AHC: Italian ruled Egypt with post-1860, pre-1900 PoD

The best (and only) opportunity is for Italy to accept the British invitation for a joint intervention in Egypt in May-June 1882 (the French government had fallen in May, and France pulled out), after the al Arabi coup. IOTL the invitation was declined for various reasons (including the fact that al Arabi had become a darling of the Left, being portrayed as an Egyptian Garibaldi). Given the Italian interests in Egypt, an a strong presence of Italians in Alexandria, joining the intervention might have actually be a good idea.

At best Italy would be a junior partner in an Anglo-Italian co-dominium over Egypt, and it may not be enough to satisfy the OP. No other possibility comes to mind with such a narrow window for the POD.

Italian presence in Egypt, and obviously in Eritrea, would ensure a stronger cooperation between Italy and UK during the Mahdi insurrection and a possible partition or co-dominium in Sudan. This may butterfly away the first Italo-Ethiopian war (the stronger presence in the area would suggest a softer penetration into Ethiopia, expanding Italian influence gradually)
 
What Lord Kalvan said. A preliminary pod to get Italian in 1882 could be amore confident Italy that has performed better in 1866, winning at Customs and either avoiding or winning at Lissa (or in another naval engagement).
 
What Lord Kalvan said. A preliminary pod to get Italian in 1882 could be amore confident Italy that has performed better in 1866, winning at Customs and either avoiding or winning at Lissa (or in another naval engagement).
You're quite right, but the situation is even more complicated. A major issue was the substantial diplomatic isolation of Italy (as evidenced by the very bad outcome of the Berlin Congress) but also the decrease in the export of agricultural produce in the 1870s and the negative impact of the milling tax on the poorest classes. The 1870s were not a good decade for Italy.
 
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