In all the dark annuls of human there has scarce been a betrayal more wretched and contemptible than that of Abyssinia. Yet I cannot help but feel there is some measure of greatness in a man. whom so boldly defied the world. And such boldness may yet be needed to face down the dastardly depredations of the Hun. - Quote attributed to Winston Churchill - 1936.
Placing incompetent cronies in command of a military operation...Very stupid. - Quote attributed to J.V Stalin - 1936.
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Laurel & Hardy's Abyssinian Adventure:
Scene: Italian Army base in East Africa:
Laurel: Say Hardy what are we doing here?!
Hardy: Because you moron I'm a good Italian on my mother's, father's, cousin's, uncle's side of the family.
Laurel: Gee ok, then why am I here!?
Hardy: *thumps Laurel*
Laurel: Agh.
Scene: shifts to an airstrip where planes are being loaded with bombs
*Laurel & Hardy are carrying a crate labeled 'peaches' over to a plane*
Laurel: These Abba-what-ya-ma-call-ems must really hate peaches if we're dropping so many on em.
Hardy: *exasperated* These aint peaches idiot it's poison gas.
Laural: POISON!!!
Hardy: Ssssh! That's supposed to be a secret.
Laural: Of course its secret Hardy, I mean even I didn't know.
Hardy: *thumps Laurel*
Laurel: Agh *drops crate on Hardy's foot*
Hardy: Yeoww!
*Poison gas starts to leek from the crate. Laural & Hardy flee the scene as sinister looking blackshirts investigate the disturbance*
Scene: shifts to a trackless savannah
*Laurel & Hardy are surrounded by angry-looking Abyssinian tribesmen armed with spears & swords.
Hardy: Well, here's another nice bucket of suds you've gotten me into!
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The Duce's festering resentment over the perceived 'humiliation' of fascist armed might in Africa, did nothing to suppress his bellicosity. Hitler's march into the Rhineland during the Ethiopian crisis further provoked the Duce's toxic mixture of admiration and envy. It was likely with these considerations in mind that Mussolini decided that Hitler needed to be 'taken down a peg'. Before he could challenge Mussolini's status as the great strongman of Europe. Four Italian divisions were moved to the Brenner Pass and the Duce gave greater assurances to Austria along with increased economic and military aid.
By June 1936 Mussolini was toying with the idea of appointing the 33 year-old Galeazzo Ciano as foreign minister, many said that this chief - and some said only - qualification for this role was the fact he was Mussolini's son-in-law. However Ciano belonged to a faction of the fascist party which held the view, that instead of seeking to be a makeweight in the balance of power or a pendulum swinging between one power-group or another. Italy should instead opt Frankly for a German alliance. This did not coincide with Mussolini's current views and for the moment Ciano was instead dispatched to stir up trouble in Yugoslavia using the varying ultra-nationalist organizations which were based in or supported by Italy.
The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War give Mussolini a chance to once again re-assert a degree of Italian power and influence. Mussolini had a poor opinion of Spaniards because of what he took to be an Arab element in their racial composition, but was concerned by the rise of 'Bolshevism' within the Republican government. He had already given arms and training to Spanish groups aiming to overthrow the government in Madrid. After backing one coup that failed, he was reluctant to help the Nationalist cause but agreed to send a few transport planes and arms shipments after convincing himself that these would be enough to ensure a swift Nationalist victory.
This was wrong, and despite formal protestations that he was observing strict neutrality and had no dealings at all with Franco the Duce was hoping to send a ''volunteer'' contingent of Blackshirts. This proved another mistake as the men were chosen based on their height and physique, so as to be ''good advertizements'' for Fascism when sen alongside Spanish solders. These did not perform as well as hoped and reluctant to get his hands burned twice in less than a year the Duce decided to limit Italian involvement in mainland Spain. Whilst secretly egging on the Germans to commit forces to halt the spread of ''Bolshevism''.
One operation that did however prove an immediate success, was the Italian occupation of the Balearic Islands which Mussolini had the idea of eventually annexing to use as a permanent military base for Italy in the western Mediterranean. One of his more brutal Blackshirt militiamen Arconovaldo Bonaccorsi was sent to act as pro-consul in Majorca and within weeks a fascist reign of terror, including an indiscriminate massacre of prisoners was reviving memories of the worst excesses of squadrismo. - Excerpts from Last of the Romans: Mussolini and his empire - by Gordon M Currie.
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The Spanish Civil War proved to be an excellent proving ground for our new weaponry and tactics, but many of us questioned the cost. The Fuehrer was convinced that the Italians would not be willing to intervene decisively in Spain after their set-back in East Africa. He allowed himself to be persuaded by his more aggressive subordinates, and even the Italian Duce that he alone could prevent the spread of Communism into Western Europe via Spain. - Except from A Soldier's Memoir by G.V Rundstedt.
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Of all the fascist bastards who flocked to Spain. The Germans were the worst, they bombed innocent women and children, burned our villages on a whim. We heard even Franco became disgusted with them. Of course the fat puta was too afraid to do anything about it, afraid of losing, afraid of Hitler. - Anonymous former Nationalist solider -1950.