I remember reading that in the Early 20s, there where a number of far right movements through out Europe that attempted coups. The Fascists in Italy, 1922, and the National Socialists in German in 1923. What if these movements had been successful? What would it take for them to become successful? How would, (for example) Trotsky react if the National Socialists came to power in Germany, and he suddenly had a militant anti-communist government just on the other side of Poland from him? Any thoughts guys?
Well, the important bit is "on the other side of Poland." I'd imagine the French would slap the Germans down pretty hard if they tried to remilitarize - I mean, they were willing to march into the Rhinelands just to collect debts, what would they have done if a German dictatorship had started rebuilding their military? (People will point out here that the 'emergency regime' of the 30's did just that, but you have to remember that this was during the depression, was done slowly and cautiously, and the French were terrified of the possibility of war setting off a communist revolution during the Depression).
Italy might easily have gone fascist, though, if the king had shown an atom less of firmness - it was a close thing as it was, if Mussolini had managed to put in a few more political markers before his March On Rome he might have pulled it off. After all, Italy was a poor country, and _most_ of the poorer parts of Europe ended up as dictatorships of one stripe or other.
What would have a Fascist Italy have done? Italy was certainly never strong enough militarily to seriously challenge France, let alone the UK, but it might have had a strong influence on the perifery of things. It might have gone to war with Yugoslavia rather than just funding under-the-table Croat seperatist groups. Perhaps it would have made it's "informal" protectorate over Albania into a more formal dominance.
A possibly important question: would have Italy have remained neutral with respect to the civil war in Spain? The republican victory was a fairly close thing as it was - would notable Italian help have forestalled this (and the messy liberal-trotskyite-syndicalist struggle afterward)?
(Of course, one must ask - what would be in it for the Italians?)
Bruce