Word: mussolini
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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...before, B. Mussolini's Council of Ministers announced that in the German-Polish war, "whose origin lies in the Versailles Treaty," Italy would take no part. And B. Mussolini, in his reply to Franklin Roosevelt's plea for humane bombing (see p. 13), repeated once more that Italy was not fighting anyone just...
Never were three news items more heartily welcomed by the Italian people. In Rome's streets and cafés there were handshaking, backslapping, happy chortling until B. Mussolini's police impressed upon his people that such joy was unseemly in a nation which was supposed to be learning how to love war and think it beautiful (TIME...
Fact was, B. Mussolini's reasons for staying neutral were not all happy ones. Whereas A. Hitler behind his West Wall was comparatively safe for the time being from the wrath of Great Britain & France, B. Mussolini was in just about the world's hottest spot. One martial move by him, he well knew, and Italy would suffer the full fury of the French Army and two navies. She would probably lose Ethiopia, have to fight hard to hold Libya and not starve. And the Turks would make life unbearable by driving behind the Greeks at Albania...
There were a lot of other unhappy reasons for B. Mussolini's neutrality: the Italian people are fed up with the efficiency experts and barking generals sent among them by A. Hitler to improve their working and fighting. Hitler's deal with Stalin affronted Fascism, despite feverish rationalizations (TIME, Sept. 4). Italy would not have Spain, now, to hamper France's rear. That alliance of godless ones affronted also the Roman Catholic faith. Italy is dirt poor. Above all, though B. Mussolini can pep them up enormously, the Italian people do not honestly like to fight...
...blocking access to Germany via the Tyrolean passes, had tremendous nuisance value. It would force Britain & France to go clear around through the Dardanelles, Black Sea and Rumania to assist Poland and establish the Salonika front (see p. 22). It was nuisance so great that it might bring B. Mussolini a fancy price if he chose to sell...