with the Treaty of Versailles Wanted to get more land than they got See map on next slide Italy joined the League of Nations and was a member from 1919 until they withdrew in 1937

3. Washington Naval Conference-1921

4. 5 Power Pact Signed by Great Britain, the United States, Japan, France, and Italy Designed to prevent an arm’s race It limited the construction of battleships, battle cruisers and aircraft carriers Did not restrict cruisers, destroyers or submarines

5. 9 Power Pact Guaranteed Chinese independence and upheld the Open Door Policy Signed by the United States, Japan, China, France, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, and Portugal

6. Kellogg-Briand Pact -Countries pledged not to use war as a way to settle disputes

7. March on Rome-October 1922 A march by Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party Mussolini and the Fascists won and took over Italy

8. King Victor Emmanuel Did not fight Mussolini’s take over in Italy Wanted to avoid a civil war and also wanted to keep communists out of Italy Saw Mussolini as the person that could do these things

9. Mussolini and the Catholic Church In 1929 , the Lateran A ccords were signed Gave the Vatican specific territories in Rome  Catholicism became the state religion – Separation of church and state was stopped R ecognition of religious marriages for the first time since 1870 Catholic church was given a lot of money What did Mussolini get? Official support from the Catholic Church

10. Established Fascism in Italy A government led by a strong dictator Stresses strong nationalism, militarism and imperialism Uses intimidation to get what they want “All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state .” Benito Mussolini

11. Ethiopia invaded by Mussolini 1935 Italy lost it’s Ethiopia colony in Africa at the 1896 Battle of Adwa O ne of the worst colonial disasters of modern history In 1935, Italy sends large forces into Ethiopia

12. Italy/Ethiopia Invasion Nov. 18 , 1935, League of Nations sanctions begin -Arms embargo, financial embargo, non-importation of Italian goods Feb. 29, 1936, FDR signed the 1936 Neutrality Act 1. Mandatory arms embargo with warring nations 2 . Mandatory ban on loans to warring nations May 5 – Italy 1936 occupied Addis Ababa - annexed all Ethiopia on May 9

13. Generalissimo Francisco Franco and the Spanish Civil War-1936 Hitler and Mussolini send troops and weapons to help Franco win the civil war against the communists This war served as an important training ground for Hitler’s and Mussolini’s troops

14. Rome-Berlin Axis-1936

15. Tripartite Pact is signed forming the Axis Powers-1940 Germany, Italy and Japan

16. Axis Powers Main Powers : Germany, Italy, Japan Other Powers : Albania, Bulgaria, Finland, Romania, Thailand, Hungary

17. Italy’s Goals in WWII Make a new Roman Empire Make the Mediterranean an “Italian Lake” Take over north African colonies of Britain and France-especially Egypt Take over southeastern Europe-Greece and Albania Take over parts of the Middle East Old Roman Empire-96 AD

18. Italy Invasion of Albania-1940

19. Italy’s Invasion of Greece-1940

20. Operation Avalanche

21. Italy’s Defeat-1943

22. Mussolini & his Mistress, Claretta Petacci , are hanged in Milan, 1945

23. Italy and the Holocaust In 1938, Mussolini instituted laws discriminating the Jews 46,000 Jews in Italy at the time After the Fascist government fell when the US invaded(1943), the Germans moved in and took control and started shipping Jews to camps outside of Italy

24. Why did Italy Lose? Italy was not prepared militarily to fight a prolonged war Germany had to constantly bail Italy out Italian troops were spread too thin-Africa, Mediterranean, Albania, Greece, Soviet Union, France, Battle of Britain The people of Italy were not prepared to fight or motivated to fight. They were forced to fight. Overall, Italy was just a weak country

25. Impact WWII Had on Italy 410,000 dead--330,000 Military deaths Spent $94 Billion Italy had joined the Allies by 1943 so the big concern for the US was making sure Italy became a democracy after the war and not fall to communism US gave millions of dollars to Italy(Marshall Plan) to help rebuild after the war Became a member of NATO in 1949 Became a member of the United Nations in 1955