Thursday, February 7, 2008
Mussolini
I find it interesting how every time that I read the pre-history of WWII it seems as though the writing was on the wall on how Mussolini's Italy would eventually act as an anchor to Germany's war efforts. Mussolini's military always got itself into trouble, whether it was with Franco, Ethiopia, Greece, and eventually Northern Africa and needed Germany to bail them out. Why wasn't it obvious to Hitler and the Nazi Regime that Italy would not be a good ally in the coming war?
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4 comments:
A very good point. I think it may have been that Hitler felt a kind of kinship to Mussolini's fascism, and since he used Mussolini's actions and the world response they elicited for his own grand takeover, he probably figured it couldn't hurt. Plus, Europe couldn't be said to be his if he wasn't in control of most of it, by treaty or by force, and even Hitler wouldn't invade a fellow fascist.
You're right on with the Germans having to bail Italy out. Italy wasn't even capable of defending their own soil when Clark's Forces advanced North through Italy. To answer your question, I think that Hitler sided with Italy despite them sucking was that they were a fellow fascist power in Europe that being with them meant that fascism may have appeared to toehr states to be a stronger political entitiy.
Or, at some point, Hitler recognizing Italy's weaknesses, fully intended to take them after he had England and France. Hitler might not invade a fellow fascist, but he wasn't the type to power share either.
I think Dawn hit the nail on the proverbial head hear. Any supposed brotherhood between the Axis powers would have deteriorated soon after the Allies were vanquished.
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