To what extent was Mussolini’s foreign policy a success between the years 1922 and 1940?

Mussolini from the years 1922 and 1940 was engaged in a continuous battle to “forge a nation” in war, and to achieve a new and greater Italy that would see him become a new Global power. He believed that the old “bourgeois powers” were stagnating this growth, but was prepared to make deals with them, until he could build himself up enough militarily to take control of the Mediterranean. His objective to be seen as a great power by being considered on a level of the International adjudicators, Britain and France was limited, but it had a few successes.

The Locarno Treaty signed in 1926 was an effort to ensure that peace would be maintained between France and Germany by stating that the borders between the two nations were effectively fixed. This proved to be a resounding success at the time, as since the French invasion of the Ruhr, the international community had felt the tension increase. Mussolini enjoyed being seen as a crucial element of the signing of the Treaty. Furthermore, he was also seen as being a major player in the signing of the Kellogg-Briande Pact that outlawed war as a means of a foreign policy, and was signed by many nations including Germany, pandering to the British fear of an ever militarised country.

However, whilst Mussolini himself many have revelled in his attention from Britain and France, in particular from the foreign secretary Austen Chamberlain, most of the powers still regarded him as simply posturing pompous and irrelevant. It is often said that he did not even read much of the legislation as it was being made, and thus could not be said as being an influential world power in the negotiations. His attempt to claim the surrounding sea also had some successes. His policy rested on an effort to start increasing the hold on the Mediterranean that presently encapsulated Italy and prevented it from using its full navy prowess. His actions began by attempting to take the Island of Corfu in 1923. This was in response at the death of Italians who were mapping the Greco-Albanian lines, and Mussolini responded in a characteristically overdramatic way. The ensuing takeover seemed to show the weakness of the international community, but in reality, Mussolini had to back down when the British naval fleet approached. He was told by his embarrassed Generals that they could not keep control of the Island, and even seemed to risk the safety of Ital’s great maritime ports. Mussolini had to back down, therefore confirming that their aim to rule the Mediterranean was at that point unattainable His relations with Germany seemed to have more success.

As he moved further and further towards the eventual war that would create the Fascist empire, he started distancing himself from the old democratic countries, and moving closer to the newly militant Germany. Mussolini admired the Fuhrers control and his ability to have transformed Germany into such a economic and political powerhouse. As such he tried to emanate them and appeared to increase their power when they entered into a pact with them. The first pact that was signed was the Rome Berlin Axis in 1936, stated that these two nations would be the centre of the world. This agreement was formalised by the Pact of Steel in 1939, and aligning themselves with the new power seemed to show Italy’s international prestige. However, Germany still regarded Italy as lesser. In fact, in the Anti-Comintern Pact that was signed between Italy, Germany and Japan, Hitler regarded Mussolini as the lesser ally. Their disdain for the wishes of Italy was shown in two instances. The first was the Anchluss in 1938, which Italy was given minimal control over, thereby showing Hitler’s disdain for Italy being deprived of the protection of her northernmost border. The second, was the fact that Italy was not consulted regarding the invasion of Germany in 1939, despite the knowledge that Italy was not militarily ready to enter into a European War.

The most successful foreign policy decision was the choice to increase their Empire in Africa. The idea of an empire was crucial, Mussolini believed to bringing the nation back to its former glory, as the Romans had also ruled over a vast Empire. The first decision was made to neutralise the threats to the colonies that Italy already had such as removing the guerrilla fighters in Libya, and allowing the “butcher of the Somalis” to take 100,000 men women and children to the coast in order to prevent the remaining fighters from obtaining more men women and children. These successes not only increased Italian control over Libya and Somaliland, but also provided a new source of men for future conflicts These successes whilst alienating the international community did not attract too much attack. The invasion of Abyssinia in 1934 appeared to be continuing this trend. It proved to be hugely popular with women lining up to give their rings as gold to help the cause, and after the King became “Emperor of Abyssinia”, it appeared the country was united in a euphoria of Great Nationhood. Furthermore, even though the other powers arranged an embargo of trade, they declined to invade directly, showing that Italy was now becoming stronger. However, Italy fighting a colonial army with planes and modern weapons, success was not as monumental as it was made to seem.

Whilst Italy certainly had some foreign policy successes, notably from Abyssinia, she was not the hugely successful power that Mussolini made herself out to be. Much of his success turned out to be simply posturing as Germany still regarded her as a lesser ally, he failed to make the Mediterranean an “Italian sea” and Britain and France saw Mussolini as relatively irrelevant in the treaties. Ultimately, when Hitler called him for war he was unable to respond knowing that when he was not attacking small unarmed people, he still lacked the financial and military strength that would have made him a great power.