HST 802 Lecture 4: Week 4.2 WWII
8 Mar 2016
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Completely soured relations with great britain and france (draws mussolini closer to hitler) Mussolini needed to join the war (hitler would take over all of europe=no territory left for italy to build empire) Commits italy to enter any war, hitler begins (and vice versa) But he knows italy is not ready to enter into a fight. No real interest in unified military command. Mussolini continues to build up army rather than join war outright. (in hopes of italy staying out of the conflict) Italian, airforce/artillery all out dated, still stuck in wwi warfare. Italy already held libya and wanted egypt. They wanted to suez canal to cut off gb from india via red sea. 1/2 million soldiers italian soldiers, only 36 thousand british troops. Mussolini"s army in libya not properly for the dessert. Begin bombing britain, britain"s far better air force attack back (sand and heat caused the breakdown of the mechanisms) British plant land mines everywhere and leave.
