Presumably he lives longer......
3 years younger than mussolini. Unlikely to take over if mussolini stays for life.Italo Balbo?
If Italy is even allowed to stay independent.In a Nazi victory TL, who might succeed Mussolini as Italian PM when he dies c. 1960?
Franco actually was a monarchist, though. He never really was all that comfortable with the Falange and was really more of a traditionalist leading an uneasy coalition of the Spanish Nationalist cause. Mussolini was initially a republican socialist and only tolerated the monarchy because his movement was weaker in the south of the country where many people were conservative monarchists and he needed an olive branch to be extended to them.Perhaps Mussolini pulls a Franco, and Umberto II becomes absolute monarch. Then again, Mussolini wanted to eventually phase out the monarchy.
Or a younger war general?Graziani could be groomed as a successor with a war record to boast over.
Franco actually was a monarchist, though. He never really was all that comfortable with the Falange and was really more of a traditionalist leading an uneasy coalition of the Spanish Nationalist cause. Mussolini was initially a republican socialist and only tolerated the monarchy because his movement was weaker in the south of the country where many people were conservative monarchists and he needed an olive branch to be extended to them.
I think in an ideal situation for the Italian Fascists, they do significantly well in this Nazi victory and control Greece, Egypt, parts of Yugoslavia, Tunisia, and wherever else they desired in their near abroad. To do this, they'd have to have a lot of military success. So perhaps Graziani could be groomed as a successor with a war record to boast over.
I don't see why they wouldn't. Nazi racial theory held that in the long term, only Aryan and Slavic areas were suitable for rule by Germany, for one thing. Hitler had little interest in territory in Southern Europe until Italy flipped. Now, he might get a bit testy about South Tyrol and I think Italy would agree to trade it for perhaps permanent recognition of taking the parts of Savoy/Piedmont that were given away to France in the 1860s, or more of Yugoslavia. But maybe not, so who knows.If Italy is even allowed to stay independent.
I'm thinking Dino Grandi - I know he was sceptical of pro-Nazi policy, could he get into office and stay there? Another option is Borghese (pro-Nazi?).