AHC/WI: Anglo-Italian Alliance

Delta Force

Banned
Historically the Mediterranean Ocean was one of the most important stations for the Royal Navy, as it helped to guard the vital Suez Canal. British rivals such as France and Imperial Russia had operations or aspirations in the area. Given its central location in the Mediterranean, Italy could be a great ally or major threat in the event of war. How plausible would it have been for the United Kingdom to have pursued Italy as an ally in the decades before World War I? How would this impact British defense and foreign policy?
 
Italy didn't have anything to really bring to the bargain. The major threat to Britain from the late 1890s onwards, Fashoda aside, was Germany.

An alliance with Italy does not aid Britain against Germany and throws a spanner in the works of rapprochement with France.
 
Britain was generally on reasonably good terms with Italy all along, precisely for the reasons you succinctly stated.
The point is that, in the relevant timeframe, Italy was so weak, that an exclusive Anglo-Italian alliance would have been a liability for Britain. Conversely, from an Italian POV, Britain was a very useful partner but she had no immediate use in itself in the event of a European war, which Italy expected (correctly) to fight in the Alpine fronts.
(Furthermore, Italy needed coal, and maritime supply from the British Empire was the easier source; alternative sources from Germany were possible, but the required infrastucture was never created, which speaks volumes about who Italy expected to be at war with).
 

LordKalvert

Banned
Italy and Britain were allied in the Mediterranean and Africa under Crispi. He would do Britain's bidding in almost everything. Unfortunately for Italy, the British were more inclined to use Italy as a bargaining chip than as an ally- The final collapse comes after the Italians are beaten at Adowa

Before that, Crispi had followed Britain's lead in Armenia, Egypt and even in the Triple Intervention against Japan (Italy offered to help Japan against his German allies if Britain would join him)

The final humiliation for Crispi was the refusal of Britain to allow the Italians to use Zeila as a base against Menelik. Rudini quickly grasped Crispi's mistake and the Italian drift towards France and Russia took root
 
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