Italian Expansion

  • Corfu Affair

    Corfu Affair
    Mussolini invaded the Greek island of Corfu because of the recent killing of Italian citizens but was condemned by members of the League of Nations. He was eventually paid 50 million lire but learned not to antagonize countries bigger than Italy.
    This revealed that his foreign policy was, at least initially, one based on force and intimidation of other nations.
  • Pact of Rome

    Pact of Rome
    Mussolini took over the port of Fiume by sending a military commander there.
    This further demonstrated that his overall purpose as it relates to foreign policy was to reach the point where he could overcome other nations through military force.
  • Locarno Treaties

    Locarno Treaties
    Mussolini met with leaders of Britain, Germany, France, and Belgium in Locarno, Switzerland. They agreed on where Germany's border with France should be, and Mussolini was heavily involved throughout the meeting.
    This shows that in terms of foreign policy, Mussolini wanted to be viewed in different ways depending on the audience. For the people in power, he wanted to be seen as a force for peace, whereas for smaller nations than Italy, he wanted dominance.
  • Friendship with Albania

    Friendship with Albania
    Mussolini helped Ahmed Zog come to power in Albania and in 1926, officially became allied with the country.
    In doing so, he made it clear that he would support other rulers so long as they remained dependent on or controlled by him.
  • Kellogg-Briand Pact

    Kellogg-Briand Pact
    Essentially, over 60 countries signed this Pact agreeing that war was not a legitimate way of solving problems between countries. Mussolini himself called it "so sublime that it should be called transcendental." Meanwhile, he was also helping train German fighter pilots in Italy and funding like-minded groups in Germany.
    This further demonstrates his want to be viewed in a positive light by other powerful nations of the time but with an underlying emphasis on force.